travlinhoosier
Level 1 (4 points)
Apple TV

Q: I have intermittent problems getting e.g. Gmail using Mail on my Mac.

I have Version 10.11.6 and a late 2013 Macbook Pro.  I use Mail with GMail a lot and iCloud a little.  Sometimes, seemingly randomly, I see the little triangles saying Mail can't reach my server.  Right now it says it can't reach either Gmail or iCloud mail but I get the mail fine on my phone.  Connection Doctor says Could not connect to the IMAP server.  Ok, while I was writing that I became able to reach GMail but still not iCloud.  For a good half hour it couldn't reach either, but my iPhone had no problem.  This is frustrating.  Suggestions please?

Posted on Aug 26, 2016 8:20 PM

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travlinhoosier

Q: I have intermittent problems getting e.g. Gmail using Mail on my Mac.

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  • by irina_w,

    irina_w irina_w Aug 28, 2016 5:24 AM in response to travlinhoosier
    Community Specialists
    Aug 28, 2016 5:24 AM in response to travlinhoosier

    Greetings, travlinhoosier! Thanks for using Apple Support Communities!

    Getting a report that your MacBook Pro on OS X 10.11.6 that it couldn't connect to an IMAP server can be bothersome, especially when you're looking for your e-mail. Intermittent issues are also hard to troubleshoot, but I'll be glad to help.

    Use Mail Connection Doctor -- Use this article to step through potential issues that can be causing your intermittent problem.

    Try safe mode if your Mac doesn‘t finish starting up -- Even though your Mac is starting up, starting up in safe mode makes sure it's starting up correctly. Add your email accounts and test for a bit.

    How to test an issue in another user account on your Mac -- Creating and testing in a newly created user account will let you know if this intermittent problem is happening in just your user account or if it's system-wide on your MacBook Pro.

    Use Time Machine to back up or restore your Mac -- If the new user account is having the same problem, make sure you have a fresh backup to keep your personal data safe. It's always better to "have" a backup than to "need" a backup.

    About OS X Recovery -- Since the issue occurred in the new user account you created, the problem is throughout your system. This article will show you how to reinstall the operating system on your Mac.

     

    Hope this helps!