Title: HTML file access
Last modified: August 18, 2016

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# HTML file access

 *  [hfdratch](https://wordpress.org/support/users/hfdratch/)
 * (@hfdratch)
 * [18 years, 12 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/html-file-access/)
 * I am not sure if this is 2 threads or one. For simplicity (a description of my
   digital literacy) here is 1 or 2 questions:
 * I went to Dashboard/Manage/files and tried /Presentation/Themes/files where I
   had previously accessed the html to add snippets such as the 2 I wanted to add
   now — Google Analytics and MyBlogLog.
 * I can’t find the file that would allow me to add near the <head/>.
 * Which also leads to the question. Should I have kept a copy of the WP files for
   my computer? If so, how do I keep it synchronized with the files on the server—
   other than manually?

Viewing 4 replies - 1 through 4 (of 4 total)

 *  [moshu](https://wordpress.org/support/users/moshu/)
 * (@moshu)
 * [18 years, 12 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/html-file-access/#post-566488)
 * 1. Wrong approach. To edit theme files you go directly > Presentation > Theme
   editor.
    (1a. My personal opinion: nobody ever should use it to make drastic 
   changes to the theme files! There is no “undo” button… + it leaves your template
   files open for hacking)
 * 2. Always! Always, especially for the theme files. Not for synchorizing but for
   having a backup copy when you screw up your theme by editing the files 🙂
    Just
   edit everything on your computer (not the backup copy, but another copy) and 
   upload it via ftp. It is very healthy…
 *  [whooami](https://wordpress.org/support/users/whooami/)
 * (@whooami)
 * [18 years, 12 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/html-file-access/#post-566493)
 * if I can add something, Moshu’s suggestion also helps you to familiarize you (
   generally speaking) with the files that are on your site..
 * The backend editor might seem convenient but it comes at a price 🙂
 *  Thread Starter [hfdratch](https://wordpress.org/support/users/hfdratch/)
 * (@hfdratch)
 * [18 years, 12 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/html-file-access/#post-566589)
 * I thank you both. Question now — the host, PowWeb, installed WP. I had just finished
   migrating 200 posts in 2 blogs from Blogger via WP.com and finally chosen (and
   edited colors where I now know I shouldn’t have been) a really attractive theme,
   Water 3, an hour before 2.2 was announced.
 * It has taken too much time to immediately change versions which looks time-consuming.
 * Therefore, where can a download a copy of the last version of 2.1? Or do I use
   the ftp client, Cyberduck, to download copies of everything on the server?
 * You taught me a lot but I am still a bit confused — especially since reading 
   the posts on changing to 2.2 convinced me I must learn how to back up everything
   to my machine ASAP. WP should label the File Editor a “Backend Editor” — even
   the stupidest of us could decide it wasn’t the best place to be putting things.
 * The results so far, as an aside, are at [http://7colorlagoon.com/blog1/](http://7colorlagoon.com/blog1/)
 *  [moshu](https://wordpress.org/support/users/moshu/)
 * (@moshu)
 * [18 years, 12 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/html-file-access/#post-566604)
 * Just go up on this page and click download. There on the left you will see “Release
   Archive” – that’s where you’ll find all the earlier releases.

Viewing 4 replies - 1 through 4 (of 4 total)

The topic ‘HTML file access’ is closed to new replies.

## Tags

 * [html](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/html/)

 * In: [Fixing WordPress](https://wordpress.org/support/forum/how-to-and-troubleshooting/)
 * 4 replies
 * 3 participants
 * Last reply from: [moshu](https://wordpress.org/support/users/moshu/)
 * Last activity: [18 years, 12 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/html-file-access/#post-566604)
 * Status: not resolved

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