RebeccaJK42

Q: Mail does not find accounts, asks "Choose a mail account to add..." despite accounts already being setup

Using OS X Yosemite, iMac late 2013. 


I've been using the Mail app with an Exchange Web Server account. This morning, when I opened the Mail app, I get the pop up window "Choose a mail account to add..." I thought, that's weird, why did it suddenly FORGET the mail account I always use? When I entered in my account info, it said the new account was added, but did not load any email. The top bar says "Inbox (Read Only)". Interestingly, my "Smart Mailboxes" appear in the side panel (just their names, no content) but no other mail, mailboxes, anything.

 

When I go to Mail--> Accounts, my Exchange account appears just fine with all my other internet accounts (which seem to be working fine in messages, calendar, etc.). "Mail" is indeed checked for that account.

 

In ~/Library/Mail/V2, I have folders for Mailboxes, MailData, and EWS-myaccount@mymail.edu. In the EWS folder, all my normal mailboxes are listed as .mbox files. Here's a bit of info on one such file with ls -lh:

 

Inbox.mbox:

total 8

drwx------  3 julia  staff   102B Sep 22  2014 3DA1B2DA-3E2B-4F07-AA56-92A229577715

-rw-r--r--@ 1 julia  staff   1.4K Sep  4 15:37 Info.plist

 

Since I last used Mail just fine, my computer was not restarted (checked the uptime), and it doesn't look like any new updates were installed according to the App store history. I did restart once to try to fix it, no go. Upgraded from 10.10.4 to 10.10.5 with restart, still the same issue.

 

Sorry for weird formatting - copy and pasted text in order to restart.

iMac (27-inch, Late 2013), OS X Yosemite (10.10.5)

Posted on Sep 8, 2015 10:34 AM

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Q: Mail does not find accounts, asks "Choose a mail account to add..." despite accounts already being setup

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  • by Linc Davis,Apple recommended

    Linc Davis Linc Davis Sep 8, 2015 6:33 PM in response to RebeccaJK42
    Level 10 (207,978 points)
    Applications
    Sep 8, 2015 6:33 PM in response to RebeccaJK42

    Quit Mail. Force quit if necessary.

    Back up all data before proceeding.

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

    ~/Library/Mail/V2/MailData

    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. Paste into the box that opens by pressing command-V, then press return.

    A folder window will open. Inside it there should be files with names as follows:

              Envelope Index

              ExternalUpdates.storedata

    Move those files to the Desktop, leaving the window open. Other files in the folder may have longer names that begin as above. Move those files, if any, to the Trash.

    Relaunch Mail. It should prompt you to re-import your messages. You may get a warning that the index is damaged and that Mail has to quit. Click OK. Typically, the process takes a few minutes, but it may take hours if you have gigantic mailboxes. In that case, you may be able to speed things up by temporarily adding your home folder to the Privacy list in the Spotlight preference pane. Remove it when Mail has finished importing.

    If the import operation stalls or fails with an error message, quit Mail, delete the two new index files (keeping the original ones that you moved to the Desktop), and try again. According to many reports, the second attempt may succeed after the first one has failed.

    Test. If Mail now works as expected, you can delete the files you moved to the Desktop. Otherwise, post your results.

  • by RebeccaJK42,

    RebeccaJK42 RebeccaJK42 Sep 14, 2015 3:23 PM in response to Linc Davis
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Sep 14, 2015 3:23 PM in response to Linc Davis

    Hi Linc, thank you for your detailed response. I went to ~/Library/Mail/V2/MailData and moved the following files OUT of it:

     

    Envelope Index

    Envelope Index-shm

    Envelope Index-wal

    ExternalUpdates.storedata

    ExternalUpdates.storedata-shm

    ExternalUpdates.storedata-wal


    I opened up Mail, but the behavior was the same as before, asking me to setup an account. When I setup the account, which it correctly found on my mail server, nothing happened. There was never a prompt to re-import messages.

  • by Linc Davis,

    Linc Davis Linc Davis Sep 15, 2015 4:22 PM in response to RebeccaJK42
    Level 10 (207,978 points)
    Applications
    Sep 15, 2015 4:22 PM in response to RebeccaJK42

    Please quit Mail and reopen the MailData folder. From that folder, move the following file to the Desktop:

              Accounts.plist

    Test. If Mail now works, delete the file you moved and recreate your mail accounts, if necessary. Otherwise put the file back where it was, overwriting the one that may have been created in its place.

