Title: Overwrite WP-Mail.php right or wrong?
Last modified: August 18, 2016

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# Overwrite WP-Mail.php right or wrong?

 *  Resolved [lostplay](https://wordpress.org/support/users/lostplay/)
 * (@lostplay)
 * [18 years, 8 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/overwrite-wp-mailphp-right-or-wrong/)
 * Hi,
 * Firstly I have searched extensively for the resolution to this problem, however
   i’ve had no joy.
 * Yesterday I installed the firestats 1.3.6 plugin ( i know wordpress is not responsible
   for individual plugins but please bear with me) and after a few hours of working
   fine I suddenly received a white screen after making a post. The error message
   given was this:
 * The e-mail could not be sent.
    Possible reason: your host may have disabled the
   mail() function…
 * Now I searched on WordPress and other places and found that the most common resolution
   was to install an SMTP plugin. So to cut a long story shot, I did that but it
   didn’t help, then I contacted my host and they have told me the following:
 * “The plugin replaces the wp-mail.php script. Please download a wordpress
    install
   with the correct wp-mail.php and copy it over. This should restore the correct
   functioning”
 * I just wanted to check whether this is the appropriate course of action to take?
   Also I’m using WordPress 2.2, should I overwrite it with 2.3?
 * I don’t know how to overwrite without losing the content on my site but i’m sure
   i’ll find that out vias a search.
 * Thanks for any help!
 * PS my site is www. lost-play. com (without the space before .com)

Viewing 5 replies - 1 through 5 (of 5 total)

 *  [MichaelH](https://wordpress.org/support/users/michaelh/)
 * (@michaelh)
 * [18 years, 8 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/overwrite-wp-mailphp-right-or-wrong/#post-621863)
 * Typically, plugins don’t actually replace standard WordPress files, they instead
   use hooks.
 * So, with that said, if necessary, you can download prior versions of WordPress
   at:
    [http://wordpress.org/download/release-archive/](http://wordpress.org/download/release-archive/)
 * You will want to use the proper file from the proper version.
 *  Thread Starter [lostplay](https://wordpress.org/support/users/lostplay/)
 * (@lostplay)
 * [18 years, 8 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/overwrite-wp-mailphp-right-or-wrong/#post-621866)
 * Thanks for the reply Michael.
 * So by that I gather that you doubt the problem is to do with the firestats plugin
   overwriting the wp-mail.php..?
 * I have a back-up from a few hours before the error happened..do you think it 
   would be better to rollback and use the back-up or to install a new wordpress
   over my current one?
 * Thanks
 *  [MichaelH](https://wordpress.org/support/users/michaelh/)
 * (@michaelh)
 * [18 years, 8 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/overwrite-wp-mailphp-right-or-wrong/#post-621880)
 * If you did a good backup, then in theory, your backup and the new wordpress versions
   should be the same.
 *  Thread Starter [lostplay](https://wordpress.org/support/users/lostplay/)
 * (@lostplay)
 * [18 years, 8 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/overwrite-wp-mailphp-right-or-wrong/#post-621881)
 * Ok, thanks for your help
 *  Thread Starter [lostplay](https://wordpress.org/support/users/lostplay/)
 * (@lostplay)
 * [18 years, 8 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/overwrite-wp-mailphp-right-or-wrong/#post-621888)
 * Ok, i’ve fixed it!
    For anyone who has similiar problems, I discovered that it
   was an issue with a trackback – or to be more precise, the issue came about due
   to a post I made where I linked my previous post for reference (common amongst
   bloggers) – this was the first time I did so in this particular theme on this
   particular site. Anyway to resolve the problem I went into phpadmin and deleted
   said comment.
 * I found this out thanks to the owner of this blog >> [http://ebestagent.com/wordpress-your-host-may-have-disabled-the-mail-function-error/](http://ebestagent.com/wordpress-your-host-may-have-disabled-the-mail-function-error/)
 * Detailed instructions on their site.

Viewing 5 replies - 1 through 5 (of 5 total)

The topic ‘Overwrite WP-Mail.php right or wrong?’ is closed to new replies.

## Tags

 * [firestats](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/firestats/)
 * [problem](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/problem/)

 * In: [Fixing WordPress](https://wordpress.org/support/forum/how-to-and-troubleshooting/)
 * 5 replies
 * 2 participants
 * Last reply from: [lostplay](https://wordpress.org/support/users/lostplay/)
 * Last activity: [18 years, 8 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/overwrite-wp-mailphp-right-or-wrong/#post-621888)
 * Status: resolved

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