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Mail application corrupted

Please help! I reloaded Tiger and my Mail app became corrupted as a result of my reload. The reply button and the send button do not work. I have tried a few different fixes without success. However, when I switched user accounts I learned that the Mail app works fine under a diferent user account on same system. How can I transfer the Mail app that works correctly from one user account over to the other user account and dump the Mail app that is corrupted?

This same phenomena occurrs on both my iMac aznd my eMac.

imac g-4, i-book, e-mac, Mac OS X (10.4.10)

Posted on Nov 3, 2007 8:37 AM

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Posted on Nov 3, 2007 9:36 AM

Bob,

First try removing the Mail icon from the Dock, and then launching Mail from the Applications folder -- this is a stretch, but with what you have done, worth try.

If this does not work, the next thing to try, is removing the plist for the preferences if a new one was created, as follows:

Quit Mail, and in the Finder open Home/Library and locate the Mail folder again. Control-click over the Mail folder, and choose Duplicate -- then drag the resulting copy to the Desktop strictly for temporary backup. Next, open Home/Library/Preferences and find the com.apple.mail.plist file and drag it to the desktop.

Relaunch Mail, which will open as though new, and when prompted to import anything DECLINE. Instead, re-enter your account info, and Mail will re-discover the account folders for your accounts, and you can test this again. This will remove corruption that might only be in the preference file.

Ernie
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Question marked as Best reply

Nov 3, 2007 9:36 AM in response to Bob Saylor

Bob,

First try removing the Mail icon from the Dock, and then launching Mail from the Applications folder -- this is a stretch, but with what you have done, worth try.

If this does not work, the next thing to try, is removing the plist for the preferences if a new one was created, as follows:

Quit Mail, and in the Finder open Home/Library and locate the Mail folder again. Control-click over the Mail folder, and choose Duplicate -- then drag the resulting copy to the Desktop strictly for temporary backup. Next, open Home/Library/Preferences and find the com.apple.mail.plist file and drag it to the desktop.

Relaunch Mail, which will open as though new, and when prompted to import anything DECLINE. Instead, re-enter your account info, and Mail will re-discover the account folders for your accounts, and you can test this again. This will remove corruption that might only be in the preference file.

Ernie

Nov 3, 2007 12:06 PM in response to Bob Saylor

Bob,

If there is only one Mail application on your Mac, which would be expected to be the case, then the same Mail application is being used in the other User Account, where things worked. The difference has to be in preferences or data.

Use Spotlight to confirm only one copy of the application Mail is on your Mac?

How many accounts do you have, and what type are they -- POP, IMAP or .mac? This makes a difference in what action I might suggest next.

Ernie

Nov 5, 2007 6:18 AM in response to Ernie Stamper

Ernie:

Thanks for the help so far. My Mail app is back to normal after using the OnyX fix.

I have the Mail app working correctly (I think). However, my Sent mail history preceeding this repair is is pfresent as far as the date received, sender name & address, etc but when I open any of these "Sent" mails the contents are missing and in place of the contents is the message: "The message from Bob Saylor <bsaylor@skycableusa.com> concerning “Fwd: HUGHES ANNOUNCEMENT - TO BE ADDED TO THE ONLINE DEALER LOCATOR” has not been downloaded from the server. You need to take this account online in order to download it."

Same type of message applied to all of my 4000 plus "Sent" email file.

Any ideas on how I can recover the actual contents?

Nov 5, 2007 7:11 AM in response to Bob Saylor

Bob,

That message typically does not mean what it would appear to mean, but rather is the result of some error in the index. If limited to the Sent mailbox, then the first thing to try is using Rebuild. In the menubar, click on Mailbox, and choose Rebuild. If more than one account, the Sent mailbox for only one account must be opened, and not the blended one for all account. If you want complete Safety, then in the Finder open Home/Library, find the Mail folder, duplicate it, and drag the resulting copy to the Desktop strictly for a temporary backup.

Wait patiently for Rebuild to finish, and be aware that all messages will disappear for a short time, but will reappear and the index will have been repaired as relates to that one mailbox.

It is possible that more than the Sent file items in the universal index file might have been corrupted during this episode, and if so, we might need to force the freshening of the entire Envelope Index file.

Ernie

Nov 5, 2007 8:40 AM in response to Ernie Stamper

Ernie:

Thanks - this is one small step at a time. I saved my Mail copy folder and rebuilt. The only mail that remained in my Sent box is sent mail created after the Mail app became fixed. All previous sent mail is not there. I've tried importing my Mail copy and it seems to make the Mail app crash. I reach this conclusion because when I look at the Force Quit window it says Mail app not responding.

Nov 5, 2007 9:13 AM in response to Bob Saylor

Bob,

Open this backup copy of your Mail folder, and then open the Mailboxes folder. Next open any xxxx.mbox folder and tell me what files and folders are seen within, at the root level of the folder?

What mailboxes are you trying to import, btw?

I think you should remove all copies of the Mail program, except for the one in the Applications folder. With the Mail program open, click on Mail in the menubar, choose About Mail, and report the result.

Ernie

Message was edited by: Ernie Stamper

Mail application corrupted

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