“Error establishing a database connection”

Ok, called my webhost again, and he said something like whenever I’m changing the wp-config.php file and uploading, it’s getting reset to the original. So on the server, the settings weren’t there. I edited them using the host’s File Management service and now I have a new error message (about the 6th of this process!):

You appear to have already installed WordPress. To reinstall please clear your old database tables first.

What does this mean?

Obviously, I don’t want to get rid of my database!

I’m still working on it. I had an idea to use upgrade.php. That appeared to work, and it said it was successfully upgraded. But now, at https://www.ellenfinkelstein.com/acadblog/wordpress/, all I see is a blank page!

Upload fresh copies of all WP files and folders, except wp-content folder and your wp-config.php. Don’t run upgrade again, just upload the files and folders.

Thanks, but that didn’t work. I re-downloaded the 3.0 zip file from www.remarpro.com and unzipped it on my hard drive.
On the server, I deled the wp-admin & includes folders and all the files in the root except wp-config.
I re-uploaded the 2 folders and all the files in the root except for wp-config (and wo-configsample).
Still blank.
What do I do now?
Thanks for any help!

Do you have any plugins? Rename the plugins folder to force them all to deactivate.

Someone suggested trying to install a theme, because in wp-admin, it said that the default theme wasn’t functioning (I don’t remember the exact words). So I tried to install Atahualpa, the theme I want. After a very long time, I got this message:
“Could not copy file. /usr/www/users/ellenf/acadblog/wordpress/wp-content/themes/atahualpa/functions/bfa_next_previous_links.php

Theme install failed.”

A few files were uploaded, but obviously not all of them.

Since I’m starting from scratch (unfortunately), should I also delete the wp-config folder and upload a fresh one?

Did you rename the plugins foler? Rename all the theme folders except default to force the default theme to take over?

There’s no need to try a new theme until you have worked out the basic problems of uploading and getting WP toi run.

Did you have a blog it content before? Or is this a brand new install? What are you using for FTP?

Is the directory for your wordpress install writable by the server? Possibly your .htaccess file is messed up. Maybe try changing your permalink structure and see if that fixes it.