Mac Mail problems

Well, I know this is going to sound crazy, but sending from that account remains intermittent.

Yesterday I could send.

This morning I couldn't. I got the same error message and when I tried to change the settings it said I can't have two SMTP accounts.

A little later this morning I wasn't even getting the error message. The email moved to the Outbox but went no further and I got no message.

So I tried to edit the server settings for this account. At first it wouldn't let me save the changes (same old can't have 2 SMTP accounts). But after a couple of attempts, I copied and pasted the server name in from the working account (it was the same name I had been typing in) and the Save button was no longer there so I just exited and then the email could be sent.

I need to find a way through this intermittent behaviour. The only clues I have at the moment are:

There is a problem saving a second account to the same server - Mac Mail thinks I am starting a new account.

I was able to retain the correct server name when no Save button was in view.

So her's a hypothesis. Maybe I've been typing the name in wrongly, even though it reads correctly. I can't think of any character I got wrong so it looked the same to me but not to Mail, but it's possible. The Save button only appears when it think the name is new. That would make it my fault.

The problem with this hypothesis is the previously intermittent behaviour. But I'll give it another day or two and see if anything changes now. Thanks for reading this.

I don't know if any of you will still be reading this, but I will keep reporting my experiences with Mail.

I have upgraded to Big Sur 11.3, and was hopeful this might fix the Mail problems. This what happened today:

1. I tried to send a test email from the problem account. It wouldn't go and I got the same old error message.
2. I tried to edit the preferences, server settings, but again I got the message that I cannot have more than one SMTP account. So I closed that dialogue box.
3. I checked out the preferences again and found that one of the two changes I had tried to make to the server settings had actually stuck (the other hadn't) even though it had given me the error box and I exited without making the change.
4. I tried to send another message, and when it wouldn't go, I was this time able to edit the Server list and THE MESSAGE WENT!

This continues the quite inconsistent behaviour. But at least for now I can send. I'll report back again (keeping a record even if no-one else cares!).

Hi Alicia, thanks for your reply. I really appreciate it.

First, a slight correction. The problem is occurring in Catalina. I was wondering if moving to Big Sur might help.

Second, it is a POP account so I can't close the account and re-open it. This is especially a problem as Time Machine, which I have activated and works fine for all my other files, won't save my MacMail files, so if I want to recover lost emails I have to go into the backup database manually and try to navigate the rather arcane way Mac Mail stores the emails! That is a different issue, but I'm hoping T/M may work better in Big Sur also.

So I am left with the error message about an SMTP account already existing. Have you any ideas on resolving that please?

Thanks

Hi Alicia, thanks again.

"knowing whether the account requires SSL or TLS encryption, the Port, and the Authentication method for your account is important."

My ISP allows either. I have tried both options.

"It’s also a good idea to check potential interferences like your firewall or other restrictions that may be put in place by your email account provider"

My other account has no problems, not both accounts on our other Mac. That can't be it.

"try and remove the SMTP server"

I have played around with the server list, and it doesn't seem to make any difference.

Now here's the weird thing.

Since I first posted here, the account has started working again, intermittently. I have had a couple of test emails go out OK, and at least one stopped by the error message. This has happened before, though not as quickly - I can't send for weeks, then for a while I can send (without making any changes) and then it stops again. I have no idea how it will unfold this time.

But we can't debug something that is (for now) working, so I'll give it a few days and see what happens. Thanks for your help.

Hi Barney, thanks for helping out with this.

I don't think it is an authentication issue because my second account with the ISP works fine with authentication, but the problem account has had problems with and without authentication.

I have tried using different servers in the server list, but I can't remember why I stopped doing that. I will try that again if I need to.

But as I have just said to Alicia, the account has started sending test emails again - most of the time. Most test emails in the last 2 days have gone, though at leat one has not. I don't know why as I don't think I adjusted anything in that time. But now I have just managed to add the correct server, which Mail didn't allow before, I don't know why. It may be like you said: "I had to try several times to get it to save".

So it is hard to debug a problem when it is intermittent, so I will see if it is still working tomorrow. I'm sorry about this inconsistency. It feels like Mail sometimes changes settings without me doing it, but i don't know if that is possible.

Thanks again. I'll get back to you both ina day or so.

This problem remains intermittent.

Sometimes I can send form this Mail account, sometimes I can't.

Surely there is an answer!? Surely Apple can make it's Mail software (which is pretty old) work without bugs like this!?

I am really frustrated!!!!

I don't know what to do.