Q: Mail won't open after update

That's great. You're welcome.

Hi WZZZ, I'm glad this is still here---I too have Snow L 10.6.8 and ran the security update in 4/2012---have been limping along on ISP server mail--last year saw your post and wound up with Mail (original 4.2)  Mail 2 (original 4.2) and Mail 4.5---didn't finish the rest for packing up a large house to move across Texas....so---all Mail programs are in Applications waiting...first question is: will 4.5 version have all my 4.2 mail? I do business with engineers and take little for granted, so I'm asking what might seem redundant. Thank you so very much in advance--not being able to interface address book is a giant pain!

The version shouldn't change your data. But you should always have a backup anyway.

Hi WZZZ, thanks for your reply last week. Now that I'm going back through the old discussions to find out just what to do, I'm not sure WHICH post is the one. You have a post that says to use this link: http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1586   I believe that I copied the right one....ok, so all this needs is to make sure that all the Mail versions are in the Applications folder and not in any other folders---and then click to run the update on this link?  A lot of discussion about a lot of variations on this problem, but you indicate that it is simple. Thanks again, and I will post as many thumbs up as are allowed and tell everyone that you glow in the dark too   Nancy in the Texas Republic

That was the correct link at the time, but as I believe all security updates are cumulative, you should probably try running the latest. At least give this one a try first. There were several different possible fixes for this issue, and frankly, it's been a while and I don't remember them all right now. But making sure Mail.app is in /Applications and then running the security update was one of them. If this doesn't work for you, I'll have to see what you might try next.

http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1660

Hi WZZZ, thank you, so far pretty good!  a couple of questions:

It appears that Mail from 4.5 is there, and there are multiple folders in "On My Mac" under folder "Time Machine"? that appear to be recovered. They go back to the first day of the problem, March 12, 2012. There were 1678 messages to sift through to see if they are all there, so at a point had to assume that they are all there.

4.2 email in Time Machine won't open nor move to the fixed version.

There are no messages in the Sent folder after Oct 8, 2012. There are only 4 subject folders in "on my mac" but there were others that are no longer there for customers, etc---("Mailbox," "Smart Mailbox" and "Smart mailbox folder" ar always confusing).

4.6 now will let me set up folders, but it won't "let" me move mail from Inbox to my chosen folders.

Also, since I have been emailing off the Internet America account page, I can't find a way (if there is one) to send the bazillion emails from Sent and other business folders to Mac Inbox except to fwd every one (shoot me now.)

I can't tell you how much I appreciate your help--

Nancy

...so far pretty good!

Not sure what that means, but your Mail should be version 4.6 now after running the update. As for the other questions, since I don't use Time Machine and can't really help with that and also because this thread is kind of old, I think you'd be better off making a new topic, or, better, topics--one main question for each, so it doesn't get too confusing.

Be sure to put Time Machine in the topic question for that one.

Thank you, WZZZ, I spoke too soon---was able to set up smart folders--

now what to do about the other two Mail versions. Are they actually there or just icons to delete off the dock? You have been so very helpful, now to find the section for ratings and glowing in the dark...thank you thank you!

I use a Free Agent backup, and it goes into Time Machine. I just set it up that way for not knowing one way vs another and will set up a question about TM. Interestingly, my manufacturing applications engineer with whom I work has world-class designs to his credit, but he too is sometimes unsure about how to use Time Machine  

Drag those two off the Dock. They will disappear when you do that, but you can always get the correct one back again by launching Mail.app in /Applications. What version is showing in Applications? Set Applications to column view and click once on Mail.app. That should show you what version it is in the next column. You should only have one Mail.app in /Applications.

When you get it back in the Dock, right-click on it to show Options and select Keep in Dock.

I'm just now seeing this, thank you-

I just dragged the two old icons off the dock (into the trash?)  poof!

"Mail (original) 3", correct one, is showing in Applications column view as are Mail (blue folder icon),  and a white icon (too tiny to read) that drags onto this page as: file://localhost/Applications/Mail.app/  says "July 19, 2013. "Mail original 3" remains in the dock as directed although I haven't re-started.

Onward & upward, thank you again!

several weeks? try a year, it still does not work for me.

Nothing works, not even the solution suggested above.

But I'll try again, what the hey, it's not like I need Mail for work anything, right?