Mattole
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Q: Yosemite Changed Desktop Image, Mail Won't Connect.

A few days ago Apple Mail suddenly stopped connecting to my Bluehost mail server and kept asking for the password. A Bluehost tech suggested unchecking "Automatically detect and maintain account settings" in Mail preferences, which I did, and then it worked fine for a few days. Today I started my computer to find that the desktop image had been changed from mine to the image of Yosemite, and that my Mail program was again not connecting to the server. I deleted the mail account and filled the fields in again as I had before but to no avail. Still no connection. What to do?

iMac (27-inch Mid 2011), OS X Yosemite (10.10.3), 3.4 Ghz Intel Core i7, 20 GB RAM

Posted on May 10, 2015 12:27 PM

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Mattole

Q: Yosemite Changed Desktop Image, Mail Won't Connect.

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  • Helpful answers

  • by Kappy,

    Kappy Kappy May 10, 2015 12:37 PM in response to Mattole
    Level 10 (271,794 points)
    Desktops
    May 10, 2015 12:37 PM in response to Mattole

    Download and install the OS X Yosemite 10.10.3 Combo Update.

  • by Mattole,

    Mattole Mattole May 10, 2015 12:49 PM in response to Kappy
    Level 1 (10 points)
    Safari
    May 10, 2015 12:49 PM in response to Kappy

    Hello Kappy,

    I am already running on OS X 10.10.3. Is your link to another version of 10.10.3? What is it with the update that you think would solve mail server connection issues - I don't see anything in the update description about Apple Mail..

  • by Linc Davis,

    Linc Davis Linc Davis May 10, 2015 2:17 PM in response to Mattole
    Level 10 (208,037 points)
    Applications
    May 10, 2015 2:17 PM in response to Mattole

    The two issues are most likely not related. I suggest you deal with the Desktop picture first.

    1. If you log in automatically, a bug in some versions of OS X will cause the desktop picture to revert to the default image at every startup. The only known workaround is to disable automatic login in the Users & Groups preference pane.

    2. If the selected Desktop picture is stored in an iPhoto library on an external drive, export it from iPhoto and move it to a folder on the startup volume. (Credit for this solution to ASC member janay.)

    3. If the desktop picture always reverts to a plain blue background, one of your login items may be causing the problem. The "TeamViewer" application can have this effect; see this thread. If it's not that in your case, rule out all other third-party login items as possible causes.

    4. If you have a MacBook Pro with automatic graphics switching, disable it temporarily in the Energy Saver preference pane, set the Desktop picture, then restart the computer and re-enable graphics switching.

    5. If none of the above applies to you, proceed as follows.

    Back up all data.

    In the Finder, hold down the option key and select

              Go ▹ Library

    from the menu bar. From the Library folder, delete the following item, if it exists:

              Caches/com.apple.systempreferences

    and move the following items to the Desktop, if they exist:

              Application Support/Dock/desktoppicture.db

              Preferences/com.apple.desktop.plist

    Launch System Preferences and test. If you still have the issue, put the items you moved to the Desktop back where they came from and post again. Otherwise, delete the items.

  • by Mattole,

    Mattole Mattole May 10, 2015 3:18 PM in response to Linc Davis
    Level 1 (10 points)
    Safari
    May 10, 2015 3:18 PM in response to Linc Davis

    Link thanks very much. I will follow your suggestions.

     

    The other issue of not being able to use my Apple Mail program is the more serious issue at present, and I have followed all the suggestions from the tech folks at Bluehost but am still not able to connect with their mail server (since this afternoon, that is). Any ideas of what to do?

     

    Is it my imagination of did Apple release Yosemite way before it was ready for real-world use? Seems like it has been a headache for many - it certainly has been for me!

