Title: Sntax Error Need Help
Last modified: August 31, 2016

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# Sntax Error Need Help

 *  [terrellgraysonvo](https://wordpress.org/support/users/terrellgraysonvo/)
 * (@terrellgraysonvo)
 * [10 years, 4 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/sntax-error-need-help/)
 * Hello,
 * Was trying to repair vertical space on my website and ran into this error message:
 * Parse error: syntax error, unexpected ‘.’ in /home/terrellgraysonvo/public_html/
   wp-content/themes/gdvintage/elements/widgets.php on line 103
 * Can someone please help me solve this issue and the repair of the vertical space
   before I do too much more damage? That is all that comes up now when I try to
   go to my site at: [http://www.terrellgraysonvo.com](http://www.terrellgraysonvo.com)

Viewing 5 replies - 1 through 5 (of 5 total)

 *  [Matt](https://wordpress.org/support/users/mzak/)
 * (@mzak)
 * [10 years, 4 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/sntax-error-need-help/#post-6933479)
 * You’ll need to start by undoing the modifications you made to try to fix the 
   vertical space. Because there’s a parse error on the site currently, you’ll need
   to do this via FTP.
    1. Log in to your site via FTP
    2. Rename your theme directory to themedirectoryname.OLD
    3. Upload an original copy of your theme
 * Once your site is working again, you’ll be able to remove the vertical space 
   on what I’m assuming is a widget. This should be done via CSS, not by editing
   theme files. I’d recommend installing this plugin [https://wordpress.org/plugins/reaktiv-css-builder/](https://wordpress.org/plugins/reaktiv-css-builder/),
   and using that to make the necessary CSS changes.
 *  Thread Starter [terrellgraysonvo](https://wordpress.org/support/users/terrellgraysonvo/)
 * (@terrellgraysonvo)
 * [10 years, 4 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/sntax-error-need-help/#post-6933519)
 * Ive opened the FTP. how do I locate the theme directory you are speaking of?
 *  [Matt](https://wordpress.org/support/users/mzak/)
 * (@mzak)
 * [10 years, 4 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/sntax-error-need-help/#post-6933528)
 * Theme’s are located in the wp-content directory, so you’ll need to navigate there.
   The path is listed in the error message you posted initially: `public_html/wp-
   content/themes`
 *  Thread Starter [terrellgraysonvo](https://wordpress.org/support/users/terrellgraysonvo/)
 * (@terrellgraysonvo)
 * [10 years, 4 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/sntax-error-need-help/#post-6933535)
 * went to: /public_html/wp-content/themes/gdvintage/elements/widgets.php
 * Okay, I’m in the FTP and followed to the filename ‘widgets.php’ but don’t see
   where I should be looking for a line number. When I click on it, it says “the
   target file already exists.” should I be working from the cPanel at this point?
   It gives me the option to Rename or Overwrite. Should I be renaming the target
   file: C:\Users\widgets.php?
 *  [Matt](https://wordpress.org/support/users/mzak/)
 * (@mzak)
 * [10 years, 4 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/sntax-error-need-help/#post-6933539)
 * Just to clarify, the `/gdvintage` directory itself should be renamed, so it will
   become `/gvindage-OLD`. Once that’s been renamed, you can upload an original,
   unedited copy of the theme.

Viewing 5 replies - 1 through 5 (of 5 total)

The topic ‘Sntax Error Need Help’ is closed to new replies.

## Tags

 * [syntax error](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/syntax-error/)

 * In: [Fixing WordPress](https://wordpress.org/support/forum/how-to-and-troubleshooting/)
 * 5 replies
 * 2 participants
 * Last reply from: [Matt](https://wordpress.org/support/users/mzak/)
 * Last activity: [10 years, 4 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/sntax-error-need-help/#post-6933539)
 * Status: not resolved

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