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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Apr 2006
    Location
    Texas
    Posts
    39
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    0

    Default Email Error: Could not instantiate mail function.

    I just moved my site from a vps to dedicated server and everything is working fine except for the emails.
    I have it set to use php mail right now and the contact form works, but when I try to update an orders status to delivered I get an email error saying
    Email Error: Could not instantiate mail function. Please check Admin->Configuration->Email Options->Email Transport.
    Plus with it set to php mail as it is now I do not receive any of the order confirmation emails.

    When I change to sendmail then the contact form doesn't work, it gives a sendmail error.

    I contacted my host provider and they say its a script issue or a setting that needs to be made on the server. Does anyone know what settings I might need on my dedicated server?


    Thanks
    Chad

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
    Posts
    66,364
    Blog Entries
    7
    Plugin Contributions
    274

    Default Re: Email Error: Could not instantiate mail function.

    When set to 'php" as the transport, Zen Cart simply sends the email using the mail() function in PHP, which relies entirely on the server's php.ini configuration for how to get the email sent.
    And many times that's simply set up to use "sendmail", so telling ZC to use "sendmail" is basically the same thing in a lot of cases.
    And, if using either of those is giving you errors, that's further confirmation that the server is poorly configured for email. And, since your host is passing the buck then you best simply bypass the server's poor configuration by using SMTPAUTH:

    More effective would be using SMTPAUTH and specifying the mailbox SMTP credentials so that the email can actually be sent by having ZC log in a real mailbox and do the send. This also makes the email more legitimate and authentic looking, since it comes from a real mailbox, not a generic poorly-configured server (as the php mode is). As such using SMTPAUTH is the smartest mode to use; and also the best way to get your emails to not be mistakenly treated as spam.

    http://www.zen-cart.com/wiki/index.p...Email_Problems
    http://www.zen-cart.com/wiki/index.p...Of_Lost_Emails
    .

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