Upload an image – sorry! Yes I have tried – Haven’t I?

“Done permissions” meaning? Which directory and chmod to what?

I mean making all directories and files from the root down writable user, group, and world

That’s dangerous!
You need only the wp-content to be writable (usually 777) – and then WP can create the directories under (in) it.

I know it’s dangerous but having struggles with wordpress for 5 days solid, with one problem after another, I’m past caring.

Having used software in the past that is designed to be used, I have found WordPress a complete nightmare. It is billed as simple to use – and it probably is if you are a programmer. I am not, but I persevere.

I reset as you explained above, now I’m locked out altogether. I’m getting the following:

Warning: main(/home/rtscouk/public_html/wp-includes/compat.php) [function.main]: failed to open stream: Permission denied in /home/rtscouk/public_html/wp-settings.php on line 207

Warning: main(/home/rtscouk/public_html/wp-includes/compat.php) [function.main]: failed to open stream: Permission denied in /home/rtscouk/public_html/wp-settings.php on line 207

Fatal error: main() [function.require]: Failed opening required ‘/home/rtscouk/public_html/wp-includes/compat.php’ (include_path=’.:/usr/lib/php:/usr/local/lib/php’) in /home/rtscouk/public_html/wp-settings.php on line 207

As we established yesterday during the troubleshooting – your host sucks. All those “permission denied” error messages are there because of paranoid settings on the host server.
We cannot do anything about it. Get a decent host.

OK thanks again!