Can someone help *URGENT* Email Error. THANKS!!

Of course on the most important weekend for my store to be running smoothly, it is having problems. I am so frustrated. Everything has/was been working fine until yesterday. I have already emailed my host company--they say it is a script error.

Here is what is happening:

1. I am not receiving emails when a customer creates a new account

2. I am not receiving emails when a new order is placed (I DO receive an email from paypal when the payment goes through, I just don't get one from zen cart.)

3. If a customer tries to use the "contact us" form, they get this error when they submit it:

Email Error: Could not instantiate mail function

Also, when the customer tries to check out, they sometimes get the

Email Error: Could not instantiate mail function

I know I am losing business and I feel terrible that this is happening to my customers this weekend. Does anyone have any ideas on where I should start to fix this? Is this something I can fix in zen cart? Do I need to have my hosting company fix this?

Thanks in advance...I'll be away for a couple of hours, but I'll check back soon. Thank you so much!! Benelly

The most likely cause (if you haven't changed anything recently) is that your hosting company has upgraded MySQL or PHP, or changed the parameters under which PHP operates. Ask them specifically - "Have you upgraded PHP or MySQL recently?"

It could also be that some files have become corrupted, perhaps the result of a bad sector or two on the hard drive. Try reloading all files in the includes/classes folder and see if that helps.

Vger

Perhaps the changes they've made may relate to the email system and/or PHP configuration.

If you play with the "Email Transport Method" under Admin->Configuration->Email Options, you may have a greater degree of success.

http://www.zen-cart.com/wiki/index.php/Troubleshoot_-_Email_Problems

Thank you both for your suggestions. I am going to investigate those options and contact my host again to see if I can fix this asap. I will update when I find a solution. If anyone else can offer suggestions, please do so. Thanks again!

Okay, I figured it out! Thanks for the tip about the email archive. I installed that and I am getting archived emails. I contacted my host and found out that without warning they blocked my sendmail. They didn't bother to warn me that they were going to do so. I had an unusual high number of new customers due to a new ad campaign so all the new order emails and new account emails got blocked. I am going to have to look for a better host company with much better service. I know that I have lost customers over this and it makes me so :censored:

I can't believe that they would block sendmail after only 200 emails. I had over 400 new users try to register for an account and they couldn't do so because of this problem....supposed to be resolved today, but in the meantime I'll be looking for a new company...anyone care to sugest one?:smile:

benelly:

in the meantime I'll be looking for a new company...anyone care to sugest one?:smile:

There are several great recommendations in the "Recommended Hosts" area, which you can find by clicking "hosting" at the very top of this page.

For some reason in my new installation of the ZC the option for PHP email is missing in Admin->Configuration->Email Options !
I see these other ones: smtp, SMTPAUTH, sendmail and sendmail -f

My shop won't work without the PHP option to be chosen! did it go away in the security update? I haven't done anything different since I installed another before with the same ZC package but without the security update that this has now.

Thanks for the info in advance!

Elli