Approve users before joining?

I selected that the admin approve users, but a new user was able to join without notifying me at all. Now starts the crucial time in which the hateful old board users are going to try to penetrate my forum and I have to be ready for them. So how do I make it so a user has to be approved by me to join if I already selected the button for it?

Hmm

Could it be possible they registered before you turned the admin activation on and then activated your account with their email after it was on?

~ Tilum

possibly. but now theres a user saying she never got a confirmation email. arrgh! having so many issues lol...