Title: Problem Installing WP Theme
Last modified: August 18, 2016

---

# Problem Installing WP Theme

 *  [ctate1](https://wordpress.org/support/users/ctate1/)
 * (@ctate1)
 * [19 years, 9 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/problem-installing-wp-theme/)
 * When I install a theme designed for WordPress, I get this error message: “Fatal
   error: Call to undefined function: get_header() in /home/webmentor/www/www/index.
   php on line 1”
 * I have tried this several times, each time with a theme I picked up through the
   WP website. WP works fine with the theme that was incorporated in the original
   installation.

Viewing 13 replies - 1 through 13 (of 13 total)

 *  [lovelylovely](https://wordpress.org/support/users/lovelylovely/)
 * (@lovelylovely)
 * [19 years, 9 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/problem-installing-wp-theme/#post-441334)
 * exactly same problem with me
    as i installed WP for the very first time but when
   i uploaded theme files on site and try opening site this message comes up
 * Fatal error: Call to undefined function: get_header() in /home/pokertip/public_html/
   index.php on line 1
 * Site is [http://www.PokerTipping.com](http://www.pokertipping.com)
 * can any one please Help Both of us out
    I hope there are lots of Lovely People
   out there who would love to help us
 *  [yosemite](https://wordpress.org/support/users/yosemite/)
 * (@yosemite)
 * [19 years, 9 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/problem-installing-wp-theme/#post-441341)
 * Both of you broke the index.php. At that level in your wp installation the index.
   php should only contain:
    `<?php  /* Short and sweet */ define('WP_USE_THEMES',
   true); require('./wp-blog-header.php'); ?>
 * No get_header(). I suggest you replace whatever’s there with the correct one 
   from the installation zip.
 *  [lovelylovely](https://wordpress.org/support/users/lovelylovely/)
 * (@lovelylovely)
 * [19 years, 9 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/problem-installing-wp-theme/#post-441344)
 * I browsed around and found the way to do it 🙂
    Hey “ctate1” i will tell u how
   its done
 * once u unzip a theme on ur PC , just upload the folder (along with all files 
   in it) to ur Root>>wp-content/themes directory.
 * once u finish uploading it
 * just log in to ur sites admin panel and click Presentation and u will see the
   Theme Thumbed image there, click on it to install
 * thats it ,
 *  [lovelylovely](https://wordpress.org/support/users/lovelylovely/)
 * (@lovelylovely)
 * [19 years, 9 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/problem-installing-wp-theme/#post-441346)
 * i didn’t broke it infact upload the them files on root
    so it replaced index.
   php file now all sorted out
 * hoping for a bright future in blogging LOL
 * See the new theme there [http://www.PokerTipping.com](http://www.pokertipping.com)
 *  [yosemite](https://wordpress.org/support/users/yosemite/)
 * (@yosemite)
 * [19 years, 9 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/problem-installing-wp-theme/#post-441347)
 * _i didn’t broke it infact upload the them files on root
    so it replaced index.
   php file now all sorted out
 * Musta been someone else… A burglar!
 *  [lovelylovely](https://wordpress.org/support/users/lovelylovely/)
 * (@lovelylovely)
 * [19 years, 9 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/problem-installing-wp-theme/#post-441350)
 * heheheh
 * i meant was not my intention 🙂
 *  [lovelylovely](https://wordpress.org/support/users/lovelylovely/)
 * (@lovelylovely)
 * [19 years, 9 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/problem-installing-wp-theme/#post-441351)
 * but Yosemite deserve a BIG THANKS really
 * for atleast looking here and trying to help us
 * Thanks buddy
 *  [yosemite](https://wordpress.org/support/users/yosemite/)
 * (@yosemite)
 * [19 years, 9 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/problem-installing-wp-theme/#post-441361)
 * Welcome!
 *  [smk2004](https://wordpress.org/support/users/smk2004/)
 * (@smk2004)
 * [19 years, 6 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/problem-installing-wp-theme/#post-441836)
 * Um – I’m having same problems but haven’t found how you guys resolved it. When
   you say login to your site admin (which I did) and look for presentation – I 
   do not see presentation! Can some one please help. I just want to design my own
   wordpress theme and be able to view it properly!
 *  [moshu](https://wordpress.org/support/users/moshu/)
 * (@moshu)
 * [19 years, 6 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/problem-installing-wp-theme/#post-441837)
 * lovelylovely treats the terminology too freely…
 * If you have a website hosted – the host usually offers some kind of _site administration_
   panel, like cPanel, Plesk etc.
 * This is NOT the same as your (WP) blog’s admin panel! And the “Presentation” 
   menu is in the WP admin panel, not in the site admin panel.
    So, login to your
   blog > and you will see the Presentation menu.
 * Now, if you seriously want to get into the theme design business… you should 
   forget the online editor, just design your theme offline, upload it, select it
   in the Presentation and you are good to go.
 * Reading:
    [http://codex.wordpress.org/Using_Themes#Adding_New_Themes](http://codex.wordpress.org/Using_Themes#Adding_New_Themes)
   [http://codex.wordpress.org/Theme_Development](http://codex.wordpress.org/Theme_Development)
   See also the possibility of installing it locally for design purposes: [http://codex.wordpress.org/Getting_Started_with_WordPress#Installation](http://codex.wordpress.org/Getting_Started_with_WordPress#Installation)
 *  [smk2004](https://wordpress.org/support/users/smk2004/)
 * (@smk2004)
 * [19 years, 6 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/problem-installing-wp-theme/#post-441838)
 * Hi Moshu! Thanks so much! It worked!!!
 *  [smk2004](https://wordpress.org/support/users/smk2004/)
 * (@smk2004)
 * [19 years, 6 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/problem-installing-wp-theme/#post-441839)
 * Oh one more question… How can you preview your design offline? I try and I get
   error…
 *  [moshu](https://wordpress.org/support/users/moshu/)
 * (@moshu)
 * [19 years, 6 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/problem-installing-wp-theme/#post-441840)
 * It depends what do you mean by “offline”?
    Yes, I have a local installation on
   my computer here and I can preview all my design. Otherwise it’s impossible.
 * If you want to upload a theme to your online installation AND seeing it without
   letting the visitors to know about its existence – use the Preview Theme plugin:
   
   [http://codex.wordpress.org/Plugins/Admin_Tools](http://codex.wordpress.org/Plugins/Admin_Tools)

Viewing 13 replies - 1 through 13 (of 13 total)

The topic ‘Problem Installing WP Theme’ is closed to new replies.

## Tags

 * [fatal](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/fatal/)
 * [get_header](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/get_header/)

 * 13 replies
 * 5 participants
 * Last reply from: [moshu](https://wordpress.org/support/users/moshu/)
 * Last activity: [19 years, 6 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/problem-installing-wp-theme/#post-441840)
 * Status: not resolved

## Topics

### Topics with no replies

### Non-support topics

### Resolved topics

### Unresolved topics

### All topics