Email frozen sending a large email

You should quit Mail if it's running and open ~/Library/Mail/<account name>/Drafts.mbox (and/or INBOX.mbox) and look for that email you tried to send, then delete it; or if Delete doesn't work, Cut it (Command-X). Then restart Mail and see if things are back to normal.

Mulder

Hmmm…try this then:

1. Quit Mail if it's running.
2. Go to ~/Library/Mail and delete the Envelope Index file(s).
3. Restart Mail and wait for it to import your existing messages; with any luck the problem should go away.

If it doesn't, then quit Mail and do this:

1. Go to ~/Library/Preferences and delete the com.apple.mail.plist file.
2. Restart Mail and setup your account(s) again; Mail will automatically find your existing mailboxes and this should resolve the problem, assuming that your Mail preferences are corrupt.

Mulder

This mail account is hooked into Mobil Me with an Iphone. Would that be complicating the problem?

Very possibly. Turn off syncing if you can, and check your MobileMe account online to see if it's in there; if so, delete it, then try Mail again.

Mulder

Okay, then let's try something a bit more drastic:

1. Quit Mail if it's running.
2. Launch Terminal and enter this at the prompt:

cd ~/Library/Mail/<IMAPemailaddress@domain.com>/.OfflineCache
(replacing <IMAPemailaddress@domain.com> with your MobileMe email address and domain) and press Enter or Return.

type rm-r* and press Enter or Return.

Then restart Mail and try again. Post back with results.

Mulder

Do you have your MobileMe account setup as POP, or IMAP? If it's IMAP (the default), then it should work. What version of OS X are you running, and at what point do you get the error?

You could also try doing this manually like this:

1. Quit Mail if it's running.
2. Launch Terminal and paste:

defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles -bool true

into the window and press Enter or Return. Then type "killall Finder" and press Enter or Return.

3. Go to ~/Library/Mail/<IMAP_emailaddress@domain.com>, look for the file named ".OfflineCache" and delete it (you may need to give Admin authorization for this).
4. Restart Mail and test again.
5. If it works, then paste:

defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles -bool false

into Terminal; press Enter or Return. Then type "killall Finder" and press Enter or Return again, then quit Terminal.

Mulder

Excellent.

Mulder

Message was edited by: Host

Mulder, if you are out there I have the same issue. but I can't find the draft mail. I tried quitting Mail after I saw the size of the photo attachment. it was 54MB! Mail has been sending this email ever since.
the blue progress gets about half way then stalls. there is also a circular icon next to the trash. the icon is dimmed and there is a thin slice left to complete.
now several hours later the progress bar no longer appears but the circular icon is still there.
Can I just trash Mail and then use Pacifist to reinstall Mail? I am not too comfortable with terminal. I don't want create a bigger headache.

Message was edited by: BigWaveDave

Message was edited by: BigWaveDave

Dave,

Mulder is not available lately.

Trashing the app would be fruitless -- the message is not in the app, but in your own Home directory folders.

Quit Mail, and in the Finder open Home/Library/Mail/Mailboxes and locate the folder named Outbox.mbox -- drag it to the Desktop or delete it. Relaunch Mail, and then test sending a simple message. Mail will create a new Outbox.mbox at that time, without the huge message.

The Home folder is what results with you click on the Icon of a House in any Finder window, btw.

Ernie

Ernie, thanks for the reply, but your suggestion didn't work. The send icon at the top of the new message window is still dimmed.

There may be something else, but this condition could now be the result of either the SMTP being Offline, or more likely that no SMTP is currently selected for this account. Check Mail Preferences/Accounts/Account Information -- what is in the box beside Outgoing Server?

Ernie