Widgets not working

Update.
I just tried to install a countdown widget. It’s working! EXCEPT FOR ONE MINOR DETAIL … it isn’t showing up in the website.
So, given that, maybe all the widgets are ‘working,’ but since they aren’t showing up, it appears that they’re NOT working.
Strange … I did get 1 widget to work … my blogroll, painstakingly copied, line by line from my old blog site.
Any ideas as to why widgets don’t appear on the website, even if they apparently are there?

Can you post your site URL?

https://www.daynalcheser.com

this is my clients page… https://garealtyservices.com/ga/
i can see some plugins there but it’s nothing like the template i created and i cant even manipulate it through the widget area. im having to go back to the old theme previously there until i can fix this.

thanks!

Try this:
Deactivate all your plugins, delete inactive plugins and revert to Twenty Eleven theme. This should enable you to place your widgets, after which you can activate your plugins and revert to your current theme.

It seems you edited your theme and made some mistakes, or it is not installed properly. So, when you revert to your current theme, use a freshly downloaded copy. If you want to customize/ edit the theme, create a child theme and make your changes in the child theme.

thanks! i’ll give it a shot. i’m redesigning from a theme that was there so when i apply my theme the old themes content shows up all messed up which is yet another reason for my frustration on the widgets.

I can’t use the instructions from Krishna above.
First, I don’t have the skills. I don’t know how to install the program (husband did it – he’s now out of town for a while), and I have no idea what that child thingy is.
Second, it seems to me that if I do this, I’ll have to do it all over again, every time I want to change, move, or otherwise work with the widgets.
There really has to be another way.
I’ve been 9 very long, frustrating months of trying to get this site up … and now I have to go back to the beginning – AGAIN!
I’m really upset …
I literally CAN’T DO what Krishna suggests, so there has to be another way.

Someone? Anyone? PLEASE!!!

I’m a 64 year old retiree, not a techie who can do all this stuff without a thought!

@dayna Leigh Cheser,

What I suggested are the basic troubleshooting steps. By following those steps, you can know what causes the trouble and make the corrections. It is not that hard or techie stuff. Like you many people started this way only, including me and several others. So, by trying the steps, you will learn the basics and later you can guide others too.

I’ve been 9 very long, frustrating months of trying to get this site up … and now I have to go back to the beginning – AGAIN!

It took so long and still the problems are there just because you cannot motivate yourself to take the first step. It is not hard, just try it.

I literally CAN’T DO what Krishna suggests, so there has to be another way.

Someone? Anyone? PLEASE!!!

No problem if you do not want to follow my suggestions. You can wait for someone else to come along and guide you.

It’s not lack of motivation … I was supposed to have this site up and running for MARCH! But, the first theme locked up and it took until late April to find out how to go into GoDaddy’s servers to knock it out (it wouldn’t go any other way).
Failing the MARCH date, I felt sure I could have it up for the new release date of my book which was JULY. In the interim, several more themes locked up or were corrupt.
Just over a week ago, I tried yet another Theme (no, I haven’t been working on it all day every day for 9 months, but I signed on for hosting in January – and still no site). That theme gave me a virus. This has nothing to do with lack of motivation.
My husband knows nothing about blogs, but he was able to help me with the virus problem. He ended up loading the program several times, the last time on Tuesday night. It’s now Friday night 3 days!! All I’ve done in the interim was follow another Forum members instructions regarding a custom menu, round up a few plugins and start moving content from my old blog.
I do not have the skills to install the program. I don’t know what that child thing is. Those were 2 major components in your instructions. And, there’s still the problem of having to go through this every time I want to do anything with widgets?
I taught myself Adobe CS3 a few years ago, and MS Office, including FrontPage. I’m do very well inside programs – I’ve done all the setup of the website, the part that works. But, outside of programs, I’m totally lost. It’s not about motivation … if THAT was the issue, we wouldn’t be having this discussion because I’d have given up months ago!

Deactivate all your plugins, delete inactive plugins and revert to Twenty Eleven theme.

Can you do the above steps?

First, I apologize … I was tired, disappointed, frustrated, upset, etc. A good night’s sleep does wonders.

Second, my ‘profile’ is incorrect. I’m NOT what it says I am (in regards to computers and WP – I answered NO to those questions when I was asked at signup, but the computer changed my answers.

And, third, yes, I can do the above … but some questions first. I’ve already done the plugin deactivation thing … twice … it didn’t change anything. Will doing it a third time really make a difference? I don’t have any ‘inactive’ plugins as none of them are ‘active’ in that they don’t work. The whole site isn’t a week old yet!!

Will I lose everything I’ve done so far? The last program reload was just 4 days ago in an attempt to solve this widget problem. My husband cleared the theme that gave me the virus (a bogus Yahoo search screen took over WP!!!) on Sunday last week.

I’ve worked long and hard since then … it took part of 2 days to learn about the custom menu situation (couldn’t do anything until it was resolved), it took part of 2 days to round up the plugins (only one of which I’ve actually seen so far), it’s taken me DAYS to move stuff from my old blog and create new, with a lot more new yet to do. Will all this vaporize?????

Do I delete Weaver II or just move to Twenty Eleven? Is the Twenty Eleven widget setup the same as Weaver II? If not, how do I get what I want when I go back to Weaver II? Is there some way to avoid having to go through all this theme switching/reloading every time I want to do any widget work?

I will make screen prints of each of the over 2 dozen pages I have before I do ANYTHING! That way, I’ll have some idea of what I’ve lost …

First, I apologize … I was tired, disappointed, frustrated, upset, etc. A good night’s sleep does wonders.

It’s quite OK with us. The volunteers at WordPress shall help you tide over the problem with whatever guidance you need. The only thing is that you have to follow the guidance. If I cannot help you out, there are several others.

You may either wait for some other members’ advice or you can start the work straight away. In order to make sure that you do not lose anything, you can make a backup of your whole site, including database. Please read the link below:
https://codex.www.ads-software.com/Backing_Up_Your_Database

OK, I’m in the Twenty Eleven theme. It’s a 2-column theme so I can’t set it up like I want it – a 3-column, multiple-widget spaces site.
So, what do I do now?

Now drag and place a plain text widget on the sidebar with some text and see if it works.

Once problems are sorted out we shall revert to your favorite theme and plugins.

OK, I tried 3, they work.
Next?