tpa67

Q: Can't add any attachments in Mac Mail

I have an iMac (3.4 GHz - Intel i7) running 10.8.4.

A couple days ago I completely lost the ability to add any attachment in Mac Mail.

I tried PDF, JPG, Word docs. With the cursor inside the email, I tap the paper clip icon and select my file.

The cursor stops blinking for a second but nothing else happens.

I even tried creating an email with attacted images from iPhoto, which created a blank email with returns in it.

 

I have run Cocktail and Drive Genius to see if it is a computer or permissions issue - survey says...XXX

 

I am at the point where my only other option is re-installing Mountain Lion, which I don't want to do.

 

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

Thanks

iMac, OS X Mountain Lion (10.8.4)

Posted on Aug 8, 2013 8:48 AM

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Q: Can't add any attachments in Mac Mail

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  • by Paul_31,

    Paul_31 Paul_31 Aug 8, 2013 9:31 AM in response to tpa67
    Level 6 (13,925 points)
    Aug 8, 2013 9:31 AM in response to tpa67

    I don't know if this will help, but you could try to 'rebuild the mailbox' if you haven't already.

    In Mail select the troublesome Mailbox and from the Mailbox menu select Rebuild.

    After the rebuild is complete, quit Mail, relaunch and test.

    As always, ensure you have reliable backup should you need to restore any data/emails (you shouldn't, but it's best to be prepared). More info here:

    http://support.apple.com/kb/PH11811

  • by tpa67,

    tpa67 tpa67 Aug 8, 2013 9:46 AM in response to Paul_31
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Aug 8, 2013 9:46 AM in response to Paul_31

    Thanks Paul, Unfortunely it didn't help.

  • by Paul_31,

    Paul_31 Paul_31 Aug 8, 2013 9:55 AM in response to tpa67
    Level 6 (13,925 points)
    Aug 8, 2013 9:55 AM in response to tpa67

    That's a shame. I see you are on 10.8.4 - did you update recently from and earlier version of Mountain Lion 10.8.x via the Software Update menu? If so, you could try re-applying the update but using the 'combo' installer which has all updates since 10.8.0 incorporated. This sometimes helps resolve odd issues. Again, ensure you have backup you can restore from if you need to if things go wrong (they shouldn't):

    http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1659

  • by Eric Root,

    Eric Root Eric Root Aug 8, 2013 10:44 AM in response to tpa67
    Level 9 (73,966 points)
    iTunes
    Aug 8, 2013 10:44 AM in response to tpa67

    There is a free trail period.

     

    Attachment Tamer – Mail Attachments

  • by Linc Davis,

    Linc Davis Linc Davis Aug 8, 2013 6:12 PM in response to tpa67
    Level 10 (208,037 points)
    Applications
    Aug 8, 2013 6:12 PM in response to tpa67

    Please follow these directions to delete the Mail "sandbox" folder.

    Back up all data.

    Triple-click the line below on this page to select it:

    ~/Library/Containers/com.apple.mail

    Right-click or control-click the highlighted line and select

    Services â–¹ Reveal

    from the contextual menu.* A Finder window should open with a folder named "com.apple.mail" selected. If it does, move the selected foldernot just its contents — to the Desktop. Leave the Finder window open for now.

    Log out and log back in. Launch Mail and test. If the problem is resolved, you may have to recreate some of your Mail settings. You can then delete the folder you moved and close the Finder window. If you still have the problem, quit Mail again and put the folder back where it was, overwriting the one that may have been created in its place. Post your results.

    Caution: If you change any of the contents of the sandbox, but leave the folder itself in place, Mail may crash or not launch at all. Deleting the whole sandbox will cause it to be rebuilt automatically.

    *If you don't see the contextual menu item, copy the selected text to the Clipboard (command-C). In the Finder, select

    Go â–¹ Go to Folder...

    from the menu bar, paste into the box that opens (command-V). You won't see what you pasted because a line break is included. Press return.

  • by tpa67,

    tpa67 tpa67 Aug 8, 2013 7:14 PM in response to Linc Davis
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Aug 8, 2013 7:14 PM in response to Linc Davis

    Thanks a ton for your help Linc. Moving the "com.apple.mail" folder didn't work. I am trying to follow the second part, but not really understanding what I am supposed to paste in the "Go to folder" box. Thanks again for your help.

  • by Linc Davis,

    Linc Davis Linc Davis Aug 8, 2013 7:54 PM in response to tpa67
    Level 10 (208,037 points)
    Applications
    Aug 8, 2013 7:54 PM in response to tpa67

    Please read this whole message before doing anything.

