Mail won't open after update

thanks to all I have repaired it on my laptop,

now to get the repair on desktop

I've found more help here than at Apple ... many many thanks

I bleepin' give up. Reinstalled Mail from the original Snow Leopard disk. Then checked for new software from the Apple icon at the top left corner of the screen, getting the no new updates message... went online & redownloaded the security update... installed it & still got the same bleepin' "you can't use this version of mail with...." message & the same two folders in the Applications folder... i.e. one regular sized & the new one, much smaller. Since the reinstallation hadn't worked, I then copied the newer files from the new mail package over the older ones in the main mail package.... still doesn't bleepin' work.

It now seems like one very big practical joke.

I had planned on updating to Mountain Lion before this all happened. Will this problem mess that up? Should I just change my name & move to another town? Should I go back to Windows? Ok, scratch that, just pretend I never said it.

I'm walking away now & I believe I'll pour myself a very large glass of wine... It's clearly time to "just say no" to any further computer frustration tonight

...and I'll try very hard not to dream about this.

P.S. When I tried to post this earlier tonight, I got a "We'll be back soon, We are busy updating Apple Support Communities & will be back shortly" message. Am I on a roll or what!

…and yes, the wine is indeed quite lovely, thank you for asking. 🙂

Was Mail working after the reinstall and before running the update again?

Ok, so I gave up on the wine & tried one more time... that's how nuts this has made me... I just reinstalled mail & ran the updates again. Still ended up with two Mail apps, neither working, but this time more of the files in the original mail changed. Only two needed to be moved from the new mail to the existing mail this time... info.plist & version.plist.... and now, drumroll please... IT WORKS!

I will never, ever understand what this was all about & I hope I never, ever run up against anything like this again, but all's well that ends well.

Thank's again WZZZ & thank you, Smartio... I would have been lost without your help.

I'm still flummoxed how a simple security update could have caused such a problem.

Never underestimate the beneficial effects of a large glass of wine. It was all about the vibes you were giving off to the machine. It felt the new positive ones after the wine and decided to be cooperative.

Congratulatons! Btw, still want to know, was Mail (and was there only one at that point) working after the reinstall and before updating again?

(People who know more than I think that Apple could have been kinder with this update and written it so that it would have found Mail, even if it had been moved.)

The reason it's been saying this version isn't compatible is that the update changes the version from 4.5 to 4.6, and it's looking at the "old" 4.5 when one gets that message. Curious to know also, what version is Mail now showing? After what you've just been through, I'm pretty certain you wouldn't, but if it isn't showing 4.6, don't attempt to change it.

I'm still flummoxed how a simple security update could have caused such a problem.

It's because it writes new files and when it can't find the "old" Mail to update, it leaves you half in and half out, without a complete, working Mail.app.

HI,

I am having the same issues as patriciados after installing the security update - mail won't open. I got to the point of downloading and installing the update from the website link....and then realized that the discussion on this post was waaaaay too convoluted & complex for me to follow. Can one of you god-like tech-savvy folks help me out, in words of one or two syllables? In my applications folder I have a Mail folder, a tiny new file entitled Mail (8.1 mb), and a new mail app from today that is named 'Mail (original)' (77.5 mb).

Good morning. Imagine my surprise when it was still working this morning.

In answer to your questions... no, Mail did not work directly after being reinstalled. It brought up the same error message as always. ..and yes, it is showing version 4.6 now. Who knew my computer would appreciate that glass of Cabernet as much as I did?

🙂 I don't really like smileys all that much, but hey, I'm smiling!

pat

betsy58, please don't be dismayed by my long, convoluted road back to getting mail. For most people it's been a much easier fix.

Before we get started, do you remember if there was a "Mail(original)" before you ran the update? Or was it just Mail.app? I know the small one didn't appear until the update, but I'm trying to determine if the update renamed Mail to "Mail(original)."

Also, what might save you a lot of grief: do you by any chance have a clone (made before the update) or Time Machine on an external drive?