  • by Laconic61,

    Laconic61 Laconic61 Sep 15, 2015 11:10 PM in response to Linc Davis
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Sep 15, 2015 11:10 PM in response to Linc Davis

    I have the same problem as RebeccajK42 and have followed your suggestions with no success.  Mail opens and immediately a window appears asking to set up accounts.  (I already have accounts established and until yesterday everything was working fine.  My accounts are still shown in the "accounts" window of System Preferences.)  When I select "cancel" Maill quits. 

     

    Here is an EtreCheck readout from my MacBook Pro, if this helps diagnose the problem.

     

    EtreCheck version: 2.4.2 (142)

    Report generated 9/15/15, 11:07 PM

    Download EtreCheck from http://etresoft.com/etrecheck

     

    Click the [Click for support] links for help with non-Apple products.

    Click the [Click for details] links for more information about that line.

     

    Hardware Information: (What does this mean?)

        MacBook Pro (13-inch, Mid 2009) (Technical Specifications)

        MacBook Pro - model: MacBookPro5,5

        1 2.53 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo CPU: 2-core

        4 GB RAM Upgradeable

            BANK 0/DIMM0

                2 GB DDR3 1067 MHz ok

            BANK 1/DIMM0

                2 GB DDR3 1067 MHz ok

        Bluetooth: Old - Handoff/Airdrop2 not supported

        Wireless:  en1: 802.11 a/b/g/n

        Battery: Health = Normal - Cycle count = 20 - SN = W01107AW7D3BA

     

    Video Information: (What does this mean?)

        NVIDIA GeForce 9400M - VRAM: 256 MB

            Color LCD 1280 x 800

     

    System Software: (What does this mean?)

        OS X 10.10.5 (14F27) - Time since boot: about 4 hours

     

    Disk Information: (What does this mean?)

        TOSHIBA MK2555GSXF disk0 : (250.06 GB) (Rotational)

            EFI (disk0s1) <not mounted> : 210 MB

            Macintosh HD (disk0s2) / : 249.20 GB (97.26 GB free)

            Recovery HD (disk0s3) <not mounted>  [Recovery]: 650 MB

     

        HL-DT-ST DVDRW  GS23N   ()

     

    USB Information: (What does this mean?)

        Apple Inc. Built-in iSight

        Apple Internal Memory Card Reader

        Apple Inc. Apple Internal Keyboard / Trackpad

        Apple Computer, Inc. IR Receiver

        Apple Inc. BRCM2046 Hub

            Apple Inc. Bluetooth USB Host Controller

     

    Configuration files: (What does this mean?)

        /etc/sudoers, File size 2299 but expected 1275

        /etc/sysctl.conf - File exists but not expected

     

    Gatekeeper: (What does this mean?)

        Mac App Store and identified developers

     

    Kernel Extensions: (What does this mean?)

            /Library/Extensions

        [loaded]    com.sophos.kext.sav (9.2.50 - SDK 10.8) [Click for support]

        [loaded]    com.sophos.nke.swi (9.2.50 - SDK 10.8) [Click for support]

     

    Launch Agents: (What does this mean?)

        [running]    com.brother.LOGINserver.plist [Click for support]

        [loaded]    com.citrix.AuthManager_Mac.plist [Click for support]

        [running]    com.citrix.ReceiverHelper.plist [Click for support]

        [running]    com.citrix.ServiceRecords.plist [Click for support]

        [loaded]    com.oracle.java.Java-Updater.plist [Click for support]

        [running]    com.sophos.uiserver.plist [Click for support]

     

    Launch Daemons: (What does this mean?)

        [loaded]    com.adobe.fpsaud.plist [Click for support]

        [loaded]    com.microsoft.office.licensing.helper.plist [Click for support]

        [loaded]    com.oracle.java.Helper-Tool.plist [Click for support]

        [running]    com.sophos.common.servicemanager.plist [Click for support]

        [loaded]    com.wuala.WualaFS.KextLoaderHelper.plist [Click for support]

     

    User Launch Agents: (What does this mean?)

