new mail window too wide

Odd thing today. In Mail, if I click on the icon for a new mail window to come up (or use command-N) the window that opens is too wide, twice what it used to be. I cannot make it less wide though if I go to the right border, the cursor changes to an arrow pointing right and I can drag the window even more wide.

If, in the In Box, if I open a message by double-clicking it, it retains the former width, that is not this wide.

I have no idea why this has happened. I have not changed any Mail settings or added accounts or anything like that.

Ideas?

OS X Yosemite (10.10.5), 16 GB

Posted on Mar 18, 2017 7:26 PM

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Reyes Point

Level 1

30 points

Posted on Jan 30, 2018 12:58 PM

So, I know it's been a million years since you first posted this, but I think I know what the problem is. Had the same thing myself for a client of mine and used all the solutions here with no success.

I found this quite by accident.

It's your signature.

There's some weird bug in Apple Mail that makes it so your signature is extending well beyond the end of the Mail window.

Open up Mail's preferences. Delete all your existing signatures. Quit and reopen Mail. That should do it. You can add your signatures back in.

I think that somehow some update corrupted the signature file. Wasn't possible to edit the existing file, but deleting and recreating worked fine.

I'll be curious to know if this works.

-Jeff

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36 replies

Eric Root

Level 10

685,221 points

Mar 21, 2017 11:01 AM in response to Richard Pitcairn

Do you have any Mail plugins installed?

Probably a long shot, but try running this program in your normal account, then copy and paste the output in a reply. The program was created by etresoft, a frequent contributor. Please use copy and paste as screen shots can be hard to read. On the screen with Options, please open Options and check the bottom 2 boxes before running. Click “Share Report” button in the toolbar, select “Copy Report” and then paste into a reply. This will show what is running on your computer. No personal information is shown.

Etrecheck – System Information

Eric Root

Level 10

685,221 points

Mar 21, 2017 11:51 AM in response to Richard Pitcairn

Unknown Files: ⓘ

~/Library/LaunchAgents/com.userhelper.navigate.update.plist

~/Library/Application Support/userhelper/userhelper.app/Contents/MacOS/Installer -evnt agnt -oprID 80801239|00340|1000021|0|0|1|0|000000000|25012017|05233562|OTA=|U2FmZUZpbmRlcg= =|VVM=|VW5pdGVkIFN0YXRlcw==|R29vZ2xl -dBrowser Safari

One unknown file found. [Check files]

Click [Check file]

Cocktail Uninstall See FAQ

Mar 21, 2017 8:35 PM in response to BDAqua

I logged into another administrator account and the New Mail windows were as expected, normal size and adjustable.

So...assumed it was something active in my account (I have a number of login apps), I did a safe boot, tried again, and the Mail problem still present. So does not seem to be any of the login software.

BDAqua

Level 10

250,253 points

Mar 22, 2017 12:24 AM in response to Richard Pitcairn

Thanks, seems something else has that Mail plist on use, but even with Mail not running there are 37 things using various Mail related things!

If it were me I'd add the new user rights to the old user's Library/Containers/com.apple.mail/Data/Library/Preferences/c om.apple.mail.plist then edit it in the new account for a try.

Mar 18, 2017 7:27 PM in response to Richard Pitcairn

Restart your Mac and see if that makes a difference.

BDAqua

Level 10

250,253 points

Mar 18, 2017 7:44 PM in response to Richard Pitcairn

Does hitting the green button once or twice or 3 times have any effect?

Mar 18, 2017 8:53 PM in response to Carolyn Samit

It is the same after restart.

Mar 18, 2017 8:54 PM in response to BDAqua

Hitting the green button makes the new message window full screen. Hitting it a second time, it comes back to the same too wide condition.

BDAqua

Level 10

250,253 points

Mar 19, 2017 12:02 PM in response to Richard Pitcairn

Hmmm, & the new Message window was open & foremost?

I ran it in 10.10.5 & it worked perfectly?

Mar 19, 2017 2:26 PM in response to BDAqua

Maybe I did not do it right. I left the words as you had them. Put the script into Script Editor, then with the New Message window open I ran the script from the Editor. Is that right?

Mar 19, 2017 4:27 PM in response to BDAqua

Tried that. Made no difference.

BDAqua

Level 10

250,253 points

Mar 20, 2017 11:13 AM in response to Richard Pitcairn

Used TextWrangler — used the open file option and get MacOS Error code -43.

And Mail wasn't running???

If it wasn't do a Get Info on that file & see if you have or can add R/W rights.

Mar 20, 2017 11:19 AM in response to BDAqua

Mail was not running. Just tried it again.

Then went to the file, did Get Info and found that I have R/W rights already.

BDAqua

Level 10

250,253 points

Mar 20, 2017 11:48 AM in response to Richard Pitcairn

Hmmm, Duplicate the file, drag the duplicate out to Desktop or such, see if TW can then open the Dupe.

Mar 20, 2017 12:40 PM in response to BDAqua

OK, I was able to do that, to open the copy from the desktop. Should I next try to alter the settings as you first described and put back in the folder?

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new mail window too wide