Title: Child theme loses functionality
Last modified: August 21, 2016

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# Child theme loses functionality

 *  [garybeck](https://wordpress.org/support/users/garybeck/)
 * (@garybeck)
 * [12 years, 5 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/child-theme-loses-functionality/)
 * I created a child theme for twentytwelve as advised and followed the directions.
   when I activate the theme, some functionality goes away. for example my customized
   menu bar goes back to the default of just listing the titles of every page on
   the site. I use Appearance – Menus to set something up and is has no effect on
   the website. I switch back to the regular twentytwelve theme and it works great.
 * It’s not worth it to make a child theme if I have to lose functionality, no?
 * Another thing I noticed, when I am on the child theme, and I go to the theme 
   editor, the only thing I can edit is style.css. I can’t change any of the page
   templates or anything else, which I need to do. It says at the top right of the
   editor, that this is a child of the parent theme and I can click on the parent
   theme name and then I get all the pages to edit. But if I’m changing them in 
   the parent, what’s the use of having the child theme at all?

Viewing 3 replies - 1 through 3 (of 3 total)

 *  [WPyogi](https://wordpress.org/support/users/wpyogi/)
 * (@wpyogi)
 * [12 years, 5 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/child-theme-loses-functionality/#post-4252538)
 * You need to redo theme settings and options in the child theme – they are not
   carried over – that’s how they work.
 * If it’s looking totally strange, your child theme is not set up correctly.
 * >  the only thing I can edit is style.css.
 * Yes, if that’s the only file you put in the child theme, that’s the only one 
   you can modify. You need to put copies of the files you want to change in the
   child theme.
 * Review: [http://codex.wordpress.org/Child_Themes](http://codex.wordpress.org/Child_Themes)
 *  Thread Starter [garybeck](https://wordpress.org/support/users/garybeck/)
 * (@garybeck)
 * [12 years, 5 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/child-theme-loses-functionality/#post-4252553)
 * OK well I guess maybe I need to start over. but I’m not sure what settings and
   options I would have to redo to get the menu to work in the child theme? I did
   the same thing I did in the parent one but it just doesn’t work in the child 
   one.
 *  [WPyogi](https://wordpress.org/support/users/wpyogi/)
 * (@wpyogi)
 * [12 years, 5 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/child-theme-loses-functionality/#post-4252554)
 * A child theme should work just like the parent – if it’s not, something isn’t
   working. A link to your site might be useful in determining that.

Viewing 3 replies - 1 through 3 (of 3 total)

The topic ‘Child theme loses functionality’ is closed to new replies.

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 * 3 replies
 * 2 participants
 * Last reply from: [WPyogi](https://wordpress.org/support/users/wpyogi/)
 * Last activity: [12 years, 5 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/child-theme-loses-functionality/#post-4252554)
 * Status: not resolved