Title: [Plugin: Online Backup for WordPress] Cannot instantiate mail function Last modified: August 20, 2016 --- # [Plugin: Online Backup for WordPress] Cannot instantiate mail function * [salartdog](https://wordpress.org/support/users/salartdog/) * (@salartdog) * [14 years ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/plugin-online-backup-for-wordpress-cannot-instantiate-mail-function/) * Hi and thanks for your plugin. It is working on my site, zipping the database backup. I can also manually backup and download the database. But it is not emailing the file. This is the error I am getting: Error The backup failed: Failed to send an email containing the backup file. Error Failed to send an email containing the backup file. Failed at: /hermes/web09/b2427/moo.stringtheoryyarncomp/wp-content/ plugins/wponlinebackup/include/email.php:101 PHPMailer: Could not instantiate mail function. PHP: Non-static method WPOnlineBackup_Formatting::Memory_Limit() should not be called statically, assuming $this from incompatible context * I’m a designer and can’t understand the error. Could you help explain? * Thanks so much! * [http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/wponlinebackup/](http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/wponlinebackup/) Viewing 5 replies - 1 through 5 (of 5 total) * Plugin Author [Online Backup](https://wordpress.org/support/users/driskell/) * (@driskell) * [14 years ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/plugin-online-backup-for-wordpress-cannot-instantiate-mail-function/#post-2744982) * Hi salartdog, * Can your WordPress send emails? Normally we get this when WordPress just can’t send emails. In your case the mail() function is disabled by your host. You’ll need to install and configure a plugin that allows emailing using SMTP and give it your host’s SMTP details. * Jason. * Thread Starter [salartdog](https://wordpress.org/support/users/salartdog/) * (@salartdog) * [14 years ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/plugin-online-backup-for-wordpress-cannot-instantiate-mail-function/#post-2744990) * Thanks Jason. Pretty sure it’s not the host since I have several WordPress sites on the same host and the backup emails just fine on them. Maybe something with the size of the site? …will try your suggestion and repost my progress! * Many thanks again! * sally * Plugin Author [Online Backup](https://wordpress.org/support/users/driskell/) * (@driskell) * [14 years ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/plugin-online-backup-for-wordpress-cannot-instantiate-mail-function/#post-2744994) * Hi sally, * Just read a bit more about this. It may be due to your email address that is configured in Settings -> General. This address must be a valid email address that exists on the server WordPress is installed on, and it is this address we use as the from address for the backup. You can get this error if the from address is rejected by the server. * Just check that it is correct and you can send emails using WordPress – everything should work as on your other blogs then. * Regards, * Jason. * Thread Starter [salartdog](https://wordpress.org/support/users/salartdog/) * (@salartdog) * [14 years ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/plugin-online-backup-for-wordpress-cannot-instantiate-mail-function/#post-2744997) * Thanks so much for your time Jason. * I am using a valid email address in Settings/General that exists on the server that WordPress is installed on. WordPress can send emails to the email belonging to the owner in the site’s General Settings if she needs to update her password. There is no mail option on posts in her blog. The contact form is working as well. And the form to link with her constant contact account is working, which is another form on her site to sign up for a newsletter. * So I’m stumped. I didn’t try installing the SMTP plugin because other emails are going through and the settings weren’t addressing why the email associated with the site is not working. I only get the error when attempting to email a backup or during a scheduled emailed database backup . I think I may have to get a code wizard to look at it. * Thanks again for your ideas. cheers, sally * Plugin Author [Online Backup](https://wordpress.org/support/users/driskell/) * (@driskell) * [14 years ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/plugin-online-backup-for-wordpress-cannot-instantiate-mail-function/#post-2745039) * Hi salartdog, * You’re welcome. If other emails are sending fine it might just be that the backup is too big to send via email. * All we’re able to do is pass the backup as an attachment to the phpmailer that wordpress uses to send the email – after that it leaves our control and we report back what phpmailer says. I’ve done a bit more research and this could return the error if the mail() function failed for some reason, and we think it might be the data was too big for mail() to handle so it failed. * We’re experimenting with how to get better error message from phpmailer and the mail() function to improve on diagnosis of this kind of error in future though. * Jason. Viewing 5 replies - 1 through 5 (of 5 total) The topic ‘[Plugin: Online Backup for WordPress] Cannot instantiate mail function’ is closed to new replies. * ![](https://s.w.org/plugins/geopattern-icon/wponlinebackup_7192a1.svg) * [Online Backup for WordPress](https://wordpress.org/plugins/wponlinebackup/) * [Frequently Asked Questions](https://wordpress.org/plugins/wponlinebackup/#faq) * [Support Threads](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/wponlinebackup/) * [Active Topics](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/wponlinebackup/active/) * [Unresolved Topics](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/wponlinebackup/unresolved/) * [Reviews](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/wponlinebackup/reviews/) * 5 replies * 2 participants * Last reply from: [Online Backup](https://wordpress.org/support/users/driskell/) * Last activity: [14 years ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/plugin-online-backup-for-wordpress-cannot-instantiate-mail-function/#post-2745039) * Status: not resolved