Mail application

Question

Level 7

27,466 points

Mail application

After upgrading to 10.6.2 I found that I had to install a new Mail Ap ... which leaves me with the Mail original. And clicking on it informs me it will not work with the SL system.

And time machine seems only to be geared to the new Mail Ap. So how do I open the old one if I want to review past mail?

And what do I do with the old Mail Ap? Trash it?

iMac 20" 2.4, Mac OS X (10.6.2)

Posted on Dec 19, 2009 4:18 PM

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Answer 1

V.K.

Level 9

56,192 points

Dec 19, 2009 4:23 PM in response to seventy one

seventy one wrote:
After upgrading to 10.6.2 I found that I had to install a new Mail Ap

why?? there is no need to do that usually.

... which leaves me with the Mail original. And clicking on it informs me it will not work with the SL system.

And time machine seems only to be geared to the new Mail Ap. So how do I open the old one if I want to review past mail?

And what do I do with the old Mail Ap? Trash it?

you only need one Mail application. select the new one in finder and enter command+i. read off the version in the popup. what is it? do the same for the old Mail application. what is the version there? also, do the same when in Time machine. open the Main Applications folder and enter Tm interface. scroll back in time. select Mail and enter command+i. what is the version of Mail on the backup?

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Answer 2

seventy one Author

Level 7

27,466 points

Dec 19, 2009 5:23 PM in response to V.K.

Hello VK and thanks for your interest. I wrote that "I had to install a new Mail Ap" because the first time I tried to use mail after SL installation, I found the message "you cannot use this version of mail with this version of OS X. So I installed a new version of Mail.

The new mail version is 4.2 both in Finder and Time Machine. The old Mail version was 3.6, again in both areas. But I do not seem to be able to get past the point when SL was installed so I suspect I may have done something to Time Machine in the installation process.

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Answer 3

V.K.

Level 9

56,192 points

Dec 19, 2009 5:30 PM in response to seventy one

4.2 is the current version of Mail. delete any other Mail.app you may have. then reinstall 10.6.2 combo update.
see if Mail works after that.
http://support.apple.com/kb/DL959

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Answer 4

seventy one Author

Level 7

27,466 points

Dec 19, 2009 6:02 PM in response to V.K.

Thank you again. Have followed your instructions but it is 2am here so I will look further at the situation in the morning. I should say though, Mail has been working as normal with the 4.2 version ... insofar as I have exchanged mail two or three times since the first version of 4.2 was installed. It is getting at the older records that is bothering me.

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Answer 5

V.K.

Level 9

56,192 points

Dec 19, 2009 6:03 PM in response to seventy one

It is getting at the older records that is bothering me.

older records? older records of what?

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Answer 6

seventy one Author

Level 7

27,466 points

Dec 20, 2009 4:33 PM in response to V.K.

Hello VK.

Mainly for deleted mail. Yes, I know, shouldn't have deleted it but that's exactly what such a facility is for. I still think I've done something to Time Machine but as luck has it, someone is here over Christmas who may help me resolve the situation.

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Answer 7

V.K.

Level 9

56,192 points

Dec 21, 2009 8:21 AM in response to seventy one

I still don't understand what you mean by older records. if you mean your old emails then this stuff is stored in your home directory. not in the Mail application. Mail application has no user data stored in the application itself (that's true for ANY application) and reinstalling mail has zero effect on that.

if you want to restore some old emails just start Mail and click on TM in the dock while in Mail. scroll back in time in the mail window and restore what you want. the restored stuff will be placed in a separate folder in "on my mac" section.

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Answer 8

seventy one Author

Level 7

27,466 points

Dec 21, 2009 10:08 AM in response to V.K.

Hello again VK.

Thank you again for your patience. Your suggestion is what I would have done usually.
The problem (as I've mentioned a couple of times) is Time Machine. I cannot scroll back
any further than the time/date I installed SL. I may have been the cause of the problem
as I failed to disconnect my external laCie HD before installation. As I also mentioned, I
might get some one to one guidance over Christmas but if you have any thoughts of what to look for they would be most welcome ... but do keep it very, very simple; My profile explains why. Seasonal good wishes, VK.

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Answer 9

V.K.

