HELP Installing template?

Hi, I am a noob in this kind of stuff without any knowledge of computer language whatsoever..

I am using zencart version 1.3.8a, and am running on an offline localhost because I wanted to try before going online.

I am confused on how to install a template, I am using one of the free template and the the tutorial told me to copy some THMXX folder to /includes/theme, after that when I refreshed my web store it comes with blank page... with changed background color..:unsure:

and when I was told to patch a sql dump using /tool/installsqlpatch but after i do that it become worse, my shop looks blank with this massage "1054 Unknown column 'startdate' in 'field list'
in:
[select startdate, counter, session_counter from counter_history where startdate='20090610']"

and a massage in admin shows up like this
"Success 329 statements processed"
"Warning Your database appears to need patching to a higher level. See Tools->Server Information to review patch levels"

I don't know that to do... can anyone help me??:cry:

any help will be very appricated

do anyone have solution? I'm desperate :cry:

You should better ask the people who wrote the template. What I can suggest:

1. Upgrade your Mysql to latest verion if it is an old one. (older than mysql 4 may be)
2. Install a fresh copy of Zencart's latest version
3. Apply the sql pathes th template provides
4. Copy the template file.
5. Select the new template from Admin >> Tools >> Template Selection.

And finally if still it happens, you should contact the theme writer who built such a complicated theme that needs 329 sql queries to be executed. I think you missed something in the template installation.

/includes/theme << this is not used within Zen Cart

I guess the question to ask is "Where did you get the Template?" as it seems it was not designed to work with Zen Cart, without a lot of prior knowledged and/or fixing.

Website Rob:

/includes/theme << this is not used within Zen Cart

I guess the question to ask is "Where did you get the Template?" as it seems it was not designed to work with Zen Cart, without a lot of prior knowledged and/or fixing.

I get it from freetemplatesite.com, with link to the file as follows:
http://www.freetemplatesite.com/sample/sample_zencart.zip

I was sure that this was made for zencart as the instructions inside the zip file clearly mentioned zencart. Can u help me?
:unsure:

It might work, but I wouldn't use it. No Zencart template should require a SQL patch. That's a Template Monster template (an old one) and changes some core files as well as the template files, which may cause you problems if you want to change something.

For free templates that WILL work with Zen Cart, visit http://(sorry, site offline)/