JBonesteel
Level 1 (4 points)
Mac OS X

Q: Attachment selection only shows media, not all files

I will preface this question by saying I may be missing something very obvious, but I can not locate what the issue may be. Recently, without any changes on my part other than a rebuild of the Mail database, when I try to add an attachment (via the attachment icon) to a message I am composing the only file types available for attachment are "media" files (photos, music, or movies. Previously, I would see ALL of my drive where I could select any file. Now I can not access files in my Documents folder for example. I can of course open a Finder window and drag what file I want to the new message, but that's annoying and extra steps I'd prefer not to take.

 

Can anyone advise where I may change the setting to correct this? I've searched and can not locate it.

 

Thanks

Many Macs, Mac OS X (10.4.10)

Posted on Aug 10, 2016 9:38 AM

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JBonesteel

Q: Attachment selection only shows media, not all files

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  • by Ulexes138,

    Ulexes138 Ulexes138 Aug 11, 2016 9:00 AM in response to JBonesteel
    Community Specialists
    Aug 11, 2016 9:00 AM in response to JBonesteel

    Hello JBonesteel,

    Thanks for reaching out to the Apple Support Community. I know how important it is to be able to use you email efficiently and I'd like to help you get your attachments working as expected.

    You've got a great start so far with rebuilding the mailboxes. From here what I'd recommend is isolating the problem in your system. We can do this by testing the same email accounts in a test user. This will help us determine if the problem is specific to your user account, or if it's a system wide issue. These articles will guide you through creating a test user and adding your email:

    How to test an issue in another user account on your Mac


    Mail (El Capitan): Set up Mail with your email accounts

    If the issue occurs in the test user account, I'd recommend reinstalling OS X using recovery mode. This will not delete any of your data, it will simply install a fresh copy of OS X over the existing one. This article will guide you through that process. The Time Machine article has information on how to make a backup of your data just in case you would like to do that as well.

    How to reinstall OS X

    Use Time Machine to back up or restore your Mac

    If the issue persists, or if you have any other questions, please reach out again. The whole community is here to help.
    Best regards-