Changing Themes

1-
https://www.village-idiot.org/archives/2008/06/13/how-to-upload-a-wordpress-theme/

2-
what do you mean by in the background? For the entire page? or what?
there are several contact form plugins
this one is popular
https://www.ads-software.com/extend/plugins/contact-form-7/

Thank you very much, Samboll. I really appreciate your fast reply and help. I am new to WordPress and it’s a bit confusing compared to Blogger! I will look through your links when I return to my desk this afternoon. Meanwhile, I did talk with GoDaddy (host) and we tried to upload a Theme. When we got to which folder to put it in, they couldn’t help (don’t support WordPress). So I got to Templates then Classic, Default and I think the third option was SEO Basics (or something similar) and I stopped because we didn’t know what folder to put it in. Am I going in the right direction? Will they link you supplied direct me?

Re: background clarification, I thought I’d add a photo as my wallpaper, if you will. ??

PS: By Wallpaper, I am imagining a washed out photo as background over which we can post.

/wp-content
       /themes
          /classic
          /default
          /yourtheme

I guess this direction makes sense to you, but when I moved my theme to what was the SEO Basics, it still was unclear what to do next and didn’t work. Can you please just walk me through the process in the simplest 1-2-3 terms?

Hoping for a reply. I tried to follow the video tutorial but it makes some assumptions of familiarity with this that I (and GoDaddy) don’t have. Do I need to use Filezilla to upload? Do I need to place the new file into one of the existing WP files (Classic, Default, SEO-Basic)? I seem to have put it in SEO-Basic inadvertently. Does this interfere? Obviously need help!

I don’t know what I could say any clearer than that video.
What is SEO Basics? Is that a theme? If so, you seemed to have uploaded it correctly if it is inside the /themes folder with “default” and “classic”

to install a theme
download zip
unzip to desktop
upload chosen theme folder with ftp client to
/wp-content/themes (put your theme folder inside the wordpress theme folder)
log in to admin
click on “Appearance” – “Themes”
select your theme

I’ll try again. Thanks. I found the way to upload from WordPress but it is saying that I need to change the title (style.css…??) because it is already there. I think I may delete wp and start over. What about the background photo question? Thanks again.

Samboll: I reinstalled WP and tried to upload the theme (atahualpa) through WP. Also tried another theme. Here is the fault message. Now what?

There is already a theme called ‘gear’ by a different author. Please change the name of your theme in style.css and upload it again.

I have no idea how to do this! Please advise.

Also, the WP upload function doesn’t mention the need for an FTP client (should I use Filezilla?) and seems to not need the file unzipped. Again, see why it’s confusing? Thanx.

Figured it out. Your last instructions that included using an FTP server made me realize that the WP instructions with its automatic upload is for designers of themes. Therefore it was rejecting the existing theme I was tryimg to upload as redundant and asking me to change the title in style.css (not necessary for what I was doing). Hope this thread helps others. Thanks for your assistance.