Can't Open Mac Mail after Recent Update

I tried the solution moving the old mail icon to the App folder - clicked yes when asked to replace app with same name - and STILL the stupid thing won't open. Same message about version 4.5. When I redid the security updatae, it said I was up to date, but only the old version of Mail is in the App folder. Frustrating - plus I need to access my mail for work. Arrrrggggghhhhhh.

I'm in the same boat. Apple are about to put me out of business....

Is it possible to sue them? Of course not.....

Totally sick of this. If I 'upgrade' to Mountain Lion will this all go away...?

You have to make sure the Mail app you have in your Applications folder is a good/working copy before you do the update. If you have moved your apps around to custom-named folders (which I have always done in the past) - then you are going to have multiple copies of many programs - like Mail, Quicktime player, Safari etc. And there's a good chance that many of these programs won't work. If there wasn't a good working copy in the Applications folder, the update will try to create one - but what it creates won't work. The problem is further complicated by the fact that you can't just download from Apple an older workingn copy of these programs. So.. hopefully you've done backups. But.. you need to get rid of the custom folders and put a good working copy of Mail 4.5 back in the Applications folder and re-run the security update - and you should be fine. Don't assume the Mail 4.5 you are trying to update is good - it may not be (because you may be trying to update an already bad copy that has been made from a previous update). Test it first. Good luck.

Thank you.

I have had trouble with Mail and iCal in the past but I never move folders around and I have reinstalled the Mail app from the Snow Leopard DVD, so it should be good unless for some reason it's not updating correctly...

I suspect I have to 'upgrade' to Mountain Lion. I suspect Snow Leopard is too far removed from IOS6 that runs on my phone. Purely a hunch I have to say.....

Mine has done the same

The version of your iOS device should not do any difference in operation of your Mail application in your comp. The email accounts are made separatelly in each and every one of your Apple devices. I suggest you to do the following - the order is essential:

1. Take a safety copy of mail folder in your library at your home folder
   (OSX-drive/users/your username/library/mail). Make a copy - do not remove.
   
2. Rename the file com.apple.mail.plist to com.apple.mail.plist.old (the file is in /your username/library/preferences/). This file contains your e-mail accounts and preferences.
   
3. By using Spotlight search for all mail.app applications with or without icon and Trashcan them
   
4. Empty the Trashcan (Latest security update disables the Mail.app if there can be found more than one copy of mail.)
   
5. Install Mail from your OS X install DVD
   (You find it from Optional installs installer package in Additional installs folder)
   
6. Install Mac OS X 10.6.8 Update Combo v1.1 package
7. Install Security Update 2012-004 (Snow Leopard)
   
8. Now you can try to start the mail program if it starts your accounts should have gone but your mails saved on local comp should be available.
   
9. You can try to rename you com.apple.mail.plist.old back again if you like.
   Close the Mail and save working copy of plist before doing that.

Installed Mountain Lion.

Working fine now.

Hey guys...Im new here and I`m so happy that most of you`s were able to get your mail up and running again, however my problem is that...I unistalled my mail app 4.5 and emptied recycle bin just to top it off. So now all I have is a mail icon in my apps folder ( version 4.6) however it won`t open. Unfortunately I havent seen another post were the same thing happend. I guess what im trying to find out is, do I reinstall the mail app from install disk? I did put the disk in but there doesn`t appear to be any way to just install the mail app. without everything else. If anyone has any suggestions, it would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

gibsonguy88

I have the same problems. My husband clicked on the update thing and it updated when I wasn't here. Now my mail doesn't work. I followed the directions to re-install the MacOSXUpdCOMBO10.6.8.dmg and the SecUpd2012-004.dmg. I then made sure the Mail program was in the Applications folder. But there were two versions of Mail in there--an older one and a newer one. Then I accidentally deleted the newer version, so now I have the older version. And I still can't access my mail.

Why is it so hard to do this? I shouldn't have to be a computer programmer to do basic things like access my mail.

What should I do now?

Do in order A, B and C.

A)

1. Make sure that there is ABSOLUTELLY only one Mail application (use search from right top corner of the screen)

2. Make sure that the Mail Application is DIRECTLY under Applications folder (if not move it there by draging it with mouse)

- to find Applications folder open the Finder(first icon at the Dock)

- and look it up from the left sidebar of the Finder window

3. After and ONLY AFTER you have completed 1. and 2. succesfully do the update SecUpd2012-004.dmg again

4. Is Mail working?

B) If this does not work do the two updates you mentioned above. And test again.

C) And if still isn't working look for my earlier message in chain for help.

You never should remove Apple originated programs from where they have been installed in Application folder. It may result in deep problems after security updates as you have found out. If you like reorganizing your applications you might like OS X Lion or Mountain Lion. These OSes have this new launchpad application that uses application quick access similar to iPad and iPhone with the foldering option.

For Gibsonguy88:

You are not the only only one. Excact same thing happened to me aswell :) Take your hand and slap you hand on you forehead three times and say dump, dump, dump as I did =D And look down for more info \/

My solution is just one message before your message in this chain LOL. You can start doing from number 3. Just ignore 1. And 2. And after completing number 7 you Mail should be up and running again.

Thank you for your help. I ended up taking my computer to the Genius Bar and they had to reinstall everything. They did it for free. Sheesh. It's ridiculous that an update can cause so much damage and confusion.