Title: Retrieve Feature Doesn’t Work Last modified: August 18, 2016 --- # Retrieve Feature Doesn’t Work * Resolved [agent797](https://wordpress.org/support/users/agent797/) * (@agent797) * [19 years, 8 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/retrieve-feature-doesnt-work/) * The e-mail could not be sent. Possible reason: your host may have disabled the mail() function… * That’s the error I get when I try to use the retrieve feature to get a new password in wordpress. How do I remedy this situation. Everything seems to work fine except that. Viewing 12 replies - 1 through 12 (of 12 total) * [Les Bessant](https://wordpress.org/support/users/lesbessant/) * (@lesbessant) * [19 years, 8 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/retrieve-feature-doesnt-work/#post-451980) * You could ask your host about the mail() function. * Or see this [http://www.tamba2.org.uk/wordpress/phpmyadmin/](http://www.tamba2.org.uk/wordpress/phpmyadmin/) to reset your password without needing email * Thread Starter [agent797](https://wordpress.org/support/users/agent797/) * (@agent797) * [19 years, 8 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/retrieve-feature-doesnt-work/#post-452005) * See thats the problem. I am the host. Am hosting my own site using Xampp(apache, php,mysql). Everything has been working fine since day one and now a member of my site informed me the retrive feature doesn’t work. I tried installing a plugin but all that did was give me more headaches so I uninstalled it. I’ve read countless posts here and online and haven’t found a way to deal with it. Also I forgot to say that I know I can use phpadmin to reset passwords, but I don’t want to do that for each member wanting a new password. I just want that feature to work. * [moshu](https://wordpress.org/support/users/moshu/) * (@moshu) * [19 years, 8 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/retrieve-feature-doesnt-work/#post-452025) * _your host may have disabled the mail() function…_ * Cannot be clearer than that. If you host yourself, learn how to manage your server. Sorry, we do not teach that. Try a specialized forum. * [vkaryl](https://wordpress.org/support/users/vkaryl/) * (@vkaryl) * [19 years, 8 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/retrieve-feature-doesnt-work/#post-452028) * You may have to set your server specs to send mail using a normal ip number instead of localhost (such as 192.168.0.1 or something like) – I’ve never tried mailing with xampp so I’m not really sure. * [http://apachefriends.org](http://apachefriends.org) has an English support forum as well as a German one; you might try there. * Thread Starter [agent797](https://wordpress.org/support/users/agent797/) * (@agent797) * [19 years, 8 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/retrieve-feature-doesnt-work/#post-452033) * yeah just came from and finally was able to get a successful mail sent message. But am not receiving the emails. Seems to be working correctly tho. Any ideas. * Thread Starter [agent797](https://wordpress.org/support/users/agent797/) * (@agent797) * [19 years, 8 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/retrieve-feature-doesnt-work/#post-452063) * nevermind..figured it out….anybody else having this type of problem send me a message..would like to help… * [vkaryl](https://wordpress.org/support/users/vkaryl/) * (@vkaryl) * [19 years, 8 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/retrieve-feature-doesnt-work/#post-452072) * Please post what you did to fix it, and mark this as “resolved” up top, thanks! * Thread Starter [agent797](https://wordpress.org/support/users/agent797/) * (@agent797) * [19 years, 8 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/retrieve-feature-doesnt-work/#post-452181) * For those using xampp. * You need to configure mercury mail to work with wordpress by adding a user called“ wordpress” to it. WordPress uses the email format “wordpress@localhost” to send email, so if your mercury mail doesn’t have a user called “wordpress” the mail will just be in limbo the entire time and not go anywhere, like in my case above. * But for those getting the error “The e-mail could not be sent. Possible reason: your host may have disabled the mail() function…” * First you need to configure mercury mail to use your ISP’s SMTP address and add your domain name to the local domain names section of mercury. * 1–Open up mercury mail. Go to Configuration–>mercury core module. open the tab“ local domains”. Click add. Then add your domain name to both lines. Hit OK. 2–Go to Configuration–>protocol modules. Untick everything except MercuryS SMTP Server, MercuryP POP3 Server, MercuryC SMTP relaying client, MercuryD distributing POP3 Client. Hit OK. 3–Go to Configuration–>MercuryC SMTP Client. Add your ISP’s SMTP address into the smart host name section and the port it uses beneath it. Also if your isp requires that you login for SMTP authentication, then add your username name and password below that as well. Hit OK. 4–Go to Configuration– >Manage Local users. Hit add. For username name use “wordpress” and make your own password. The tick the admin privilidge button and Hit OK. PS..Xampp default uses “user” as local name with no password. I suggest that in order to get all the security enabled on xampp to delete “user” from the list of local users or just make a password for it. The when you open up xampp security page you’ll get all green lights. * Still needing help send me a message at [http://agent797.no-ip.org](http://agent797.no-ip.org) * [Oscar Gonzalez](https://wordpress.org/support/users/rakxzo/) * (@rakxzo) * [19 years, 7 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/retrieve-feature-doesnt-work/#post-452329) * [@agent797](https://wordpress.org/support/users/agent797/)… 🙂 I guess you didnt really get it working yet, I just tried registering @ your site and after about 20 min I still haven’t gotten an e-mail. I was going to ask you if and how you got it to work if you’re not using mercury mail but I guess it isn’t working as expected for you either. * [Oscar Gonzalez](https://wordpress.org/support/users/rakxzo/) * (@rakxzo) * [19 years, 7 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/retrieve-feature-doesnt-work/#post-452330) * it seems that my issue may be caused by my hosting company. I host my own box but it uses my ISP’s SMTP relay. However, it is denying e-mails coming from my box with a code of 553. * to verify this I did a manual conversation with the SMTP relay from my box via telnet. * [rpaulson](https://wordpress.org/support/users/rpaulson/) * (@rpaulson) * [18 years, 11 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/retrieve-feature-doesnt-work/#post-452364) * I had this same problem and how I got it to work was by adding this to /etc/hosts. allow * sendmail:127.0.0.1,172.28.108.71 * you will need to sub in your own IP for the 172 * and having sendmail listen on both the loopback and public interface in /etc/ mail/sendmail.cf. * O DaemonPortOptions=Port=smtp,Addr=172.28.108.71, Name=MTA O DaemonPortOptions =Port=smtp,Addr=127.0.0.1, Name=MTA * Hope this helps. * [holococos](https://wordpress.org/support/users/holococos/) * (@holococos) * [18 years, 10 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/retrieve-feature-doesnt-work/#post-452370) * This post has the solution: * [http://wordpress.org/support/topic/126176?replies=4#post-589747](http://wordpress.org/support/topic/126176?replies=4#post-589747) Viewing 12 replies - 1 through 12 (of 12 total) The topic ‘Retrieve Feature Doesn’t Work’ is closed to new replies. ## Tags * [email](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/email/) * [password](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/password/) * [retrieve](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/retrieve/) * In: [Fixing WordPress](https://wordpress.org/support/forum/how-to-and-troubleshooting/) * 12 replies * 7 participants * Last reply from: [holococos](https://wordpress.org/support/users/holococos/) * Last activity: [18 years, 10 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/retrieve-feature-doesnt-work/#post-452370) * Status: resolved ## Topics ### Topics with no replies ### Non-support topics ### Resolved topics ### Unresolved topics ### All topics