Title: complete beginner Last modified: August 18, 2016 --- # complete beginner * [lynleyoram](https://wordpress.org/support/users/lynleyoram/) * (@lynleyoram) * [18 years, 8 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/complete-beginner/) * I want to create my own simple zine type of site. I want it to have the clean look of a blog, and I think that WordPress has pretty much all the features I need. * I’ve got a domain, and I think I’d like to use the same company as a host. But before I do that, I want to have a go at building the site in WordPress to see what it will look like. * But I’m stumped at the first hurdle. How do I go about running the program? How do I install it? I’m a complete and utter novice at this, although I’ve been involved in other areas of computing for donkey’s years. * Is there an idiot’s guide somewhere? Can someone explain the first few steps in plain English? Any help at all would be gratefully recieved. Viewing 11 replies - 1 through 11 (of 11 total) * [MichaelH](https://wordpress.org/support/users/michaelh/) * (@michaelh) * [18 years, 8 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/complete-beginner/#post-624954) * [Installing WordPress](http://codex.wordpress.org/Installing_WordPress) is the best place to start. * [yeleek](https://wordpress.org/support/users/yeleek/) * (@yeleek) * [18 years, 8 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/complete-beginner/#post-624956) * Hi, * First steps are probably to get wordpress setup locally on your pc or within a virtual machine. * Take a look at this [http://www.tamba2.org.uk/wordpress/xampp/](http://www.tamba2.org.uk/wordpress/xampp/) which shows you how to setup wordpress locally. * Also take a look at [http://codex.wordpress.org/Getting_Started_with_WordPress](http://codex.wordpress.org/Getting_Started_with_WordPress) * Once you have it setup and working locally go through the codex and learn how to use the admin interface for posting articles etc. * [http://codex.wordpress.org/Working_with_WordPress](http://codex.wordpress.org/Working_with_WordPress) * As for writing your own theme, easiest way to learn is find a theme you like here [http://themes.wordpress.net/](http://themes.wordpress.net/) download it, run it. And then try replacing one of the images with your own (keep the same filename at first). Then when happy take a look at the style sheet (css file) and just try to work out what gets loaded where etc. Its a steep learning curve, but a rewarding one. * CSS help [http://www.w3schools.com/css/default.asp](http://www.w3schools.com/css/default.asp) * When you are happy with your theme and want to take your blog onto the internet, then you need a host which provides these pre-reqs [http://codex.wordpress.org/Hosting_WordPress](http://codex.wordpress.org/Hosting_WordPress) but thats a bit ahead of you probably for now. * Thread Starter [lynleyoram](https://wordpress.org/support/users/lynleyoram/) * (@lynleyoram) * [18 years, 8 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/complete-beginner/#post-624973) * Thanks MichaelH but that was the page I started with and was utterly stumped by (and what made me come here!). * Yeleek, thank you so much for taking the time to post this. This site seems to be what I’m looking for. I have XP Pro. Don’t suppose you know how to ‘stop IIS’? * [yeleek](https://wordpress.org/support/users/yeleek/) * (@yeleek) * [18 years, 8 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/complete-beginner/#post-624974) * I too have XP pro – doesn’t mean its installed – mine wasn’t. If it is it will be in add/remove progs, add/remove windows components. If its ticked, then its installed and you need to either disable it (google disabling iis xp pro) or if you don’t use it then uninstall it (be sure you don’t use it first tho) 🙂 * Thread Starter [lynleyoram](https://wordpress.org/support/users/lynleyoram/) * (@lynleyoram) * [18 years, 8 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/complete-beginner/#post-624980) * thanks yeleek. Darn it. It wasn’t ticked. I was hoping that might be why the instructions didn’t work for me – I followed them to the letter but just got Object Not Found when I got to the last step (going to [http://localhost/wordpress/wp-admin/install.php](http://localhost/wordpress/wp-admin/install.php) in my browser). * The only difference between the description on the website and what I came across as I was following the instructions is that the website says to go to My Computer > Main drive > Xampplite > htdocs * but on my computer that folder was called Xampp not Xampplite. * Thread Starter [lynleyoram](https://wordpress.org/support/users/lynleyoram/) * (@lynleyoram) * [18 years, 8 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/complete-beginner/#post-624983) * d’oh! Sorry that was down to me being an idiot. Upon reviewing the instructions I realised I’d copied the ‘contents’ of the wordpress folder, not the actual folder itself! I’ve done that now and