        [loaded]    com.pia.pia_manager.plist [Click for support]

     

    User Login Items: (What does this mean?)

        Flux    Application  (/Applications/Flux.app)

        Mail    Application  (/Applications/Mail.app)

        Activity Monitor    Application Hidden (/Applications/Utilities/Activity Monitor.app)

     

    Internet Plug-ins: (What does this mean?)

        Google Earth Web Plug-in: Version: 6.1 [Click for support]

        Default Browser: Version: 600 - SDK 10.10

        OfficeLiveBrowserPlugin: Version: 12.3.6 [Click for support]

        Silverlight: Version: 5.1.40416.0 - SDK 10.6 [Click for support]

        FlashPlayer-10.6: Version: 18.0.0.232 - SDK 10.6 [Click for support]

        Flash Player: Version: 18.0.0.232 - SDK 10.6 [Click for support]

        QuickTime Plugin: Version: 7.7.3

        CitrixICAClientPlugIn: Version: 11.8.2 - SDK 10.7 [Click for support]

        SharePointBrowserPlugin: Version: 14.5.4 - SDK 10.6 [Click for support]

        iPhotoPhotocast: Version: 7.0

        EPPEX Plugin: Version: 3.0.5.0 [Click for support]

        JavaAppletPlugin: Version: Java 8 Update 60 build 27 Check version

     

    User internet Plug-ins: (What does this mean?)

        CitrixOnlineWebDeploymentPlugin: Version: 1.0.105 [Click for support]

     

    Safari Extensions: (What does this mean?)

        Ultimate Status Bar

        RoboForm

        NoMoreiTunes

        DuckDuckGo

        Translate

        AdBlock

        Franker

        WOT

        Dashlane

        Save to Pocket

        Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on

        ClickToFlash

        Ixquick HTTPS

     

    3rd Party Preference Panes: (What does this mean?)

        Flash Player  [Click for support]

        Java  [Click for support]

     

    Time Machine: (What does this mean?)

        Time Machine not configured!

     

    Top Processes by CPU: (What does this mean?)

            34%    SophosAVAgent

            10%    WindowServer

             2%    SophosUIServer

             1%    com.apple.WebKit.WebContent

             0%    P72E3GC48.com.dashlane.DashlaneAgent

     

    Top Processes by Memory: (What does this mean?)

        406 MB    kernel_task

        250 MB    com.apple.WebKit.WebContent

        184 MB    SophosScanD

        184 MB    InterCheck

        176 MB    SophosAVAgent

     

    Virtual Memory Information: (What does this mean?)

        24 MB    Free RAM

        3.97 GB    Used RAM (1.14 GB Cached)

        0 B    Swap Used

     

    Diagnostics Information: (What does this mean?)

        Sep 15, 2015, 06:46:31 PM    Self test - passed

        Sep 13, 2015, 08:33:35 PM    ~/Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/Tresorit_2015-09-13-203335_[redacted].crash

  • by RebeccaJK42,

    RebeccaJK42 RebeccaJK42 Sep 16, 2015 10:07 AM in response to Linc Davis
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Sep 16, 2015 10:07 AM in response to Linc Davis

    Hi again Linc, I tried this method, and it did not work. Same behavior - when I opened mail, it prompted to setup an account. I tried setting up my Exchange account again, and though it was found on the server, nothing happened after that. Interestingly, it did NOT create a new Accounts.plist file in the MailData folder. (I have now moved my original Accounts.plist folder back there.)

  • by Linc Davis,

    Linc Davis Linc Davis Sep 16, 2015 12:55 PM in response to RebeccaJK42
    Level 10 (207,978 points)
    Applications
    Sep 16, 2015 12:55 PM in response to RebeccaJK42

    Please back up all data, then quit Mail and open the Internet Accounts pane in System Preferences. Make a note of the settings for the Exchange account, then delete the account. The messages will remain on the server. Recreate the account with the same settings and test.

