How do I activate addons?

On your character screen there should be a button labeled add-ons in the lower left corner. check off all the ones you want

I ran into a similar problem when I installed my first add-on. When you download the zip file, you extract it through Local Disk (C:) --> Program Files ---> World of Warcraft ---> Interface ---> Addons. It seems from you question that you already know that, but when I did it, I went back to check and found I had two interface folders. If you do, save it to one and if it doesn't work, save it to the other.

Another way it could be messing up is if you installed it while WoW was running. You would need to delete it from the files, close WoW, re-install the addon, restart your cpu and then load WoW. If that doesn't work, try running the WoW file checker that resets defaults and all of that. To get to it, you would just go to the WoW file in the program files and look for "WoW repair." It will reset the defaults, including the interface folder and you can reinstall it again. That should do the trick. I hope this helps and you get your addons working. QH is amazing! Good luck!

Make sure you keep the folders in tact when you extract it to the addons folder. So you downloaded questhelper, when you extract it to the addons folder you should see a questhelper folder. I had a similar problem when first doing addons. I extracted the contents of each folder to the addons folder and it never recognized the addons. Hope this helps

You can get most WoW addons at curse.com and they explain what you haft to do but ill tell you what i do.
You download the addon either right click it and extract it to C:/Program Files/World of Warcraft/ Interface/Addons. Or you can just open the folder that your addon is in and just move it directly into you addon folder.

In some cases you might not have a addon folder when you play the game for the first time so just make a folder called Addons in your Interface folder and you'll be set from there.

When you open WoW and are looking at your characters on any realm. On the bottem left corner you'll see addons and it will show which addons are being used. If you dont see the addon there you could of installed the addon incorrectly or the addon file is corrupt and you should try getting it off another site.

Hope this helps anyone who needs it =D

Just install it anyway.

You can use Curse Client dl it from curse.com and simply chose ur addon and Click Install and it will do the job and you dont worry about updates it can auto update addons whenever there is need to.

On the character selection screen click the add-ons button

assuming the addon was placed in the right directory, there are 2 possible causes for the addon not working

1 - the addon is unchecked - check the box next to it
2 - the addon is outdated - DL a new version, or check the "load outdated addons"

You know it would be simpler if you downloaded the curse client for addons at www.curse.com

Download this:
www.curse.com/client/

and don't forget to make an account on the Curse website.

Make sure that Curse and WoW are installed, Open Curse and look through the database of addons you want, download them and it will install them for you.

I recommend downloading these addons:
- Addon Control Panal
- Deadly Boss Mods
- Recount

Once they are downloaded you can start up WoW, Log in and play. The addons should all be installed for the most part but if you have any problems then go to the character select screen and open the addon management menu, the button can be found in the bottom left of the character select screen. Once the Addon Managment menu is open tick the 'load outdated addons' box.

If you have any more questions about WoW or WoW Addons I don't mind helping out more, just throw me a PM and I'll help out.

(I played WoW for about 2/3 years and I've experienced my fair share of annoyances with Addon problems.)

did you restart you computer? in a few cases I had to reboot for the addon button to appear in the game...