GMail fsockopen(): SSL operation failed error with Codeigniter and XAMPP

Error message 1: Message: fsockopen(): SSL operation failed with code 1. OpenSSL Error messages: error:14090086:SSL routines:ssl3_get_server_certificate:certificate verify failed

Filename: libraries/Email.php

Line Number: 1962

Error message 2: Message: fsockopen(): Failed to enable crypto Error message 3: Message: fsockopen(): unable to connect to >ssl://smtp.gmail.com:465 (Unknown error)

php.ini: extension=php_openssl.dll -> uncommented I have tried with: openssl.cafile= C:\xampp\perl\vendor\lib\Mozilla\CA\cacert.pem I have tried with disabled firewall I have tried with another network

Codeigniter PHP Code:

$config = Array(
        'protocol'  => 'smtp',
        'smtp_host' => 'ssl://smtp.gmail.com',
        'smtp_port' => 465,
        'smtp_user' => 'asd@gmail.com',
        'smtp_pass' => 'asd',
        'mailtype'  => 'html',
        'charset'   => 'utf-8'
    );

    $this->load->library('email', $config);
    $this->email->set_newline("\r\n");

    $this->email->from('1@gmail.com', 'asd');
    $this->email->to($recipient);

    $this->email->subject($a);
    $this->email->message($b);

    $this->email->send();

Solution

In my case, the Avast Antivirus was blocking the port. I was using the SMTP port 465 for sending an email from my CodeIgniter project. It showed an error:

fsockopen() failed to enable crypto

Simply disabling the Avast Antivirus solved the problem.

Alternative Solution

But if you want to keep your Avast security on, you should:

Open Avast
Click on Settings (upper right corner of page)
Click on Troubleshooting
Click on Redirect Settings
Clear the port you used from Redirect Settings's MAIL section
Click OK
Close Avast