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Help with updating a WordPress theme on Windows Live Writer.

  1. marymaude
    Member

    I'm having a terrible time trying to get my WordPress theme updated in WLW.

    I've done the usual (clicked on "Update Theme" in WLW) but got the error message - "The blog theme couldn't be downloaded."

    I tried the "theme fixer" from http://brandonturner.org/ThemeFixer.exe with no success.

    I even read about one fix (http://lehsys.blogspot.com/2011/01/windows-live-writer-2011-how-to-fix.html) that stated having a "static" page makes it easy for WLW to detect and download themes. Ironically, I currently have a static page.

    I repaired Windows Live Essentials by double clicking on Windows Live Essentials 2011 via my control panel and choosing "Repair all Window Live programs" also to no avail.

    I appreciate any input - thanks!
    Mary Maude
    Blog url: http://marymaude.wordpress.com/

  2. evarlese
    Staff

    Hi Mary,

    Can you let me know which theme you're trying to activate on your blog? Or are you trying to download/upload a theme via WLW?

    If so, WordPress.com users are unable to upload custom themes:
    http://en.support.wordpress.com/themes/adding-new-themes/

  3. marymaude
    Member

    I'm using Modularity Lite. I updated Windows Live Writer (WLW) and then changed themes. I believe my previous theme was Coraline - it updated just fine in WLW. I am just trying to download a theme in WLW - nothing custom. Thank you in advance for any help you might be able to give me. It's way easier for me to preview a draft in WLW rather than uploading a draft to WordPress just to preview.

  4. evarlese
    Staff

    Hi Mary,

    Can you clarify that you changed themes from Coraline to Modularity Lite on WordPress.com and are now having a difficult time updating your theme in WLW? Namely, Coraline is the theme that still appears when you try to preview your blog post in WLW - is that correct?

    When you click on "Update Theme," does anything happen or do you receive any error messages? Are you connected to the Internet when trying to update your theme?

    Thanks for your cooperation as we troubleshoot!

  5. marymaude
    Member

    Sorry about my late reply - I did not receive notification that you had written again - I'm glad I checked and thank you for your help. This time that I reply I will check "Notify me of followup posts via e-mail."

    Can you clarify that you changed themes from Coraline to Modularity Lite on WordPress.com and are now having a difficult time updating your theme in WLW? YES.

    Namely, Coraline is the theme that still appears when you try to preview your blog post in WLW - is that correct? NO - no theme appears - everything looks the same on the edit and the preview page.

    When you click on "Update Theme," does anything happen or do you receive any error messages? ERROR MESSAGE: "The blog theme couldn't be downloaded."

    Are you connected to the Internet when trying to update your theme? YES.

  6. evarlese
    Staff

    Hi Mary,

    I tried changing themes from Coraline to Modularity Lite while using Windows Live Writer with a test blog and everything was able to update correctly. This leads me to believe that the problem is specific to your account.

    Can you try updating your account information with WLW by going to Blog Options > Account > Update Account? Though your information may not have changed, this may re-create a connection between WLW and your blog.

    Additionally, can you let me know where you're clicking on "Update Theme"? For example, are you clicking on "Update Theme" in the Preview page of WLW or via Blog Options?

  7. marymaude
    Member

    ...believe that the problem is specific to your account. Yeck!

    ...this may re-create a connection between WLW and your blog. I followed your suggestion and updated my account - I also had to do this recently by request of WordPress because they told me some accounts needed to change their passwords (my account included). WordPress offered me a 15% discount on a selection of upgrades for my trouble. Today, when I updated my account and previously, at WordPress's request, I got the same error message - "The blog theme couldn't be downloaded." "You will be able to post to this blog, but you won't be able to see the blog theme while editing posts."

    ...are you clicking on "Update Theme" in the Preview page of WLW or via Blog Options? I've tried both and I'm sorry to say neither worked for me.

  8. evarlese
    Staff

    One more suggestion - can you try changing themes, i.e. from Modularity Lite to Coraline, and then updating it on Windows Live Writer?

    If you're able to update your theme at this point, can you try changing your theme back to Modularity Lite again to see if re-setting it helps?

    Lastly, can you let me know what version of WLW you're using?

  9. marymaude
    Member

    I must say I am confused. I changed themes in WordPress (WP) from Modularity Lite to Coraline and then asked WLW to "Update Theme" and I got the message, "Downloading Blog Theme" & "Finalizing editing templete configuration". I believe this tells me everything went alright. But in WLW the "Edit" and "Preview" pages continue to look the same.

    Then I requested WP to change theme option from "Light" to "Dark" and requested WLW to "Update Theme" again. I got the error message, "The blog theme couldn't be downloaded." I changed hemes from Coraline back to Modularity Lite in WP and asked WLW to update theme and I got the same error message, "The blog theme couldn't be downloaded."

    Then in WP I requested the Coraline theme again and WP remembered I had requested "Dark". Then back to WLW and requested "Update Theme" and everything went all right so I created a new draft post with 5 pictures - the page layout looked the same in WLW on both the "Edit" & "Preview" pages but in WP on the "Preview" draft page the pictures were rearraged to fit the theme.

    WLW is part of Windows Live Essentials and according to my Control Panel's information I am running version 15.4.3538.0513 of Windows Live Essentials.

  10. marymaude
    Member

    Thanks for continuing to try and help.

  11. marymaude
    Member

    Hi Erica,

    I found another help page for WLW and WP. On this help page it is suggested that someone having difficulty updating a theme in WLW from WP should remove their "static" page option and then try updating their WP theme in WLW.

    Go to: http://askludwig.wordpress.com/2011/01/11/what-does-this-windows-live-writer-error-message-mean-the-blog-theme-couldnt-be-downloaded.

    I did remove my static page option and then updated my theme in WLW and I can preview in WLW again! Yeah! I added my static page back in WP and did a test post and all turned out perfect. I have my static page, my posts page and the theme preview in WLW.

    The pity is I found the erroneous help page entry I first mentioned in my original question which said to add a static page to WP to get your theme to update in WLW - so no wonder I was confused. Anyway, all is well once again - did I mention I can preview again in WLW - super yeah!!!!!!!

    Thank you again Erica for trying so hard and giving me all your support.

  12. evarlese
    Staff

    Hi Mary,

    Sorry for the delay - I'm so glad to hear you got everything to work! This will also be a great help to WordPress/WLW users in the future.

    Thank you!

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