Template->make_filename(): Error - file does not exist
Template->make_filename(): Error - file does not exist
This is a common phpBB error message. The error means that phpBB can not find a template file it needs to display a page. In most variations of the error, the name of the missing file appears after the word "file." Fixing the issue is simply a matter of making sure the named file exists on all the templates installed on your forum.
If you have installed a modification that added new template files, make sure you have uploaded these files in all the templates installed on your forum. When upgrading from one version of phpBB 2 to another, ensure that any new template files created as part of the upgrade have been added to all templates. While most modification or upgrade instructions only mention adding or editing files in the subSilver template, you really need to make those changes to every template installed on your forums.
In some cases, a filename may not be included in the message. This usually happens on older phpBB 2 forums that have not been upgraded in some time. In phpBB 2.0.4 through 2.0.11, the error message itself is broken and will not display a filename. It is recommeneded to upgrade to the latest version of phpBB to fix this and other issues. However, for a faster fix, you can install Template Error Fix to repair the broken portion of the error.