Level 9

56,192 points

Dec 21, 2009 10:16 AM in response to seventy one

sorry, but if you can't scroll back in Mail in TM interface then it won't be very simple. did you do a regular install of snow leopard over an existing leopard install? or did you do it on an empty drive and then migrated your data somehow? created new users?
also, try this. click on the house icon in the sidebar of any finder window. then go to Library->Mail. that's where your actual mail data lives. click on TM in the dock and scroll back in Time. can you scroll back past the SL install time? don't try restoring anything just see if you can scroll past that date.

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Answer 10

seventy one Author

Level 7

27,466 points

Dec 21, 2009 1:03 PM in response to V.K.

Yes, I repaired permissions before and after and quit all applications. I then did a regular install using a purchased SL disc. The Mac drive was not empty but I have something like 260GB out of the original 300. I also have a LaCie external drive with some 470 out of 500 GB. I did not consciously migrate any data; simply followed the on screen instructions. I'll try to follow your new instructions and report back but up to this moment, I haven't been able to scroll back in TM for anything. As far the mail is concerned, I was simply looking. I have nothing urgent at the moment that I need but you know how it is, you browse around and then start to wonder when something is not as it should be. But the fact that I cannot go back further than the install date is concerning. More thanks for your interest.

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Answer 11

seventy one Author

Level 7

27,466 points

Dec 21, 2009 4:00 PM in response to V.K.

Have since followed the route > Finder > Library > Mail > TM ... but as I thought, cannot scroll back further than the time/date of the SL installation.

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Answer 12

V.K.

Level 9

56,192 points

Dec 21, 2009 4:02 PM in response to seventy one

hmm. open the TM drive in finder. inside is a folder backups.backupdb. inside that should be a folder with the name of your computer. is there just one folder or two there? if just one, open it. inside are folders with all the existing TM backups. they have dates in their names. what is the earliest?

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Answer 13

seventy one Author

Level 7

27,466 points

Dec 21, 2009 5:56 PM in response to V.K.

There are zero files in the Mac HD (there was a backups.backupdb but that had nothing in it) and I moved it to a holding file as a previous forum answer had sugggested. I can of course put it back but its removal did not change the situation.
My LaCie drive has files just as you describe, one file with name of computer, and 41 other files inside that. The earliest file is 10.29.2009. Two points of interest (at least, to me they are)
I tried clicking on one or two and they produce the following sequence. December 04 ... Macintosh HD > Computer name > System > Library > Core services > boot efi / boot X. As this is all gibberish to me I went no further.
But when I tried the folder for December 21 (the day I loaded SL) I found 6 separate folders for that day, and clicking on them, each one produced the same 8 items.
Applications. Mac OS X combo. Users. Library. Macintosh HD. Previous systems. System.
and User guide and information. I think this is as much as I can give you at the moment ... I bet you wished you'd never responded to this one !!!
Even more thanks.

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Answer 14

V.K.

Level 9

56,192 points

Dec 21, 2009 6:04 PM in response to seventy one

seventy one wrote:
There are zero files in the Mac HD (there was a backups.backupdb but that had nothing in it) and I moved it to a holding file as a previous forum answer had sugggested.

that was correct advice. just trash that empty folder. you don't need it for anything.

I can of course put it back but its removal did not change the situation.
My LaCie drive has files just as you describe, one file with name of computer, and 41 other files inside that. The earliest file is 10.29.2009. Two points of interest (at least, to me they are)

what is the date you installed snow leopard? was it on 10.29.2009?

I tried clicking on one or two and they produce the following sequence. December 04 ... Macintosh HD > Computer name > System > Library > Core services > boot efi / boot X. As this is all gibberish to me I went no further.
But when I tried the folder for December 21 (the day I loaded SL) I found 6 separate folders for that day, and clicking on them, each one produced the same 8 items.
Applications. Mac OS X combo. Users. Library. Macintosh HD. Previous systems. System.
and User guide and information. I think this is as much as I can give you at the moment ... I bet you wished you'd never responded to this one !!!
Even more thanks.

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Answer 15

seventy one Author

Level 7

27,466 points

Dec 22, 2009 2:24 AM in response to V.K.

VK wrote. ' what is the date you installed snow leopard, was it on 10.29.2009.'

Snow Leopard was installed December 21st.

The LaCie HD was installed 10.29 2009 ... and TM worked from that point.

Incidentally, all other functions for Snow Leopard appear to be working properly.

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