it is working just fine. Thanks! * [yeleek](https://wordpress.org/support/users/yeleek/) * (@yeleek) * [18 years, 8 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/complete-beginner/#post-624986) * NP – Enjoy. * [markb202](https://wordpress.org/support/users/markb202/) * (@markb202) * [18 years, 4 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/complete-beginner/#post-625444) * Excuse me, I am a complete beginner beyond operating a computer. But not beneath following clear instruction. * I am posting to this thread because it is marked as unresolved and I’d like to know how it went. * I want to put a standalone blog together and WordPress looks like the platform to use but I’d like to check it out on my computer first. Am I right that this is possible? * And if I follow the instructions here will I then be able to upload to my chosen host without further modification? * Regards. Mark * [markb202](https://wordpress.org/support/users/markb202/) * (@markb202) * [18 years, 4 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/complete-beginner/#post-625446) * Any help gratefully received. I can follow instructions but I don’t understand the technical matters too well. * LOADING WORDPRESS TO XAMPP * I Followed instructions to the letter at [http://www.tamba2.org.uk/wordpress/xampp/](http://www.tamba2.org.uk/wordpress/xampp/) and going to [http://localhost/wordpress/wp-admin/install.php](http://localhost/wordpress/wp-admin/install.php) in Firefox I got the following message: * define(‘DB_NAME’, ‘wordpress’); // The name of the database define(‘DB_USER’,‘ root’); // Your MySQL username define(‘DB_PASSWORD’, ”); // …and password define(‘ DB_HOST’, ‘localhost’); // 99% chance you won’t need to change this value * Warning: require_once(ABSPATHwp-admin/includes/admin.php) [function.require-once]: failed to open stream: No such file or directory in C:\xampplite\htdocs\wordpress\ wp-admin\includes\upgrade.php on line 5 * Fatal error: require_once() [function.require]: Failed opening required ‘ABSPATHwp- admin/includes/admin.php’ (include_path=’.;C:\xampplite\php\pear\’) in C:\xampplite\ htdocs\wordpress\wp-admin\includes\upgrade.php on line 5 * I clicked on the above function links and got OBJECT NOT FOUND error 404 * It looks to me like path=’.;C:\xampplite\php\pear\’ needs to be included on line 5 in ‘ABSPATHwp-admin/includes/admin.php’ of ….upgrade.php * Or ‘ABSPATHwp-admin/includes/admin.php’ path=’.;C:\xampplite\php\pear\’ is the path that needs to be included at line five. * I have looked and I can’t figure out where it should be inserted or what exactly should be inserted. I don’t want to go playing around in the file and forget what I’ve done and where I’ve done it. I don’t want to ruin what is already good. Can anyone help? * Thank you. Mark * [markb202](https://wordpress.org/support/users/markb202/) * (@markb202) * [18 years, 4 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/complete-beginner/#post-625447) * I don’t know what I’m doing here. I suspect anyone looking also knows I don’t know what I’m doing here. I suspect this is why so many XAMPPLITE queries go unanswered, we don’t know what we’re doing here. It’s just too much work educating the complete beginner for such a small team as runs WordPress. I’m going to WordPress. com and do it the easy way. I suspect I will learn there what I need to know here, and it will take some time, if I really want to learn it. I am a suspicious fellow it seems. * A wise old man taught me to always acknowledge the good. And I do because it is good to do so, good for me, and good all round. * Thank you for your silence. Thank you for WordPress. But mostly, thank you to the great mystery behind that supports it all in this wonderful existence. * And even if nobody ever sees this acknowledgment it goes into the mystery and a little good is manifest somewhere as a consequence. * Mark * [Hori](https://wordpress.org/support/users/hori/) * (@hori) * [18 years ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/complete-beginner/#post-625528) * Hi Mark, * Stumbled on the same problem, sometimes it goes wrong in the upload of your files, so upload your files again and the problem should be gone! * regards Ruben Viewing 11 replies - 1 through 11 (of 11 total) The topic ‘complete beginner’ is closed to new replies. ## Tags * [beginner](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/beginner/) * [installation](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/installation/) * [new](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/new/) * In: [Installing WordPress](https://wordpress.org/support/forum/installation/) * 11 replies * 5 participants * Last reply from: [Hori](https://wordpress.org/support/users/hori/) * Last activity: [18 years ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/complete-beginner/#post-625528) * Status: not resolved ## Topics ### Topics with no replies ### Non-support topics ### Resolved topics ### Unresolved topics ### All topics