Warning: Cannot modify header information - Error during checkout

[alxklo]

OK, so I've done a diff comparison of the files in the include folder in my site and the latest version of zen cart (1.38), corrected any extra breaks or spaces I found, and uplaoded the new files to the site. Now when I use STRICT error reporting, I don't get any specific errors during the checkout process.

HOWEVER, I still get the internal server error page when I confirm my order. Any thing else I should try before starting from scratch or consulting a third party?

Thanks,
Alex

[DrByte]

Internal Server Errors are usually a result of a security rule (set up by your server administrator / hosting company) being violated by something being submitted on the page.

These errors are usually documented in the server's apache errorlog. Your hosting control panel should give you access to errorlogs. Check the logs to see what's wrong. Some hosting companies don't make that information available to you directly, in which case you'll have to contact their tech support for assistance. You may find out more about how to access errorlogs by checking your hosting company's FAQs.

[alxklo]

Thx, DrByte. I contacted our hosting company but unfortunately we are on a shared server and as such support wouldn't give me error logs.

I've uploaded new versions of the checkout process includes/languages/english/ files, turned on strict error reporting, and now get the redirect error ("headers already sent...") reported for the file checkout_shipping_address.php in the second line of code (line 11, after the opening comments). If I comment out line 11, the file reports the same error for the next line, and for each subsequent line commented out through the end of the file.

If I comment out the entire file checkout_shipping_address.php, I get the redirect error reported in line 133 of the file includes/modules/pages/checkout_shipping/header_php.php, where $_SESSION['comments'] is called.

Does this mean anything, or am I not tracing the error correctly?

Thanks again for your continued help!

Alex

[Website Rob]

If your Hosting company does not provide you with access to Error logs for your hosting account, then it's time to change Hosters. With all the popular Control Panels providing that information there is no reason why Hoster should not.

As to your current problem, somebody will just have to sit and work on the problem till it is solved. Something is not right but you're not going to get your problem solved very quickly by Forum postings. The Forum is good but there are times when one just has to keep working on the problem till solved or start fresh.

[DrByte]

I agree. That answer from your host is nonsense. They *can* give you the info. But maybe their server setup makes it inconvenient to do so. As Website Rob said, hosters using contemporary systems can easily give you self-serve access to the server errorlog data related directly to your account activity, specifically on a shared server.


As to troubleshooting, you mentioned that you turned on Strict Error Reporting. Try turning that off, and use the debug error log utility mentioned in step 2a, as suggested before. That might give better clues as to the cause, because sometimes dumping error information to the screen can report symptoms prematurely and thus suppress the real error situation.

But I think your server's apache errorlog data is going to be the most useful.

If your host won't give you access to the errorlog, then get them to tell you why *their* server is blocking *your* site from functioning. (They'll have to look it up the errorlogs to find out.)