Title: Error Message – Parse error: syntax error Last modified: August 21, 2016 --- # Error Message – Parse error: syntax error * [mikespics1](https://wordpress.org/support/users/mikespics1/) * (@mikespics1) * [12 years, 11 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/error-message-parse-error-syntax-error/) * Hi * I was experimenting with the Theme Functions page on the Theme Editor. * I put in some text and then deleted it and now I get this error message: * Parse error: syntax error, unexpected ‘<‘ in /home/mikespic/public_html/wp-content/ themes/visual/functions.php on line 182 * As far as I can see there is no < symbol that is out of place. * Can anyone help me out? * My blog address is [http://www.mikespics.co.za/](http://www.mikespics.co.za/) Viewing 9 replies - 1 through 9 (of 9 total) * [WPyogi](https://wordpress.org/support/users/wpyogi/) * (@wpyogi) * [12 years, 11 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/error-message-parse-error-syntax-error/#post-3848341) * Download a new copy of the theme to your local computer and replace that file with a new copy. * For future reference, changes to theme files should preferably be made using a child theme – so that they are not overwritten when the theme is updated – [http://codex.wordpress.org/Child_Themes](http://codex.wordpress.org/Child_Themes) * Thread Starter [mikespics1](https://wordpress.org/support/users/mikespics1/) * (@mikespics1) * [12 years, 11 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/error-message-parse-error-syntax-error/#post-3848350) * Hi – thanks for the quick response! * I’ve downloaded visual.0.7.zip * But I can’t seem to find the existing visual.0.7.zip file. * I don’t remember deleting it, and all the other wordpress files are in my Downloads folder. * Is there anywhere else it would be ? * [WPyogi](https://wordpress.org/support/users/wpyogi/) * (@wpyogi) * [12 years, 11 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/error-message-parse-error-syntax-error/#post-3848352) * Did you download from here: * [http://wordpress.org/themes/visual](http://wordpress.org/themes/visual) * to your local computer? Then unzip it there and find the functions.php file? * Thread Starter [mikespics1](https://wordpress.org/support/users/mikespics1/) * (@mikespics1) * [12 years, 11 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/error-message-parse-error-syntax-error/#post-3848356) * Hi yes, I downloaded it from [http://wordpress.org/themes/visual](http://wordpress.org/themes/visual). * However my website is being hosted on a server, not on my personal PC that I am using now. * Do I have to speak to the person who runs the server or can I fix it myself from my personal PC? * When I loaded the previous Visual theme I downloaded the Zip file and then uploaded the zip file into wordpress. * And I can’t find the Visual theme folder on my PC. * Does that make sense ? * [WPyogi](https://wordpress.org/support/users/wpyogi/) * (@wpyogi) * [12 years, 11 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/error-message-parse-error-syntax-error/#post-3848359) * You need to change the file on the server, yes. Can you still access the dashboard or did you get locked out? If you’re locked out, you will need to use FTP (or other file manager) to access the files on the server – in which case, yes, the hosting company would be the ones to tell you how to do that (FTP is generic, not part of WP). * So far as downloading the theme – can’t you download a zipped file to your desktop or ?? (This isn’t a WP issue…I don’t know how your computer is set up) You’re just using your local computer to get a hold of the new file… * Thread Starter [mikespics1](https://wordpress.org/support/users/mikespics1/) * (@mikespics1) * [12 years, 11 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/error-message-parse-error-syntax-error/#post-3848361) * Hi – Unfortunately I can’t access the dashboard. * I get the same error message. Parse error: syntax error, unexpected ‘<‘ in / home/mikespic/public_html/wp-content/themes/visual/functions.php on line 182 * I still have the Visual theme’s Functions.php page open. * Would it be possible to edit that ? * With regards to downloading the Visual theme – I can download it fine. * BUT I can’t find the original visual theme files. So I can’t replace the old messed up files with the new ones I just downloaded. * [WPyogi](https://wordpress.org/support/users/wpyogi/) * (@wpyogi) * [12 years, 11 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/error-message-parse-error-syntax-error/#post-3848363) * No, the files aren’t on your local computer – they’re on the server – changing something on your local computer won’t change the site. I doubt you can change out that file as is – you can try copy/pasting in the new file – if you can delete the old content, but I kinda doubt it will save it. So then you will need to use FTP to get to that file – it will be located here: * ``` wordpress wp-content themes visual functions.php ``` * Do you have access to the server files? Or can you get that info? * Thread Starter [mikespics1](https://wordpress.org/support/users/mikespics1/) * (@mikespics1) * [12 years, 11 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/error-message-parse-error-syntax-error/#post-3848365) * Hi – I will email my friend who runs the server. * Hopefully he can sort it out. * Thanks so much for your help! * [WPyogi](https://wordpress.org/support/users/wpyogi/) * (@wpyogi) * [12 years, 11 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/error-message-parse-error-syntax-error/#post-3848369) * You’re welcome – BTW, this kind of thing happens all the time so don’t sweat it too much :). Once you get the FTP info, you’ll be able to swap that out. Viewing 9 replies - 1 through 9 (of 9 total) The topic ‘Error Message – Parse error: syntax error’ is closed to new replies. * ![](https://i0.wp.com/themes.svn.wordpress.org/visual/1.3.2/screenshot.png) * Visual * [Support Threads](https://wordpress.org/support/theme/visual/) * [Active Topics](https://wordpress.org/support/theme/visual/active/) * [Unresolved Topics](https://wordpress.org/support/theme/visual/unresolved/) * [Reviews](https://wordpress.org/support/theme/visual/reviews/) * 9 replies * 2 participants * Last reply from: [WPyogi](https://wordpress.org/support/users/wpyogi/) * Last activity: [12 years, 11 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/error-message-parse-error-syntax-error/#post-3848369) * Status: not resolved