Fatal error after installation

How much development is done? If none, delete files and start anew.

Is your site one-click install or FTP loaded? The former is easy but some think more hackable. The later is preferred but sending lots big files over the Net leaves them open to poor ISP service hazards that can corrupt code–even though they say it cannot.

If you have done no development, starting over is no loss. Change all the set-up entries required at install so the server does not look for the same corrupt code in the first install.

No development done as yet.

I was installing it via FTP.

Do I take it from your reply that the ISP I use could be causing, if not deliberately, all the errors I experienced on installation?

Thanks for your help.

The first thing to do is to try to re-upload all of the files from the WordPress zip file (but not your wp-config.php file). That error looks like there’s been either a file that’s been missed or truncated.

The file has been corrupted while uploading. Re-upload WP through FTP.

PS: As catacustic said, w/t the wp-config.php file

I’ve had this issue before,
For me, the problem was with the ftp client uploading and the files got corrupted on the way up.

Check your ftp settings for your server, I’d also have a look at ‘keepalive’ time it’s generally used for ssh sessions, but can affect ftp sessions too.

lastly if you have access to terminal, you can wget the file, then unzip it from there.

Good luck!

Thank you for your advice. I am now away from the computer for a few weeks while I travel but will try these suggestions when I return. Thanks once again.