Resinstalling old server- weird issue

[ChaosSlayerZ]

Ok people, here is what I have, hope you could advise me.

I have restored my server which i was running about 2 years ago.
I have my DB and the server build that matches it - 535 - yeah that old
They were backup on the last day I used the server, so I know they worked nicely together.

I have reinstalled Perl 5.8 (also from that time to match build 353)
and MySQL server 5.5.11

Now i use to run the server on Minilogin, but today i tested it both ways - on Mini and on Public login, and I am getting same issue:

1. When I log into my account, into char selection screen, and try to log in any of the chars there that already existed in the DB, I get "Zone is Unavailable" error.
In my dos window for world server it shows "trying to boot up zone.." and nothing happens

2. If I try to create a new char, the client gives "Name was rejected"
and in the world server window I see following error message:

error #1364 Field 'mailkey' doesn't have have a default value

I have checked my char table in DB - and I do have this column, and some of the char even have values in it

Another interesting thing that, the char that i did NOT tried to login have the mailkey column EMPTY, while those that I tried to lig in but failed (zone unavailable error) now do have some mailkey value set.

the server is run of Win XP.
I have tried to log in from SAME PC as server installed on via localhost, as well from a different PC on a network via public login - nothing changes, so its not a port issue i believe (with port issue people don't even get to char screen, but i do)

Any ideas?
thanks!