My WP blog runs on Godaddy , none of the auto-update methods work.

To update to a new version , is it enough to just copy and activate the new theme 3.4.2 for example.

This seems to be preserving settings but is it the right method. ?

Yes, to add any theme to WordPress, you just copy the Theme folder into wp-contents/themes and then go to the dashboard->appearences->themes and select the thems ou want to activate.

when you move the new version of atahualpa in, name the folder with the version (i.e atahualpa333, atahualpa342 etc) so you can identify them easily if you want to swap.

Also remember, you need to copy any images you placed in ..images/header/ into the ..images/header/ of the new theme folder

I just updated to 3.7.13 using the manual method, and it seemed to go smoothly. I do have a couple of questions.

On your HOWTO instructions, Letter J says "verify URL Names in the options". Which options are you referring to?

Also, after the update, and switching to the updated version, I noticed that on my dashboard it no longer tells me what version I am using. Is there an easy way to fix this - it's not important, except that it saves me from having to document it elsewhere.

Then, in Manage Themes, can I get rid of the old version, once I'm sure all is well?

How does the new atahualpa version know what my settings for the old one were (which sidebars to use where, etc.? On an automatic update one gets a warning that they will be lost. Are they pulled from the old theme? I don't want to delete the old theme if I need it to preserve the settings, but it's a little confusing to have two there without version numbers on them.

Thanks!

I just updated to 3.7.13 using the manual method,

Notice I state as of 3.7.12 I recommend using the automatic method…(as long as you store you images outside the theme folder.

Letter J says "verify URL Names in the options". Which options are you referring to?

any option where you were using it.

I noticed that on my dashboard it no longer tells me what version I am using

this is a'feature' of WordPress, not theme related - you have to go into details (I don't like it eithor)

in Manage Themes, can I get rid of the old version, once I'm sure all is well?

Yes

How does the new atahualpa version know what my settings for the old one were

the atahualpa settings are stored in the database so they survive updates./