I am using http://www.simplemachines.org and i am installing a package (works without having to change the php.ini settings) and it wants to chmod and write some files is there a reason it won't? it's not the softwares fault

Provide the full error.

no error it just won't chmod.

Open ftp and do it yourself

it oesn't list the files that need to be chmodded and it also has to edit files

The chmod() function for PHP is disabled on most free hosts, so I think it's the same with Zymic. I don't know why though. Maybe there's some security holes using this function?

Anyway, you can manuelly do this job using your FTP client.