Error 500 on checkout pages

Question

I'm working on a website that has suddenly started throwing up 500 Errors on the any checkout/cart related pages.

I've run through all of the usual "fixes";

• Permissions changes
• Turning on ini_set('display_errors', 1) & Mage::setIsDeveloperMode(true); in the index.php file and that doesn't display any errors
• I've tried upping the memory limits and it's not that either

All I seem to be getting from the system log is;

2018-04-05T04:41:06+00:00 CRIT (2): Not valid template file:frontend/base/default/template/newsletter/headersubscribe.phtml
2018-04-05T04:41:55+00:00 CRIT (2): Not valid template file:frontend/base/default/template/newsletter/headersubscribe.phtml
2018-04-05T04:42:31+00:00 CRIT (2): Not valid template file:frontend/base/default/template/newsletter/headersubscribe.phtml
2018-04-05T04:42:37+00:00 CRIT (2): Not valid template file:frontend/base/default/template/newsletter/headersubscribe.phtml
2018-04-05T04:42:47+00:00 CRIT (2): Not valid template file:frontend/base/default/template/newsletter/headersubscribe.phtml
2018-04-05T04:42:51+00:00 CRIT (2): Not valid template file:frontend/base/default/template/newsletter/headersubscribe.phtml
2018-04-05T04:43:03+00:00 CRIT (2): Not valid template file:frontend/base/default/template/newsletter/headersubscribe.phtml
2018-04-05T04:43:13+00:00 CRIT (2): Not valid template file:frontend/base/default/template/newsletter/headersubscribe.phtml
2018-04-05T04:43:20+00:00 CRIT (2): Not valid template file:frontend/base/default/template/newsletter/headersubscribe.phtml
2018-04-05T04:44:38+00:00 CRIT (2): Not valid template file:frontend/base/default/template/newsletter/headersubscribe.phtml
2018-04-05T04:44:50+00:00 CRIT (2): Not valid template file:frontend/base/default/template/newsletter/headersubscribe.phtml
2018-04-05T04:44:52+00:00 CRIT (2): Not valid template file:frontend/base/default/template/newsletter/headersubscribe.phtml
2018-04-05T04:44:52+00:00 ERR (3): Notice: Use of undefined constant php - assumed 'php'  in /var/www/html/ilddirect.com/app/design/frontend/TEMPLATE/default/template/catalog/product/list/toolbar.phtml on line 69
2018-04-05T04:44:52+00:00 ERR (3): Notice: Undefined variable: _filterGroupName  in /var/www/html/ilddirect.com/app/design/frontend/TEMPLATE/default/template/manapro/filteradvanced/view.phtml on line 64
2018-04-05T04:44:59+00:00 CRIT (2): Not valid template file:frontend/base/default/template/newsletter/headersubscribe.phtml
2018-04-05T04:45:02+00:00 CRIT (2): Not valid template file:frontend/base/default/template/newsletter/headersubscribe.phtml
2018-04-05T04:45:30+00:00 CRIT (2): Not valid template file:frontend/base/default/template/newsletter/headersubscribe.phtml
2018-04-05T04:48:39+00:00 CRIT (2): Not valid template file:frontend/base/default/template/newsletter/headersubscribe.phtml
2018-04-05T04:48:39+00:00 ERR (3): Notice: Use of undefined constant php - assumed 'php'  in /var/www/html/ilddirect.com/app/design/frontend/TEMPLATE/default/template/catalog/product/list/toolbar.phtml on line 69
2018-04-05T04:48:39+00:00 ERR (3): Notice: Undefined variable: _filterGroupName  in /var/www/html/ilddirect.com/app/design/frontend/TEMPLATE/default/template/manapro/filteradvanced/view.phtml on line 64
2018-04-05T04:49:04+00:00 CRIT (2): Not valid template file:frontend/base/default/template/newsletter/headersubscribe.phtml
2018-04-05T04:49:05+00:00 CRIT (2): Not valid template file:frontend/base/default/template/newsletter/headersubscribe.phtml
2018-04-05T04:49:14+00:00 CRIT (2): Not valid template file:frontend/base/default/template/newsletter/headersubscribe.phtml

And from the exception.log the following;

2018-04-05T04:48:39+00:00 ERR (3):
exception 'Mage_Core_Exception' with message 'Invalid block type: Mage_ConfigurableSwatches_Block_Catalog_Media_Js_List' in /var/www/html/ilddirect.com/app/Mage.php:595
Stack trace:
#0 /var/www/html/ilddirect.com/includes/src/__default.php(28754): Mage::throwException('Invalid block t...')
#1 /var/www/html/ilddirect.com/includes/src/__default.php(28696): Mage_Core_Model_Layout->_getBlockInstance('configurableswa...', Array)
#2 /var/www/html/ilddirect.com/includes/src/__default.php(28731): Mage_Core_Model_Layout->createBlock('configurableswa...', 'configurableswa...')
#3 /var/www/html/ilddirect.com/includes/src/__default.php(28498): Mage_Core_Model_Layout->addBlock('configurableswa...', 'configurableswa...')
#4 /var/www/html/ilddirect.com/includes/src/__default.php(28464): Mage_Core_Model_Layout->_generateBlock(Object(Mage_Core_Model_Layout_Element), Object(Mage_Core_Model_Layout_Element))
#5 /var/www/html/ilddirect.com/includes/src/__default.php(28469): Mage_Core_Model_Layout->generateBlocks(Object(Mage_Core_Model_Layout_Element))
#6 /var/www/html/ilddirect.com/includes/src/__default.php(14260): Mage_Core_Model_Layout->generateBlocks()
#7 /var/www/html/ilddirect.com/app/code/core/Mage/Catalog/controllers/CategoryController.php(148): Mage_Core_Controller_Varien_Action->generateLayoutBlocks()
#8 /var/www/html/ilddirect.com/includes/src/__default.php(14334): Mage_Catalog_CategoryController->viewAction()
#9 /var/www/html/ilddirect.com/includes/src/__default.php(18813): Mage_Core_Controller_Varien_Action->dispatch('view')
#10 /var/www/html/ilddirect.com/includes/src/__default.php(18343): Mage_Core_Controller_Varien_Router_Standard->match(Object(Mage_Core_Controller_Request_Http))
#11 /var/www/html/ilddirect.com/includes/src/__default.php(21279): Mage_Core_Controller_Varien_Front->dispatch()
#12 /var/www/html/ilddirect.com/app/Mage.php(684): Mage_Core_Model_App->run(Array)
#13 /var/www/html/ilddirect.com/index.php(85): Mage::run('', 'store')
#14 {main}

I'm stumped as to what could be causing this error. We recently updated a plugin (Temando) which didn't seem to impact the functionality at all. This morning it started spitting errors so we rolled back the version to the previous (working) plugin version and the 500 error was still happening..

This website is running: Magento ver. 1.9.3.1

I will note; this is an inherited project from previous developers that have taken a considerable time.

Answer 1

It seems your magento have compilation enable. Please make it disable and clear cache.

Use Below Steps:

1. Via Magento admin

   Navigate to System > Tools > Compilation page and click on Disable button
   Navigate to System > Cache Management screen and use Flush Cache button.

2. Via FTP, by editing the includes/config.php file

   To disable compilation in Magento, edit includes/config.php. comment both line as below :

   #define('COMPILER_INCLUDE_PATH', dirname(__FILE__).DIRECTORY_SEPARATOR.'src');
   #define('COMPILER_COLLECT_PATH', dirname(__FILE__).DIRECTORY_SEPARATOR.'stat');