"We could not activate your account because this web address is not valid"

[Aurous]

I am getting a lot of emails from new users regarding this error message:

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We could not activate your account because this web address is not valid. Make sure that you have the entire address from the email, and that your email client has not split the address over several lines.

Please try again with the full address from the email that you received. If it still does not work, try filling in the activation form:
Activation form
If you do not know your activation code, you can find it in the email that was sent to you when you first registered. To have it sent again, please click here:
Send new email with activation code.

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Whats the issue here? and how do I fix it?

[Steve Machol]

The main clue is here:

Make sure that you have the entire address from the email, and that your email client has not split the address over several lines.

[Aurous]

Well, I am not blind! I posted that message, so chances are I read it once before posting it. You shouldve thot of that before replying.

Anyway, I've tried clicking on the actual link (complete link), and even tried entering the activation code manually, but it gave me the same error.

[Mark.B]

Well, I am not blind! I posted that message, so chances are I read it once before posting it. You shouldve thot of that before replying.

Anyway, I've tried clicking on the actual link (complete link), and even tried entering the activation code manually, but it gave me the same error.

No need to be rude Aurous.

[Aurous]

^ Another helpful reply!

Well I'm sorry if I was rude, but it gets annoying after you activate over 20 usernames manually in a single day as users cant activate them using their activation code. Although this problem is not with everyone, but just a few users. Is this a bug in 3.0.1 ?

[Steve Machol]

I just registered on your forums as vbtest and had no problem with the activation link. This is a problem with the email client(s) that some people are using. It is splitting the URL.

P.S. Please delete the vbtest user.

[Aurous]

No its not a problem with email clients, but the activation link/number generated by vB. Users fwded the activation email to me. I tried using the complete URL, and it gives the same error message.

This doesnt happen to all users, but just a few of them. I was wondering if a new activation number is generated when users re-request their activation code, which is not stored in the db properly.

[Steve Machol]

If it were a problem with that number, then it would happen all the time. The fact is if they click on an incomplet URL, this will invalidate that number. Therefore by the time they send this to you it has already been invalidated. That make more seense now?

[Aurous]

I dont understand the logic behind that.

So if a user clicks on a broken link for example:

This is the actual link:

http://www.xxxxxxx.com/forums/register.php?a=act&u=30945&i=10481451

Users click on a broker link, for example:
http://www.xxxxxxx..com/forums/register.php?a=ac

Then how does vb actually know what username and activation code to invalidate?

[Aurous]

Also, can someone explain, why did vB implement something like this to begin with?

[Steve Machol]

Sorry since I didn't program this I cannot comment on the logic. i was only trying to point out what the actual problem is and point to a way to fix it.

[Aurous]

Thanks for all your help Steve.

Although, it didnt really solve my problem as I still get email from users regardig this problem. Is there anyone who can help me out or do I need to get a support ticket?

Cheers
Aurous

[Steve Machol]

A support ticket for what? As I said the activation email worked just fine and the link displayed exactly like it's designed to. There's not really anything we can do about how the links are displayed on other email clients without rewriting the code. Hence this isn't really a support issue as much as it is a suggestion for future versions.

[Aurous]

I think what I can do is remove the activation link completely and only send the activation code and send them the link to the activation page (http://www.xxxxxxxx.com/forums/register.php?a=ver).

This way users can click on the page (which hopefully wont break) in the email and users can simply enter the activation code.

If I still get users complaining abt activation issues, then its definitely a bug in vB.

I will keep you guys updated on this.

Thanks

Aurous

[Steve Machol]

You could edit the activation email phrase to change this. Personally none of my users have been having a problem but if you have a lot of AOL users this may be an issue for some of them.