Mail unexpectedly quits

[ChaosTheory]

Please can someone help me? Since yesterday I have been unable to get at my emails, as soon as I open mail I get an error message saying it has unexpectedly quit. It hasn't downloaded any new emails for me for just over 24 hours.

I did a google search for info and one suggestion was to delete a java plug in - but I can't locate any internet plug ins on my system... I went to Library > Internet Plug Ins, but the box was empty. Can anyone help please?

 

[ratcobob]

Set up a new user account in System Preferences and config Mail in that account. If it works there you probably have a problem in your Mail preferences in the original account. If it doesn't work, Mail may be hosed and need to be reinstalled.
For ease of moving back and forth between accounts if it does work, enable fast user switching in Accounts - Login Options.

 

[Satcomer]

Try this:

1. Write down all your email server settings on paper!

2. Make sure you leave nothing in the Inbox and put all your saved email in a folder (on your Mac).

3. Quit Mail

4. Click on the desktop and when the finder menu appears go to menu item /YourHardDriveName/Users/YourUserName/Library/Preferences/. So when the Preferences Finder window opens find the file: com.apple.mail.plist : and through that file into your Trash Can (but don't empty the Trash just yet).

5. Relaunch Mail and put back in your email server settings. You will still have your saved email folder so don't worry.

If this doesn't fix the problem then you can always take the original Preferences plist and put it back in it's original place (as long as Mail is closed at that time).

Good Luck.

 

[ChaosTheory]

I just wanted to say thank you to those who posted replies - I really do appreciate the help.

As it turned out, my mail suddenly went back to normal all by itself! I don't understand it - I did delete a few random things (hope none of them were important!) but I tried to reload mail after each deletion and it didn't work - then a few hours later I just tried it again and it worked - no idea why.

I do wonder if it could have been a problem with the ntl server - except that my husband's computer (windows pc on the same router/broadband connection) had no problem with his emails, so that made me think it was my system and not the ntl server.

Thanks again for the help though.