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d3volv3d
Level 1 (0 points)

Q: Mail accesses POP accounts randomly since El Capitan upgrade

I've upgraded to El Capitan (yay). First, the new Mail tried to take all my existing POP accounts and make them IMAP (boo). Everything's back as a POP, but now Mail will only access a couple of them at a time [and never the same couple, or, again randomly, none at all] when going out and getting mail, and then locks the rest out for a seemingly random amount of time; Connection Doctor does the same thing. All the accounts are discrete boxes with the same provider –– but different servers, with different IPs –– and all of them do answer, eventually. The provider's services are not down.

 

I'm going out Port 995 using SSL and password authentication, disallowing an insecure connection. I've tried flipping it back to Port 110, same results. There also doesn't seem to be anywhere to set a preference for server timeout, if that's the issue. All of this worked absolutely fine *before* the El Capitan update. Is there some rule that Mail now only allows X number of inbound requests? Or is there something odder going on?


This is, in short, maddening. Any help appreciated.

Mac Pro, OS X El Capitan (10.11.3), null

Posted on Feb 12, 2016 10:45 AM

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d3volv3d

Q: Mail accesses POP accounts randomly since El Capitan upgrade

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  • by d3volv3d,

    d3volv3d d3volv3d May 20, 2016 9:53 PM in response to d3volv3d
    Level 1 (0 points)
    May 20, 2016 9:53 PM in response to d3volv3d

    Seriously, a little help? It's getting worse with time... I've also now got 'connecting' in the status bar at the bottom of the right panel -- so I can't even tell if Mail is *trying to connect. I can say that I have a bit more success if I open a connection via Port 80 -- i.e., I use a web browser to connect to a webmail interface first. This makes no frigging sense whatsoever.

  • by Lexiepex,

    Lexiepex Lexiepex May 21, 2016 2:50 AM in response to d3volv3d
    Level 6 (10,470 points)
    Mac OS X
    May 21, 2016 2:50 AM in response to d3volv3d

    Don't mess around in the settings in Mail.

    Check the necessary setting for the pop mail accounts (especially the smtp settings) at the provider sites.

    Then in  Mail->Preferences->Accounts

    set the settings correctly.

    Restart Mail after that (Mail should ask "save?" after changing each mail account setting, answer yes).

    I have 11 accounts in my Mail app, a mix of pop and imap. Everythings works fine, I had more in Mail, but for some I use a separate mail app.

  • by d3volv3d,

    d3volv3d d3volv3d May 21, 2016 9:59 AM in response to Lexiepex
    Level 1 (0 points)
    May 21, 2016 9:59 AM in response to Lexiepex

    This isn't actually the problem or the solution.

     

    It's not that I can't connect to those accounts at all -- which'd be an issue with the appropriate settings -- it's that the connection is sporadic and inconsistent. For example, I can manually click to take the account online 25 times, and only one of those will actually connect. And when it does connect, it downloads messages fine. SMTP going outbound is fine, as well, and that's much more regular in terms of accuracy.

  • by Eric Root,

    Eric Root Eric Root May 21, 2016 10:23 AM in response to d3volv3d
    Level 9 (69,582 points)
    iTunes
    May 21, 2016 10:23 AM in response to d3volv3d

    If the problem is still there, try booting into the Safe Mode using your normal account.  Disconnect all peripherals except those needed for the test. Shut down the computer and then power it back up after waiting 10 seconds. Immediately after hearing the startup chime, hold down the shift key and continue to hold it until the gray Apple icon and a progress bar appear. The boot up is significantly slower than normal. This will reset some caches, forces a directory check, and disables all startup and login items, among other things. Same results there? When you reboot normally, the initial reboot may be slower than normal. If the system operates normally, there may be 3rd party applications which are causing a problem. Try deleting/disabling the third party applications after a restart by using the application un-installer. For each disable/delete, you will need to restart if you don't do them all at once.

     

     

     

     

    Safe Mode - About El Capitan

     

    Safe Mode Startup – El Capitan.

  • by d3volv3d,

    d3volv3d d3volv3d May 21, 2016 11:21 AM in response to Eric Root
    Level 1 (0 points)
    May 21, 2016 11:21 AM in response to Eric Root

    Alas, that's not it either –– I have exactly the same problem with exactly the same accounts on two completely unrelated machines, one of which is a brand new lap with no peripherals and a minimal software install.

  • by Lexiepex,

    Lexiepex Lexiepex May 21, 2016 11:29 AM in response to d3volv3d
    Level 6 (10,470 points)
    Mac OS X
    May 21, 2016 11:29 AM in response to d3volv3d

    Mmm, I have never seen this issue before. Please keep us posted when there is a solution.

    What I would try is this (when it is certain that all settings are correct):

    remove all accounts from Mail->preferences->accounts but for one. That should work properly.

    Then add one account and restart Mail, does it start misbehaving?

    Then add another, and so on.

    See where it starts to go wrong.