Hello
I bought 2 servers and several working websites placed there and I had no problem with HTTP ERROR 500, unless there was an inappropriate PHP version, then I changed it in the settings.
I don't know what's going on, because I want to go back to SMF, but I can't install any version on these servers, even though I do everything carefully, and I've been working on the topic (Joomla, Wordpress and others) for a dozen or so years and I still get a window with the text: HTTP ERROR 50.
I also cleared the browser cache, deleted cookies from the browser, checked chmods and contacted the server owner, who replied as follows:
"As for the website, in the index.php file on line 48 there is a link to the Settings.php script (written with a capital letter S), while on the server there is a file with a name with a lowercase s, as a result of this error there is a file missing error, similarly there are case errors with the install.php script."
I don't think this is the cause, because I have already tried all versions of SMF and also changed the PHP settings and 5.4, 5.6 up to 7x.
How to install SMF so that you can come back to it after a few years, because it's COOL! :)
Please help
A HTTP 500 should always get logged in the server error log, so that would be a good place to start.
https://wiki.simplemachines.org/smf/SMF2.1:Requirements_and_recommendations
https://wiki.simplemachines.org/smf/Installing
It sounds to me as though something has been changing the files on you.
Settings.php should have a capital S (this is what the installer makes), the Sources folder should have a capital S and all the files in it should have capitals too.
I'd wonder if something broke this install on you because the install package should be correct.