Classic layout in Mail not working - third pane for individual messages is gone

Question

Level 1

16 points

Classic layout in Mail not working - third pane for individual messages is gone

Hi all -

I had been using Classic Layout with message previews. Didn't change anything. After last MacOS Sierra update (installed April 10, 2017), started having several problems.

One that occurred a couple of days ago:

Mail view layout changed - now there are just two panes: the narrow mailbox list on the left, and the list of message previews on the right. The third pane, usually on the right, for viewing each message is gone. I can only view messages by clicking on them to open the message in its own window.

The box for Classic Layout had become unselected in Mail Preferences Viewing. When I click on the box to try to go back to Classic, the message list previews disappear. I am wondering if I could/should reinstall the Mail app.

Any ideas?

Thanks in advance.

MacBook Pro, macOS Sierra (10.12.4), null

Posted on May 2, 2017 11:44 AM

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Answer 1

Have Mac Author

Level 1

16 points

May 3, 2017 9:30 AM in response to Have Mac

Oh - how interesting.

After doing what you suggested and not being able to see my message previews, I deselected the Classic Layout box, and my email now looks like it did before. Three side-by-side panes - mailbox list, message list with previews, then selected message viewing pane.

Problem now solved, but question of why it happened in the first place remains.

Thanks again, Old Toad

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Answer 2

Twidz

Level 1

4 points

May 12, 2017 11:48 AM in response to Have Mac

I have selected classic several times, restarted app, several times, and still cannot see the messages below the message list.

I don't have a dimple at the bottom of the list but a small circle.

Any more suggestions?

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Answer 3

Eric Root

Level 10

685,311 points

May 2, 2017 4:29 PM in response to Have Mac

To reinstall Mail, you would have to reinstall the OS.

Would you make a screen shot so people can see what you are seeing? Make sure you cover any personal information using Preview. Post the screen shot in a Reply using the camera icon or you can drag the screen shot into a reply. Copy and paste doesn't work.

Screen shots

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Answer 4

Have Mac Author

Level 1

16 points

May 3, 2017 9:25 AM in response to Old Toad

Thanks Old Toad.

That worked to show the pane for the selected message, as long as the Classic Layout box was selected. But that dimple did not show in the other layout that looked like Classic but was missing the selected message pane.

My message previews are also gone. And I could not pull up the message view window on the first few tries. It worked when I used a mouse instead of the trackpad.

Interesting.

In the Classic Layout I see now, the message list and viewing pane are now on the right. The mailbox list is now in a narrow pane on the left.

The message viewing pane is now below the message list, which cuts the number of messages visible in the message list by about 75%. The message previews are also gone. None of which is an improvement IMHO.

Wondering why this Classic Layout change suddenly happened more than 10 days after the MacOS Sierra update, and involved deselection of the Classic Layout box in Mail Preferences Viewing, without my having deselected that box or updated any other app.

But your suggestion was very helpful. BTW - I had seen others make this suggestion, but no one indicates that the Classic Layout box had to be checked to see the dimple.

If it were clear why all of this happened, I would say that your suggestion solved my problem. ;-) Perhaps someone from Apple should answer the question as to why this happened at all.

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Answer 5

Old Toad

Level 10

216,506 points

May 4, 2017 10:45 AM in response to Have Mac

Have Mac wrote:

I think I wasn't actually in Classic Layout at all before - just assumed I had been, as I was hunting around for a way to restore my missing message viewers ...

Then the dimple should be on the right hand side of the window.

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Answer 6

Old Toad

Level 10

216,506 points

May 12, 2017 2:36 PM in response to Twidz

A number of apps save their window settings in their preference file. You can try moving the com.apple.mail.plist preference file from your Users/Home/Library/Preferences folder to the Desktop, reboot and launch Mail again. You may have to reset the various preferences again.

If that doesn't work or there's other issues, you can close Mail, put the original preference file back, reboot and launch Mail.

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Answer 7

Twidz

Level 1

4 points

May 16, 2017 11:53 AM in response to Old Toad

Thanks Old Toad. I have now tried this several times as well(moving the com.apple.mail.plist preference file) and putting it back and rebooting, etc. No luck. Its weird that the little dimple/dot just doesn't move the bottom up or down at all anymore...any other ideas?

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Answer 8

Lanny

Level 6

13,235 points

May 16, 2017 1:44 PM in response to Twidz

You have to put the cursor on the dimple then click and hold while dragging it halfway up or across the screen. You're not going to see the edge move until drag the cursor far enough.

It's like the Dock thing, you have to drag items half way up the sreen before they disappear.

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Answer 9

Twidz

Level 1

4 points

May 23, 2017 3:54 PM in response to Old Toad

I connected with the Mac people through their online text/message system. I had to text with a couple of people and eventually was put on the phone with a mail specialist who put me on with an even more special specialist.

The answer we finally realized was simple, you have to pull the little dimple up almost to the top of the window for it to 'release' the body of the mail. I just hadn't been lifting the dimple up high enough.

Thanks for your help.

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Answer 10

melahoni

Level 1

4 points

Jul 25, 2017 5:52 PM in response to Have Mac

- Quit Mail

-Go to Finder, Go up to the menu bar at top of the screen select “GO” , go down to “go to folder and type in "~/Library/Containers” without parentheses

- find and Rename com.apple.mail TO com.apple.mail.old

- Relaunch Mail and test again

- If the issue continues, trash the new com.apple.mail and rename com.apple.mail.old to com.apple.mail

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Answer 11

Old Toad

Level 10

216,506 points

May 3, 2017 9:25 AM in response to Have Mac

Make sure there's not a small dimple (see screenshot) at the bottom of Mail's window. If there is click and drag up to open view email viewing pane.

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Answer 12

Old Toad

Level 10

216,506 points

May 12, 2017 12:08 PM in response to Twidz

Actually the dimple should be at the bottom of the window. I believe I can see it at the bottom of your screenshot.

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Answer 13

Have Mac Author

Level 1

16 points

May 3, 2017 9:46 AM in response to Old Toad

I think I wasn't actually in Classic Layout at all before - just assumed I had been, as I was hunting around for a way to restore my missing message viewers ...

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