     

    This procedure is a test, not a solution. Don’t be disappointed when you find that nothing has changed after you complete it.

     

    Step 1

     

    The purpose of this step is to determine whether the problem is localized to your user account.

     

    Enable guest logins* and log in as Guest. Don't use the Safari-only “Guest User” login created by “Find My Mac.”

     

    While logged in as Guest, you won’t have access to any of your personal files or settings. Applications will behave as if you were running them for the first time. Don’t be alarmed by this; it’s normal. If you need any passwords or other personal data in order to complete the test, memorize, print, or write them down before you begin.

     

    Test while logged in as Guest. Same problem?

     

    After testing, log out of the guest account and, in your own account, disable it if you wish. Any files you created in the guest account will be deleted automatically when you log out of it.

     

    *Note: If you’ve activated “Find My Mac” or FileVault, then you can’t enable the Guest account. The “Guest User” login created by “Find My Mac” is not the same. Create a new account in which to test, and delete it, including its home folder, after testing.

     

    Step 2

     

    The purpose of this step is to determine whether the problem is caused by third-party system modifications that load automatically at startup or login, by a peripheral device, or by corruption of certain system caches.

     

    Disconnect all wired peripherals except those needed for the test, and remove all aftermarket expansion cards. Boot in safe mode and log in to the account with the problem. Note: If FileVault is enabled on some models, or if a firmware password is set, or if the boot volume is a software RAID, you can’t do this. Ask for further instructions.

     

    Safe mode is much slower to boot and run than normal, and some things won’t work at all, including sound output and Wi-Fi on certain iMacs.  The next normal boot may also be somewhat slow.

     

    The login screen appears even if you usually log in automatically. You must know your login password in order to log in. If you’ve forgotten the password, you will need to reset it before you begin.

     

    Test while in safe mode. Same problem?

     

    After testing, reboot as usual (i.e., not in safe mode) and verify that you still have the problem. Post the results of steps 1 and 2.

  • by tpa67,

    tpa67 tpa67 Aug 9, 2013 7:33 AM in response to Linc Davis
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Aug 9, 2013 7:33 AM in response to Linc Davis

    No success with Step 1 or 2. Same thing happens everytime.

  • by lori_diloreto,

    lori_diloreto lori_diloreto Aug 9, 2013 7:53 AM in response to tpa67
    Level 6 (17,000 points)
    iPhone
    Aug 9, 2013 7:53 AM in response to tpa67

    I dragged a jpeg file into my email and all I got was an generic icon for  photo file. I clicked on the icon in the mail message and got a pop up window that said "The file "1.jpeg could not be opened because it is empty." I then tried to attach the image like you did and nothing happened after i chose the file. Nothing was inserted in the mail message.  The only way I could insert the photo in the mail message was to paste it in. I just noticed this today. I have no idea what the problem is.

  • by Linc Davis,

    Linc Davis Linc Davis Aug 9, 2013 8:15 AM in response to tpa67
    Level 10 (208,037 points)
    Applications
    Aug 9, 2013 8:15 AM in response to tpa67

    Back up all data, then reinstall the OS. You don't need to erase the startup volume, and you won't need your backup unless something goes wrong. If your Mac was upgraded from an older version of OS X, you’ll need the Apple ID and password you used to upgrade.

      

    If you installed the Java runtime distributed by Apple and still need it, you'll have to reinstall it.

  • by tpa67,

    tpa67 tpa67 Aug 9, 2013 9:54 AM in response to Linc Davis
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Aug 9, 2013 9:54 AM in response to Linc Davis

    Linc, Thanks for all your help. I had a feeling I was going to have to resinstall the OS.

    Have a great weekend!

  • by Linc Davis,

    Linc Davis Linc Davis Aug 9, 2013 11:44 AM in response to tpa67
    Level 10 (208,037 points)
    Applications
    Aug 9, 2013 11:44 AM in response to tpa67

    Here's a suggestion that may save you from similar problems in the future: get rid of "Cocktail" and "Drive Genius." Both are completely worthless.

  • by tpa67,

    tpa67 tpa67 Aug 9, 2013 11:51 AM in response to Linc Davis
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Aug 9, 2013 11:51 AM in response to Linc Davis

    Interesting. What would you recommend instead?

  • by Barney-15E,

    Barney-15E Barney-15E Aug 9, 2013 11:58 AM in response to tpa67
    Level 9 (50,788 points)
    Mac OS X
    Aug 9, 2013 11:58 AM in response to tpa67

    Here's the short list:

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