Missing invoices since a few days

CaroleAs:

Here are screenshots of both the email options and payment module.

Is that what you need? Do you see anything odd in there?
In the test site, which only gets occasional "accidental" transactions (when google send visitors to the test site instead of the live one), the last transaction was on Nov 3rd, and I did get the invoice copy normally.

Does it work (again with a free product) if you have the following set:
Send Copy of Create Account Emails To - Status. 1

I seem to recall searching the code or something for a similar issue and thought that related. It's the only difference in settings that I see that would specifically cause something different. Sure php as a transport method might cause some sort of anamoly, but email is going out, just not to the desired address when a specfic action/event occurs.

If after the test purchase doesn't work, try to create a new account as a visitor and see what email traffic happens.

Your live site is using something other than php as it's email transport method isn't it?

OK, change the status to 1.
Asked a friend to create a new account; she did.
I get no notification at all.
Asked her to "purchase" a free product; she did.
I get no notification either, even though I can see the order in the admin panel.
She said she didn't get an invoice either (which is strange as yesterday, another "free" purchase generated the invoice to the customer).
Repeated the "free" purchase in the live store (I have not changed any setting yet) and she got the invoice, not me.

Asked to send me an email through the Contact us form in the test store and I never got the email.
Repeated the test in the live store with the Contact us form, and i still never got the email.
THIS is a major problem as it can directly affect my customer service!

In the live store, the last email I got from through the Contact us is last week, just when I stopped getting the invoices.

As for my live store, it is also using PHP as it's email transport method. That has never changed since I set up the store years ago.

At this point, since both the test store and the live store behave the same way, are set up the same way (except for Paypal express on the test store, which didn't help) and not sending emails AT ALL, I am wondering if it has anything to do with my host. If so, I am not even sure what I can ask them to check. Any suggestion before I contact them?

CaroleAs:

OK, change the status to 1.
Asked a friend to create a new account; she did.
I get no notification at all.
Asked her to "purchase" a free product; she did.
I get no notification either, even though I can see the order in the admin panel.
She said she didn't get an invoice either (which is strange as yesterday, another "free" purchase generated the invoice to the customer).
Repeated the "free" purchase in the live store (I have not changed any setting yet) and she got the invoice, not me.

Asked to send me an email through the Contact us form in the test store and I never got the email.
Repeated the test in the live store with the Contact us form, and i still never got the email.
THIS is a major problem as it can directly affect my customer service!

In the live store, the last email I got from through the Contact us is last week, just when I stopped getting the invoices.

As for my live store, it is also using PHP as it's email transport method. That has never changed since I set up the store years ago.

At this point, since both the test store and the live store behave the same way, are set up the same way (except for Paypal express on the test store, which didn't help) and not sending emails AT ALL, I am wondering if it has anything to do with my host. If so, I am not even sure what I can ask them to check. Any suggestion before I contact them?

Well, I have not done any additional research into this issue since my last post, first thing to consider is using a different email transport option (other than php) host offers email it seems, so can you setup your email transport to one of the other options (recommended anyways) using information you have available from your host?) Wondering if the php version changed or something associated with it that affected your php mail sending capability (maybe in the php.ini on the host for example).

You read my mind. I was in the process of changing it to STMP, however, I have the hardest time getting it set up even though I have all the information to enter at the bottom. My friend keeps trying to send me emails through the Contact us form and keeps getting a "Email Error: The following From address failed: "

Trying to figure this out from that angle now.

OK I got the setting fixed.

I can send a message from the Contact us form... and it is sent successfully.
My friend did the same and also was sent successfully.
However, I am still not getting any email.

Next thing i'll try changing email completely.

Now I keep getting "Email Error: SMTP Error: Could not connect to SMTP host." when I try to send an email through Contact Us form.

CaroleAs:

Now I keep getting "Email Error: SMTP Error: Could not connect to SMTP host." when I try to send an email through Contact Us form.

It maybe time to contact host. If you are sure of your settings, password applied if necessary, address, and smtp host settings, then there may appear to be a prob with the host's ability to process/send emails.

That all said, it is still suggested that you use paypal express over paypal basic/ipn.

Writing an email right now to the host!
As for Paypal express, I can surely do that when I set up all those changes to fix the issue. I know how to switch to Paypal Express and as said before, it is easy.

I'll update this thread when I find a solution, even if it is from my host, so others might look in the same direction.
Thanks for your time.

Well, the simplest culprit: the box on the server was full (I didn't get a notification of that).
Emptied it and everything works fine now.

Is there a way to get the older notifications to be pushed out somehow? Are they somewhere on the site?

CaroleAs:

Well, the simplest culprit: the box on the server was full (I didn't get a notification of that).
Emptied it and everything works fine now.

Is there a way to get the older notifications to be pushed out somehow? Are they somewhere on the site?

Yup. Requires another plugin to be installed: email archive manager: http://www.zen-cart.com/downloads.php?do=file&id=101

Assuming that they were archived to begin with, which I think is a bit of a default or at least I don't remember seeing anything on your settings in an "off" position that would prevent it.

I just checked and Email Archiving Active? is set to false (probably by default) so I guess it means even installing that mod wont help :(

Thanks anyways.

CaroleAs:

I just checked and Email Archiving Active? is set to false (probably by default) so I guess it means even installing that mod wont help :(

Thanks anyways.

Might in the future, when fills up again. :) sorry to have gotten hopes up.

Wondering if there is a way to back search server logs to see if at least can find any contact us info. Otherwise, I think you could regenerate invoice emails through the orders area or via another operation, but would recommend starting a new thread to see if some of the more ZC gurus could help.