mail stuck in outbox, general mail problems

same here

Have you tried removing and readding the email account?

Hardly seems like an acceptable solution... we need an Apple fix!

I have the very same problem and it's driving me crazy. It is an obvious problem with LION since I have never had this before. Come on, Apple, fix this thing! Have any of you tried other e-mail apps? Did they work okay?

Agree the issue is Lion!!!

I was using Entourage but I hated the UI. Thunderbird, too. Haven't found the perfect email client yet. Sparrow is nice but too new and buggy unless you use Gmail, which I don't.

There were some fixes posted before Lion that called for going to Library>mail>mailboxes>outbox.mbox file. Delete the mboxfile and that would work. Unfortunately the is no LIBRARY in the home folder to open so I have no idea what to do to fix the problem on a local level. We need some advice or a fix from Apple. They have always been very good about fixes and I'm sure someone is already working on it.😀

i found this solution to my 'i cant find my outbox' on an old forum at macroums and it worked for me

http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=148975#3

1. Close Mail Completely, right click Mail then Quit

2. go to ~/Library/Preferences,

if you cant find you Library directory under your user, open up Finder, then click 'Go' then 'Go To Folder' and put the folder in there and that wil take you straight there

3. open com.apple.mail.pllist with xcode or something similar

4. find this section:

<string>~/Library/Mail/Mailboxes/Outbox.mbox</string>

<key>OutboxViewerAttributes</key>

<dict>

<key>DisplayInThreadedMode</key>

<string>no</string>

<key>SortOrder</key>

<string>subject</string>

<key>SortedDescending</key>

<string>YES</string>

</dict>

5.Change DisplayInThreadedMode from NO to YES

6. save and reopen Mail

hope this works ok 🙂

OK, so I was having the same problem and called Apple. They walked me through it and this is what you need to do.

The issue seems to be from IMAP accounts (mobile me, etc)

First delete or drag to Draft Folder all the messages stuck in your outbox, close mail.

Go to FINDER

Application folder

OPEN Text Edit

Go to File (next to Apple logo)

Click SAVE

Save As Dialog box opens, click on the triangle to display full FINDER options

CLICK AND HOLD COMMAND, SHIFT AND . (PERIOD) KEYS

While still in Text Edit with the FINDER SAVE AS window open, go to your user (little house with your name)

LIBRARY

MAIL

V2 (folder)

Then select your IMAP folder

Within that Folder you will have a sub folder that says CACHE (NOT .mbox.cache.plist)

Select that folder and drag to trash

Reopen MAIL and it should be fixed. It worked for me.

Oh dear. I tried this and it doesn't work with Mail 5.0 (1244.2/1244.3) -- particularly annoying since, while I'd quite like to have a permanently visible Outbox (reassurance, paranoia, whatever), it's actually become important. When messages fail to go (usually an SMTP authentication issue of some kind, which I often get on public wifis), Mail is no longer displaying the Outbox :-(

I know the mail hasn't gone, because I get one or two error messages and, when I do get it working again (usually be re-authenticating with a test message), I can see that the 'stuck' message is going too... but still no sign of the Outbox. Hopefully a fix... or even (finally) a Preferences option to just show the **** thing, will appear soon...?

(MBA, 10.7.1)

I was thinking the same thing while the Apple Tech was walking me through it but it was the only way for me to get it fixed. The file (folder) says something like OFFLINE CACHE.

I tried to do it again and it shows me the files (though not the file Offlinecache that I deleted). Did you make sure to press and hold command+shift+PERIOD(.) keys? If you did press those keys together in the save as dialog box, you would see a file called .mboxCache.plist (not the file to delete and it's grayed out). You should see a blow folder icon containing Offline and Cache in its name. To Delete it, OPEN THE TRASH CAN and then drag that file to the trash. This fixed it for me.

This will not work from FINDER. It was done via Text Edit (following the steps).

hi,

ive done a few of these suggestions and only a few worked, but the minute i restarted my laptop the folder disapeared...

one way i found to get it working (for me anyways...)

1. change ya smtp settings so the message defo wont send!

2. send a test email to anyone

3. it will attempt to send but oversiously fail...

4. hopefully the outbox should be listed with 1 message waiting to go out...

5. if not, try going into the Activity Window and canceling the send command, that should show it up...

6. click the Outbox and the will be one message listed...

7. goto View -> then Show Favourites Bar

8. you should see a favourites bar appear...

9. simply drop and drag the Outbox into your favourites bar...

10. if you restart ur laptop or close mail and then the Outbox has disappeard, simply click the Outbox in you favourites tab and woop woop it should appear in the Side Bar

HOPE THIS HELPS EVERYONE!!!