After many years of using Mail, I now discover that I cannot see message previews at the bottom of the message list, and nothing I have tried can bring them back. There is a little dot at the bottom, and the pointer switches to an icon that looks like it should enable grabbing and raising the bar at the bottom, but no such raising is possible. Any suggestions on how to restore that message preview split window?
MacBook Pro 13", 10.14
Thanks for replying, Mark, and that additional info, it really helps! Next, use safe mode to start up your Mac as it does the following things:
Log in to your user account and test the issue while in safe mode and then restart normally and test the issue again.
Use safe mode to isolate issues with your Mac
Graphics performance limited in macOS Recovery, safe mode, or Guest User mode
Have a great day and thanks for using the Apple Support Communities!
Hello Mark,
Thanks for that info and choosing the Apple Support Communities. If I understand correctly, you are unable to see previews of messages in the Mail app on your Mac as you expect. First, check viewing preferences and settings, like classic layout, from these Apple resources:
Change Viewing preferences in Mail on Mac
If you're still having an issue, restart your Mac and then hold the shift key while you open the Mail app:
How to turn on or turn off your Mac
Automatically re-open windows, apps, and documents on your Mac
Cheers!
Thanks for trying those steps, Mark. Since you're still having this issue, you can make a backup of your personal data and put a fresh copy of macOS on your Mac using OS X Recovery mode, as that will overwrite these system files causing the issue.
Back up your files with Time Machine
How to back up your Mac - Official Apple Support
If this doesn't help with your issue with Mail, please contact Apple or go to your local Apple Store or Apple Authorized Service Provider for further help.
Contact Apple Support https://getsupport.apple.com
Apple - Find Locations - Country Selector
Get your Mac ready for service
Take care!
Thank you for your suggestion. It is indeed Classic view that I am after, and where (until yesterday) I had had no problems for years. Now I am limping along with whatever the alternative to Classic is, but I'd like to go back. However, without message Preview that is tedious, and that's what I'd like to fix. I have experimented with just about every Preference setting that looks like it could bear on the matter without success. At the end of the day, if I click on the dot on the bottom of the list window, I get the cursor that looks like it should allow me to drag the dividing bar up to open the Preview window (that is, a horizontal bar with an arrow up from it), but does nothing.
I did try powering off the Mac, rebooting, and holding down Shift while opening Mail. It did nothing that I could observe, and in any event the problem persists. Do you have any suggestions for a Plan B?
Much appreciate the help! This is quite frustrating.
Ugh. Did Safe boot, and then launched Mail normally and did a shift-launch. No discernible effect at all. Restarted normally, still no discernible effect. Seems to be an impervious effect! Plan C?
Thanks much for the assistance in any event!
You will need to continue raising the pointer up to above mid screen for the bar to snap into position.
Thanks. That will take a while, but I will give it a try and come back to post results.
Amazingly enough, that simple difference solved the problem! Thanks very much!
Mail message preview not working
