Title: Fatal error! NO!
Last modified: August 20, 2016

---

# Fatal error! NO!

 *  Resolved [ThorHammer](https://wordpress.org/support/users/thorhammer/)
 * (@thorhammer)
 * [13 years, 6 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/fatal-error-no/)
 * I tried to make a child theme from Twenty Twelve, and upon activating it I got
   the following error:
 * **Fatal error**: `Cannot redeclare twentytwelve_setup() (previously declared 
   in /home/sureyes/public_html/wp-content/themes/thenameofthechildtheme/functions.
   php:52) in /home/sureyes/public_html/wp-content/themes/twentytwelve/functions.
   php on line 77`
 * Please, how can I get back to my dashboard and activate another theme? I know
   something is really wrong with the functions php in the child theme. I should
   have left it almost blank, or called the theme something else. But please, I 
   am so lost now!

Viewing 3 replies - 1 through 3 (of 3 total)

 *  Thread Starter [ThorHammer](https://wordpress.org/support/users/thorhammer/)
 * (@thorhammer)
 * [13 years, 6 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/fatal-error-no/#post-3257761)
 * Please..anyone? I am getting a heart attack … what can I do in order to get back
   to my admin dashboard? Shuld I delete the entire child theme folder? Should I
   delete functions.php in twenty twelve?
    (Yes, i know, it was extremly stupid 
   to copy the entire functions.php from twenty twelve to the child theme. Yes, 
   I will create a new theme, basic, from scratch, without any fancy functions).
   BUT – What can I do now?
 *  Thread Starter [ThorHammer](https://wordpress.org/support/users/thorhammer/)
 * (@thorhammer)
 * [13 years, 6 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/fatal-error-no/#post-3257763)
 * Never mind. I solved it. For others that might experience this terror: go via
   control panel or ftp and delete the functions.php in your child theme. I will
   try to add the extra sidebars and more in the functions.php in the mother theme.
 *  [eots](https://wordpress.org/support/users/eots/)
 * (@eots)
 * [13 years, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/fatal-error-no/#post-3257837)
 * ThorHammer – I ran into the same problem.
 * Read this:
    [http://codex.wordpress.org/Child_Themes](http://codex.wordpress.org/Child_Themes)
   Under the heading “Using functions.php
 * From the page:
 * _Unlike style.css, the functions.php of a child theme does not override its counterpart
   from the parent. Instead, it is loaded **in addition to** the parent’s functions.
   php. (Specifically, it is loaded right before the parent’s file.)
    
   
    And most
   importantly:
 * **Do not copy the full content of functions.php of the parent theme into functions.
   php in the child theme.**
 * So you would be much better off adding the code in your child theme rather than
   in the parent theme.

Viewing 3 replies - 1 through 3 (of 3 total)

The topic ‘Fatal error! NO!’ is closed to new replies.

## Tags

 * [child theme](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/child-theme/)
 * [twenty twelve](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/twenty-twelve/)

 * 3 replies
 * 2 participants
 * Last reply from: [eots](https://wordpress.org/support/users/eots/)
 * Last activity: [13 years, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/fatal-error-no/#post-3257837)
 * Status: resolved

## Topics

### Topics with no replies

### Non-support topics

### Resolved topics

### Unresolved topics

### All topics