  • by Linc Davis,

    Linc Davis Linc Davis May 10, 2015 3:30 PM in response to Mattole
    Level 10 (208,037 points)
    Applications
    May 10, 2015 3:30 PM in response to Mattole

    If you can’t send or receive email on your Mac - Apple Support

  • by Mattole,

    Mattole Mattole May 10, 2015 4:34 PM in response to Linc Davis
    Level 1 (10 points)
    Safari
    May 10, 2015 4:34 PM in response to Linc Davis

    Thanks for the link, but I tried all of the suggestions and they did not help. Created new email accounts, changed the password in Mail and on my Bluehost account, etc. In setting up a new Mail account the process verifies the username and password with the server and it checked out fine, but when it came to checking mail an error message still appears saying Mail cannot connect to the account. I don't know what to do here - I guess its time to pay for some Apple tech support.

  • by Linc Davis,

    Linc Davis Linc Davis May 10, 2015 4:55 PM in response to Mattole
    Level 10 (208,037 points)
    Applications
    May 10, 2015 4:55 PM in response to Mattole

    configure Blue Host with Mac Mail

    cant get my Apple Mail

  • by Mattole,

    Mattole Mattole May 10, 2015 8:57 PM in response to Linc Davis
    Level 1 (10 points)
    Safari
    May 10, 2015 8:57 PM in response to Linc Davis

    Nope, done those things and still no better (except I did not create a POP account, as I am using IMAP). This is not a configuration problem as far as I can tell, it is something that Yosemite is doing that results in Mail not being able to communicate with the Bluehost server. Like I said before everything was fine until earlier today when after starting up my computer suddenly it was not..

  • by Linc Davis,

    Linc Davis Linc Davis May 10, 2015 9:49 PM in response to Mattole
    Level 10 (208,037 points)
    Applications
    May 10, 2015 9:49 PM in response to Mattole

    From the Mail menu bar, select

              Window ▹ Connection Doctor

    Click the Show Detail button. A drawer opens. Take an action that isn't working and post the text that appears.

    Anonymize any private information before posting. That means names, email addresses, contents of messages, and anything else that you don't want to make public.

  • by Mattole,

    Mattole Mattole May 11, 2015 6:31 AM in response to Linc Davis
    Level 1 (10 points)
    Safari
    May 11, 2015 6:31 AM in response to Linc Davis

    Linc, thanks for not giving up on my issue - I really appreciate it. This morning when logging in the Outgoing SMTP is able to connect for some reason but the login into the IMAP account still fails. Here is what the Connection Doctor log has to say about the failure part:

     

    INITIATING CONNECTION May 11 09:25:55.451 host:mail.bluehost.com -- port:993 -- socket:0x0 -- thread:0x600000668f80

     

    READ May 11 09:25:55.454 [kCFStreamSocketSecurityLevelTLSv1_0] -- host:box577.bluehost.com -- port:465 -- socket:0x6180002b91a0 -- thread:0x618000276380

    220-box577.bluehost.com ESMTP Exim 4.84 #2 Mon, 11 May 2015 07:25:55 -0600

    220-We do not authorize the use of this system to transport unsolicited,

    220 and/or bulk e-mail.

     

    READ May 11 09:25:55.454 [kCFStreamSocketSecurityLevelTLSv1_0] -- host:mail.bluehost.com -- port:993 -- socket:0x6080002a6420 -- thread:0x610000669cc0

    2.50 NO [AUTHENTICATIONFAILED] Authentication failed.

  • by Linc Davis,

    Linc Davis Linc Davis May 11, 2015 7:05 AM in response to Mattole
    Level 10 (208,037 points)
    Applications
    May 11, 2015 7:05 AM in response to Mattole

    I can only guess what settings will work with this low-quality server. Try setting the port to 143 and the authentication method to Password. Check the box marked Use SSL.

  • by Mattole,

    Mattole Mattole May 12, 2015 7:55 AM in response to Linc Davis
    Level 1 (10 points)
    Safari
    May 12, 2015 7:55 AM in response to Linc Davis

    Do you mean Bluehost is a low quality server? What makes you think it is a server issue rather than a Yosemite issue? I am not saying it is not a server issue, I just would like to know more so I can go back to Bluehost with more information.