mail does not work after I have used other applications

Please take these steps to delete the Mail "sandbox" folders.

Step 1

Back up all data.

Triple-click anywhere in the line below on this page to select it:

~/Library/Containers/com.apple.mail

Right-click or control-click the highlighted line and select

Services ▹ Reveal

from the contextual menu.* A Finder window should open with a folder named "com.apple.mail" selected. If it does, move the selected folder—not just its contents—to the Desktop. Leave the Finder window open for now.

Restart the computer. Launch Mail and test. If the problem is resolved, you may have to recreate some of your Mail settings. Any custom stationery that you created may be lost. Ask for instructions if you want to preserve that data. You can then delete the folder you moved and close the Finder window.

Caution: If you change any of the contents of the sandbox, but leave the folder itself in place, Mail may crash or not launch at all. Deleting the whole sandbox will cause it to be rebuilt automatically.

Step 2

If Step 1 doesn't solve the problem, repeat with this line:

~/Library/Containers/com.apple.MailServiceAgent

*If you don't see the contextual menu item, copy the selected text to the Clipboard by pressing the key combination command-C. In the Finder, select

Go ▹ Go to Folder...

from the menu bar and paste into the box that opens by pressing command-V. You won't see what you pasted because a line break is included. Press return.

After doing that the mail crashes. It don't start. 😢

Error message: "Mail quit unexpectedly"

Process: Mail [1434]

Path: /Applications/Mail.app/Contents/MacOS/Mail

Identifier: com.apple.mail

Version: 8.2 (2098)

Build Info: Mail-2098000000000000~1

Code Type: X86-64 (Native)

Parent Process: ??? [1]

Responsible: Mail [1434]

User ID: 501

Date/Time: 2015-04-14 13:13:18.608 +0200

OS Version: Mac OS X 10.10.3 (14D131)

Report Version: 11

Anonymous UUID: 9327F2B5-E7B0-E8DE-15C9-E44A92E66AFD

Exception Type: EXC_CRASH (SIGABRT)

Exception Codes: 0x0000000000000000, 0x0000000000000000

Application Specific Information:

*** Terminating app due to uncaught exception 'NSInvalidArgumentException', reason: '*** -[__NSPlaceholderArray initWithObjects:count:]: attempt to insert nil object from objects[1]'

abort() called

terminating with uncaught exception of type NSException

Be careful about typing in what people tell you to on the internet. While this is an Apple-sponsored forum, we are not Apple employees. It is just another site on the internet, even if it does end in "apple.com".

Hopefully you followed Linc's most important instructions above - "Back up all data." If not, do that now. If you are sure that your last backup prior to 9:10pm last night is good, then don't backup right now. Instead, restart your computer and see if that helps. If it does, we can take another look at diagnosing and resolving whatever had gone wrong. If it doesn't work, we will have to get Mail working again first.

Does "back up all data" refer to my entire computer (similar to time machine?)

Yes. If you use Time Machine, and it's working properly, you've already backed up. If not, see below.

Mac Basics: Time Machine backs up your Mac - Apple Support

I agree 100% with you etresoft but in this case is not a problem. I have my email working in a different app and I have the Time Machine. With this error I cannot work with mail.app.

I closed the Mail.app

I deleted the following folders:

/Users/User/Library/Mail/V2

/Users/User/Library/Containers/com.apple.mail

/Users/User/Library/Containers/com.apple.MailServiceAgent

deleted also the internet account and created again.

Open the Mail.app.

It was kind of working until I received a test email, then "Mail quit unexpectedly". The mail preferences isn't open 😟

Exception Type: EXC_CRASH (SIGABRT)

Exception Codes: 0x0000000000000000, 0x0000000000000000

Application Specific Information:

*** Terminating app due to uncaught exception 'NSInvalidArgumentException', reason: '*** -[__NSPlaceholderArray initWithObjects:count:]: attempt to insert nil object from objects[1]'

abort() called

terminating with uncaught exception of type NSException

Many thanks in advance.

jmendes65 wrote:

I agree 100% with you etresoft but in this case is not a problem. I have my email working in a different app and I have the Time Machine. With this error I cannot work with mail.app.

I closed the Mail.app

I deleted the following folders:

/Users/User/Library/Mail/V2

/Users/User/Library/Containers/com.apple.mail

/Users/User/Library/Containers/com.apple.MailServiceAgent

Yep. That is, or rather was, your Mail folder.

Do the following procedure. If you don't see one of the folders listed, just move on the to next step. When you are done, do NOT attempt to start Mail.

Create a new folder on your desktop named "Broken Mail stuff".

In the Finder, go to "Go" > hold down the "option" key > Library.

Locate the "Mail" folder and drag it to "Broken Mail stuff".

Open the "Containers" folder.

Locate the "com.apple.mail" folder and drag it to "Broken Mail stuff".

Locate the "com.apple.MailServiceAgent" folder and drag it to "Broken Mail stuff".

Go back to the "Library" folder.

Click the Time Machine icon in your menu bar and choose "Enter Time Machine".

Locate the most recent backup that is dated before "Apr 13, 2015 10:46 PM "

Restore the "Mail" folder.

Open the "Containers" folder from inside Time Machine.

Restore the "com.apple.mail" folder.

Restore the "com.apple.MailServiceAgent" folder.

Exit Time Machine.

Do NOT attempt to start Mail.

Restart your machine.

Try to start Mail.

Tell me if it worked.

It works. Thank you very much,

🙂

Excellent. Now, are you still having the original problem?

No. I have no problems. Everything is working.