**SOLVED**
Part of a registration code I am using saves user details into a mysql database.
the database is there and has access (logins can be called from the database).
the user fills in a basic form and the details are supposed to be entered into the database.
join.php
$query="INSERT INTO users (uid, username, password, first_name, last_name, country, email, last_paid, signup_date) VALUES ('','$susername', '$spassword', '$sfirst_name', '$slast_name', '$scountry', 'free', '$nowdate')";
mysql_query($query);
join.php calls another .php early on which contains the database login details.
the user gets a "success screen" and their randomly generated password is emailed to them (this bit works), however the details never make it into the database.
the login screen (I have manually entered several users for test purposes) uses the same .php file to get it's database login info and successfully completes queries to validate the user info.
any suggestions welcomed