  • by RebeccaJK42,

    RebeccaJK42 RebeccaJK42 Sep 16, 2015 1:41 PM in response to Linc Davis
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Sep 16, 2015 1:41 PM in response to Linc Davis

    Hmm, that created an interesting result. I completely deleted the account, and then added it back. The account was found on the server just fine. I selected Mail, Contacts, Calendars, and Reminders from the list. But then I got this pop-up message:

     

    There was a problem setting up the Mail account.

    An unknown error occurred.

     

    I can just click "OK." In fact those other apps (e.g. Contacts) connect to the server just fine. But not stinkin' Mail!

  • by RebeccaJK42,

    RebeccaJK42 RebeccaJK42 Sep 16, 2015 1:48 PM in response to RebeccaJK42
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Sep 16, 2015 1:48 PM in response to RebeccaJK42

    Update: since the "Mail" checkbox is unchecked now under System Preferences --> Internet Accounts, I thought I'd try remove the Accounts.plist file like your previous suggestion, and checking the box. It created a new Accounts.plist file, but right now the checkbox is has just been swirling around for a while like it's working, but no indication that anything is happening. Opening Mail gives the same "setup account" prompt, it does not appear to be rebuilding the mailbox or anything.

  • by Linc Davis,

    Linc Davis Linc Davis Sep 16, 2015 3:12 PM in response to RebeccaJK42
    Level 10 (207,978 points)
    Applications
    Sep 16, 2015 3:12 PM in response to RebeccaJK42

    Launch the Console application in any of the following ways:

    ☞ Enter the first few letters of its name into a Spotlight search. Select it in the results (it should be at the top.)

    ☞ In the Finder, select Go ▹ Utilities from the menu bar, or press the key combination shift-command-U. The application is in the folder that opens.

    ☞ Open LaunchPad and start typing the name.

    The title of the Console window should be All Messages. If it isn't, select

              SYSTEM LOG QUERIES ▹ All Messages

    from the log list on the left. If you don't see that list, select

              View ▹ Show Log List

    from the menu bar at the top of the screen.

    Click the Clear Display icon in the toolbar. Then try to set up the account. Select any lines that appear in the Console window. Copy them to the Clipboard by pressing the key combination command-C. Paste into a reply to this message by pressing command-V.

    The log contains a vast amount of information, almost all of which is irrelevant to solving any particular problem. When posting a log extract, be selective. A few dozen lines are almost always more than enough.

    Please don't indiscriminately dump thousands of lines from the log into this discussion.

    Please don't post screenshots of log messages—post the text.

    Some private information, such as your name or email address, may appear in the log. Anonymize before posting.

    When you post the log extract, you might see an error message on the web page: "You have included content in your post that is not permitted," or "The message contains invalid characters." That's a bug in the forum software. Please post the text on Pastebin, then post a link here to the page you created.

  • by RebeccaJK42,

    RebeccaJK42 RebeccaJK42 Sep 17, 2015 1:46 PM in response to Linc Davis
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Sep 17, 2015 1:46 PM in response to Linc Davis

    Here are the lines that appeared when I tried this:

     

    9/17/15 1:40:20.341 PM CalendarAgent[240]: Stream 0x7fa7559c5f70 is sending an event before being opened

    9/17/15 1:40:20.925 PM com.apple.xpc.launchd[1]: (com.apple.imfoundation.IMRemoteURLConnectionAgent) The _DirtyJetsamMemoryLimit key is not available on this platform.

    9/17/15 1:40:21.300 PM Mail[78141]: Failed to connect (view) outlet from (IASetupManager) to (NSView): missing setter or instance variable

    9/17/15 1:40:22.750 PM accountsd[254]: AIDA Notification plugin running

    9/17/15 1:40:22.751 PM accountsd[254]: Enter ShareKitAccountEnabler  - didChangeWithType - type=2 for account [DIFFERENT EMAIL ADDRESS] (7758EEA1-6BA3-4AB1-8428-641C7A2047B7).

    9/17/15 1:40:22.864 PM icbaccountsd[78069]:  SOSCCThisDeviceIsInCircle SOSCCThisDeviceIsInCircle!! 8

    9/17/15 1:40:26.254 PM Mail[78141]: Unknown class ABTranslucentBox in Interface Builder file at path /System/Library/InternetAccounts/Exchange.iaplugin/Contents/Resources/Base.lpro j/Exchange.nib.

