Emails not being sent out to newly registered members and members of forum.

[DOS12]

Hello everyone,

I was wondering if someone could help me with this problem.  About two weeks ago, the email system stopped working on my forum.  Now, when people lose their passwords, or when people sign up as members of the forum, they don't receive an email at all.  Everything was just fine until a few weeks ago.  Then, all of a sudden, the email system stopped working.  I think it may have something to do with my web hosting; as I have tried to install other smf forums using GoDaddy, and I can't receive any emails either.   I also use Hostgator web hosting, and the emails get sent out just fine under them.  I had GoDaddy before, I went with Hostgator for my first forum.  I am running several websites under Godaddy, as well as HostGator.  I have tried to do password retrieval with freshly installed smf forums, and I don't receive any kind of email notifications whatsoever.  My email settings for my smf forums are all PHP by default.

Like I said, it worked just fine until a few weeks ago, then, all of a sudden, they just stopped getting sent out. 

I am using GoDaddy web hosting for the one giving me problems.  What I can't figure out, is it the hosting, or is it something that I am doing wrong?  I have several mods installed for my forum, but they haven't given me any problems whatsoever until about two weeks ago.  My blog under the same Hosting service(GoDaddy) doesn't send out email either.  Has anyone else ever had this problem where newly registered members, or members who have lost their passwords, don't receive emails?  Is it possible that my emails may have been blocked by my web host?

If someone could help me with this problem, it would be greatly appreciated. 

[TheListener]

I am using GoDaddy webhosting.

This may be the cause.

Hopefully someone whom knows more than I do about this error will be along soon.

[pols1337]

I am having the same problem. 

I've tested sending out emails and messages from one account (a test account) to another account (my admin account), and the email gets delivered fine.  I checked my  email inbox and the message was delivered instantly.  However, I just tried to issue a newsletter and I did not receive it.  My forum is quite small, only 300 members, so there shouldn't be a problem with overloading my server.

This is a pretty big problem since I have been forced to suspend new member registration by email activation, since users obviously never get the email to be activated (and thus, never become members  ).

I've attached some screenshots from my Configuration > Server Settings   

Also, I jsut checked the error log and nothing is shown for the newsletter. 

[busterone]

Are you using php or smtp for the forum's mail?  Look in admin-maintenance-mail-settings.  If you are using php, perhaps your host doesn't allow it or limits it. Try smtp instead. If you are unsure whether they allow php mail, you may need to contact your host.  Most host offers smtp, so if they do,  then input the proper credentials for smtp and try it again.

[pols1337]

Hi busterone,

Thanks for the quick reply. 

1.  In Admin > Maintenance > Mail Settings, I can currently using PHP.  See attachment 1. 

Although you suggest switching over to SMTP (which I will probably try out later), I don't think there's a problem necessary with the PHP sendmail.  I followed the excellent documentation over on the SMF Wiki about not sending out emails (link), and under the last step about testmail, I've tested it and it works.  See attachment 2.

2.  Also, I don't understand how I can issue an email from one account to another account, and the second account receives the email just fine ... but the newsletter doesn't work.  Sigh 

Joel / pols1337

[busterone]

It does sound like it is partially working. When you send a newsletter at least 300 mails are attempting to go out at once with 300 members. Try a test newsletter again and select just a few members, around 10, to send it to. If it goes through, then the issue is with the simultaneous numbers of emails.

[MrPhil]

2.  Also, I don't understand how I can issue an email from one account to another account, and the second account receives the email just fine ... but the newsletter doesn't work.  Sigh 

How many newsletters are you trying to send out at once? Maybe it's over your hosting limit, so the whole thing is canned. SMF 2 can configure its mail sending rate to stay within any specified limit (check with your host what the limits are).

[pols1337]

Well, I thought of that too ... except, if you look at my above screenshot #1 Mail Settings, I've activated "Enable Mail Queue" with the Maximum amount of emails to send per page load = 5. 

And I just sent out another round of newsletters (including to personal messages), and it's like SMF just skips over all of it and takes me immediately back to the admin page. 

EDIT:  maybe I spoke too soon.  I just looked at the mail queue and there are about 500 messages to be sent out over the next hour.  I'm crossing my fingers (and obsessively refreshing the page) to see if it works. 

[busterone]

You have it set for 100 per minute. Your host may be limiting it as MrPhil said, so the whole batch is dropped. Change it to 10 or 20 and see if it still does it.