If you have a backup, the following won't be needed. But here goes:

OK, first let's make backup copies of those two Mail folders. Select/highlight "Mail(original)" by holding down the Option key while dragging it out to the Desktop and letting it go once it's there. You should see a small green plus as you do make the move. If you don't, then stop, don't drag it out and let it go. Try again until you see that. Next do the same for the new, small one.

Important: do not change the names of anything. Leave Mail as "Mail(original)" both in the backup and in its original location.

Next, back to the Applications folder -- or wherever it appears -- for those two, not the copies. Select/highlight the small, new Mail and right-click (Control-click) it to show Package Contents. When the Package Contents appear, click on and open all the disclosure triangles in front of the folders that appear (the folders will show with a folder icon.) Leave all that open.

Next, open the Package Contents for "Mail(original)" But no need to click the disclosure triangle on anything except Contents. You will have both Package Contents for both "Mails" open at the same time.

Now, from "Mail(original)" move/drag the entire Resources folder in to the new, small Mail that only appeared with the update. It goes down at the bottom just below the Plugins folder. That's it, except be sure that this new merged Mail is in the Applications folder inside the Macintosh HD folder, sitting by itself and not enclosed by another folder. If there is an enclosing folder, trash that.

When that's done, close up all the triangles and close those windows.

Now select "Mail(original)" and move it to the Trash. But, important, DO NOT empty the Trash.

Next, open Disk Utility and repair Permissions for the boot volume. That's the one indented below the first listing showing the drive and manufacturer. (I'm not sure this step is absolutely needed, but just in case.)

When it's done, inspect the resulting messages to see if Mail is showing as having been repaired.

Now, for the moment of truth. Try to open Mail from the Applications folder, not the Dock. If it doesn't open, back to the drawing board.

Oh, and one more thing. Check to see that MailTimeMachineHelper.app is present in the new, small Mail. If it isn't, also move that over from the Original. It goes just below the folder MacOS.

Also it may need Pkginfo from the original. That goes just below MailTimeMachineHelper.app.

If everything is working OK, you can trash the copies on the Desktop and empty the Trash containing the two backup copies and "Mail(original)"

It may be useful to have a look at patriciados' screenshots from before he tried the merge and compare them to yours.

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4311280?answerId=19668574022#19668574022

Message was edited by: WZZZ

This is what we're aiming for. These are the Package Contents for Mail.app from my untroubled update. I installed it on 9/21, hence the Dates Modified for 9/21. Those three only should reflect the date you ran the update. The others should show the older Dates Modified.

HI WZZZ,

first, many thanks for the VERY clear instructions - I can't tell you how helpful that was! I followed the instructions, ran disk repair utility - and no Mail application repairs appeared in the detail list. I went back and tried to open from applications and <nada>. Still the little icon of a paper and pencils instead f the Mail icon.

Then I saw your second post - went back and added time machine helper from the Mail (original) file dragged out of the trash for the purpose. MailTimeMachineHelper appeared with the pencil & paper icon. Still <nada>.

When I compared my file list with your screenshot, I realized that I had two Resources folders, one IN Contents and one outside. I dragged the outside (older) one into the Contents folder and....that seemed to do the trick. Now I can catch up on all those "important" emails!

I can't tell you how much I appreciate your "Tech Support For the Differently Abled": completely eliminated all stress (but I still had a nice glass of wine anyway 🙂)

That's great and thanks for the feedback. Maybe this will help someone else with the same problem. I don't have the problem myself, so this is something of trial and error for me.

What's the version now? Is it 4.6, as it should be?

Mabye I should not take part in cmmunity, according to you , I just wnat ri try ti hhelp prople and lraen.

If you want me out of the this let mr know,

I,m just trying, i will get some stuff wrong.

If you want to stop me to to stop tying to help . let me know.

sajampett@sbc, let me know, and I will noy infringe on your on your points . (Idon't care about these things(

All the best

Hey, WZZZ... not only is Patricidos a female, she's a... gasp.... grandmother. ...but don't worry about it, it's a common mistake.

Since this was my first time on this forum & I haven't a clue how the point thing works, my question now is; how do I add the points that you more than deserve? I've tried clicking on the... this helped me or solved my problem links... but nothing seems to happen.

You are my hero, by the way 🙂