One of the most important practices you should learn to do prior to installing a WordPress theme is to disable all plugins. Plugins, like antivirus software often interfere with the installation process.
Disable all Plugins Prior to Installation of a New Theme
The most critical error is that the theme appears to be broken, and will revert to the default theme. You can avoid this if you first disable all plugins. Chances are you won’t get that fatal message of broken theme after you’ve searched for hours trying to find the perfect theme for your website. I know – it’s happen to me time and time again before it dawned on me what was the problem. I’ve had cases in the past where the message of broken theme or missing style sheet prohibited me from installing me new coveted theme. Being stubborn, I would attempt to reinstall it, if it appeared in the manage themes display area of WordPress. At times, this worked for me – at least initially. In most cases, I found that I was only fooling myself and that eventually the broken part of the theme would return to haunt me. So what to do – deactivate all plugins before installing a new theme.
Reinstalling a Theme
If you must reinstall a theme, make sure to first remove it completely from your directory. This is not just limited to what appears to be installed in the manage themes display area of WordPress. Often times the theme is still present on your server. Therefore, before proceeding, use your FTP software to view the contents on your server. Chances are, the theme is still there and you have to remove it. To make doubly sure that the theme has been removed and you are looking at the latest server information, it is also a good working practice to close and restart your FTP program. This way, it clears any lingering data from your prior session.
Theme Updates
If you are having problems with the theme, you may want to check if there is an update available. Usually, there are none for free WordPress themes, although I have seen them. Another thing to bear in mind when selecting a free theme is to download it from its designer’s site. You’ve probably already noticed that there are numerous copies of themes on different theme sites. Sometimes the theme is corrupted during uploading to a site or it can be an older version of the theme. If you do not do some research prior to installation, you may have some problems with the theme.
Written by Brenne Meirowitz, BA, MA, MS
© 2010-2011 Brenne Meirowitz. All Rights Reserved.