    9/17/15 1:40:35.000 PM kernel[0]: Sandbox: Mail(78141) deny mach-lookup com.apple.GSSCred

    9/17/15 1:40:35.638 PM Mail[78141]: Stream 0x600000109900 is sending an event before being opened

    9/17/15 1:40:36.112 PM Mail[78141]: Stream 0x618000111e50 is sending an event before being opened

    9/17/15 1:40:54.840 PM netbiosd[271]: name servers down?

     

    In the parentheses [DIFFERENT EMAIL ADDRESS] was not the email address I was trying to setup, but the one associated with my Apple account; I do not use it with the Mail app.

  • by Linc Davis,

    Linc Davis Linc Davis Sep 17, 2015 2:40 PM in response to RebeccaJK42
    Level 10 (207,978 points)
    Applications
    Sep 17, 2015 2:40 PM in response to RebeccaJK42

    Please read this whole message before doing anything.

    This procedure is a test, not a solution. Don’t be disappointed when you find that nothing has changed after you complete it.

    Step 1

    The purpose of this step is to determine whether the problem is localized to your user account.

    Enable guest logins* and log in as Guest. Don't use the Safari-only “Guest User” login created by “Find My Mac.”

    While logged in as Guest, you won’t have access to any of your documents or settings. Applications will behave as if you were running them for the first time. Don’t be alarmed by this behavior; it’s normal. If you need any passwords or other personal data in order to complete the test, memorize, print, or write them down before you begin.

    Test while logged in as Guest. Same problem?

    After testing, log out of the guest account and, in your own account, disable it if you wish. Any files you created in the guest account will be deleted automatically when you log out of it.

    *Note: If you’ve activated “Find My Mac” or FileVault, then you can’t enable the Guest account. The “Guest User” login created by “Find My Mac” is not the same. Create a new account in which to test, and delete it, including its home folder, after testing.

    Step 2

    The purpose of this step is to determine whether the problem is caused by third-party system modifications that load automatically at startup or login, by a peripheral device, by a font conflict, or by corruption of the file system or of certain system caches.

    Please take this step regardless of the results of Step 1.

    Disconnect all wired peripherals except those needed for the test, and remove all aftermarket expansion cards, if applicable. Start up in safe mode and log in to the account with the problem.

    Note: If FileVault is enabled in OS X 10.9 or earlier, or if a firmware password is set, or if the startup volume is a software RAID, you can’t do this. Ask for further instructions.

    Safe mode is much slower to start up and run than normal, with limited graphics performance, and some things won’t work at all, including sound output and Wi-Fi on certain models. The next normal startup may also be somewhat slow.

    The login screen appears even if you usually log in automatically. You must know your login password in order to log in. If you’ve forgotten the password, you will need to reset it before you begin.

    Test while in safe mode. Same problem?

    After testing, restart as usual (not in safe mode) and verify that you still have the problem. Post the results of Steps 1 and 2.

  • by Laconic61,

    Laconic61 Laconic61 Sep 17, 2015 9:19 PM in response to Linc Davis
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Sep 17, 2015 9:19 PM in response to Linc Davis

    Hi Linc,

    I have been following this stream because I have the same problem.  I posted my details earlier.  I have tried the solutions you have proposed with no success.  Mail still has the same problem.   I will be interested in seeing if RebeccaJK42 has better results.

  • by Laconic61,

    Laconic61 Laconic61 Sep 18, 2015 10:44 PM in response to Laconic61
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Sep 18, 2015 10:44 PM in response to Laconic61

    Hi Linc,

    OOPS!  I tried Step #1 again (using the Guest account to log in).  Mail did start properly when logged in as a Guest.  I then was able to establish my Google email account.  Hope this tells you something useful.

  • by RebeccaJK42,

    RebeccaJK42 RebeccaJK42 Sep 28, 2015 3:40 PM in response to Linc Davis
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Sep 28, 2015 3:40 PM in response to Linc Davis

    Sorry for the delayed response. In doing Step #1, Mail is able to setup this account just fine when logged in as Guest. For Step #2, Mail displays the same behavior that I get normally (the account is found on server, but the app doesn't load any mail) when in Safe mode.

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