Hi, I tested the smtp server with outlook and it worked fine. I also inputted the server IP and password in the adequte places in the files in class\mail\phpmailer\ but still I can't send an email.

I have tried all the options and combinations according to suggestions on mail server setup that I gathered from websites on XOOPS in English, Chinese and Japanese. Still I can't send emails from my site Humanities and Society (a website in Chinese).

Could someone please give me a hint (a beefy detailed one please...) about what to do now? Shall I ask the windows based hosting company to update or install some php modules?

Thanks a lot for reading!

I myself have not yet found a good reason or benefit of using smtpmail and smtpauth with my XOOPS installation. I have conducted a search here and on the web and have not yet turned up any relevant information which causes me to want to use that feature. IMHO
I suppose there is a logical reason or it wouldn't be added to the mail setup features and if someone could shed some light on this I would appreciate it very much.

Using the PHP mail() works great so I do as it suggest in the Documentation Sites-Xoops Operation Guide and use the recommended method. PHP mail(). If that didn't work then I would probably go to the sendmail method.

Best of luck!
Quest

Thanks a lot Quest! So I went back to the phpmail() option although it didn't work at the first try.

This time no miracle either： I got the familiar "Language string failed to load: instantiate".

Do you think I need to have some php element installed on the windows server or have sth to be configurated for the phpmail() to work?

My asp-focused hosting company knows little about php and nothing about xoops, so I will need to figure out "what safe components to install if necessary"...