Time to try reviving Mail on Snow Leopard again ?

Delete the password from Keychain Access (Applications/Utilities). While there, Keychain Access menu First Aid.

Keychain Issues - Resolve see post by Kappy

You are welcome. Apple support settings for iCloud e-mail.

Mail Server Information iCloud

Hallo,

My iMac 27 desktop is about 6 years old and is running OS X 10.6.8 Snow Leopard. All works well – except for no sign of the standard Apple Mail application which just 'disappeared' about 2 months ago.

(However, most inbound mails to Apple addresses can still be reached in a 'clunky' manner via GoogleMail, I but cannot send Apple sourced emails.)

The APPLE Mail app has disappeared. It does not appear in the applications listing. Searching my iMac does not find it. The list of apps jumps from Library to Onyx with no 'M' items.

Apple install discs do not seem to be able to restore it to the iMac.

BF

Do you have a backup you can restore the application from?

Try running the combo update.

10.6.8 Combo Updater

Sir,

Thank you for your reply.

Yes, I have reinstalled OS X 10.6.3 a couple of times from the original DVD that came with my iMac 27" computer.

I then made a series of upgrades via the internet back to OS X 10.6.8 once more. But still no MAIL. Just a boring (for 12hrs+) Message Import box saying Preparing to import messages with a scrolling bar below.

Below the scrolling bar (Barbers Pole style) is 'While you wait, you can read about the new features in Mail.'

Read more ... underlined

But the Barbers Pole keeps rotating for 12 hrs+ and nothing happens. Moreover, all mail instructions are dimmed and totally inactive awaiting this import of messages which never happens. Stalemate!

I have reinstalled & updated OS x10.6.3 from the original DVD to 10.6.8 a couple of times.

I then bought a new Apple OS X Snow Leopard DVD from Apple London. I installed this DVD data only to note that it is as stated on the package OS X10.6.8 once more, still with Mail misbehaving as before.

I am unable to enter the Mail application while it is 'running' to check settings etc .... as the Barbers Pole keeps rotating blocking any further keyboard moves.

The only highlighted key is 'Cancel' which dismisses the Pole & takes one back to the beginning again having achieved nothing.

B

Do a backup, preferably 2 on 2 separate drives.

Quit Mail.

Go to Finder and select your user/home folder. Go to Library/Containers/com.apple.mail. Move the folder com.apple.mail to your desktop. You must move the entire folder, not just the contents.

Restart, re-launch Mail and test. If the problem is solved, recreate any required Mail settings and import any emails you want to save from the folder on the desktop. You can then put the folder in the Trash. If the problem remains, return the folder to where you got it replacing the one that is there.

If that doesn’t solve it repeat the above using Containers/com.apple.MailServiceAgent.

Information learned from Linc Davis.

Crashes/quits unexpectedly

Sir,

Many thanks. Back up #2 starting now.

Will advise further, probably by 0900 GMT tomorrow.

B

Sir,

My current OS X is 10.6.8 from OS X 10.6.3.

Thank you for responding with help in finding my missing Mail folder. Sadly, this file is still 'missing'.

My library items A to P are shown below with no Containers – and as yet, no Mail.

A second search for 'Containers/com.apple.MailServiceAgent' produces a zero result.

Library

Application Support

Audio

Caches

ColorPickers

ColorSync

Components

Compositions

Contextual Menu Items

Desktop Pictures

Developer

Dictionaries

Documentation

Extensions

Filesystems

Fonts

Frameworks

GlimmerBlocker

Google

Graphics

Image Capture

Input Methods

Internet Plug-Ins

iTunes

Java

Keyboard Layouts

Keychains

LaunchAgents

LaunchDaemons

Logs

Modem Scripts

Mozilla

PDF Services

More solutions will be welcome. Mail has got to be there somewhere. The puzzle is that a complete OS X re-install does not produce Mail.

Regards, B

Try looking in the Components folder.

ER,

First, thank you for your patience. My progress in this matter is sadly zero. It might even be negative as I can no longer find ...

Library or Components folders as suggested.

Earlier Notes:

Apple Support Communities

How to reinstall mail?

1 https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4986626?start=15&tstart=0

2 Time to try reviving Mail on Snow Leopard again ?

Do a backup, preferably 2 on 2 separate drives.

Quit Mail.

Go to Finder and select your user/home folder. Go to Library/Containers/com.apple.mail. Move the folder com.apple.mail to your desktop. You must move the entire folder, not just the contents.

Restart, re-launch Mail and test. If the problem is solved, recreate any required Mail settings and import any emails you want to save from the folder on the desktop. You can then put the folder in the Trash. If the problem remains, return the folder to where you got it replacing the one that is there.

If that doesn’t solve it repeat the above using Containers/com.apple.MailServiceAgent.

Information learned from Linc Davis.

Crashes/quits unexpectedly

B

OK. Have tried the above solutions and still have no Mail App listed under Applications - or found by a computer HD 'find Mail' search.

1 So with 2 recent HD backups now perhaps I should load the original OS X DVD and try a clean install thereby hoping to squash/eliminate the old & missing Mail Application, wherever it might be?

2 Or perhaps I should try the recent Apple Store London bought Snow Leopard 10.6.3 again to do a new install - hopefully not losing my paid for applications such as Filemaker Pro?

Ideas and techniques to recover Mail without losing all HD data are welcome.

B