03-06-2011, 02:20 AM

I use the built-in Apple Mail program with several Gmail IMAP accounts. Suddenly today one account is constantly spinning and no more emails are coming in.

Already rebooted the machine. As soon as I started the app up again, it started to download all the accounts...except that same one is still spinning.

Ideas? It's my main account, can't afford to be without it.

03-06-2011, 02:23 AM

Oh, and I suddenly have recovered messages showing up on the side bar under a heading of "ON MY MAC" from an oversized email I tried to send that failed (same email showing up several times). I thought I had deleted it successfully but apparently it just keeps trying and it's hung up the account (works in a browser gmail window however but not acceptable solution)

03-06-2011, 02:52 AM

Now the recovered messages are up to 11. Each is 40mb. Any clue where they may be coming from and how to stop this?

I'm desperate...if I blow away the account and regenerate it, what of all the emails that I stuck in folders? Are they saved in Gmail? Can't afford to lose them but can't let this continue...

03-06-2011, 03:15 AM

Originally Posted by lrd

I use the built-in Apple Mail program with several Gmail IMAP accounts. Suddenly today one account is constantly spinning and no more emails are coming in.

Does your ISP offer a Web interface to access your e-mail account? (Most do.)

Access your e-mail account via the Web interface, and read all of your incoming mail. Delete whatever you don't need, and copy and paste and save whatever is important to your hard drive. Now delete all incoming mail from your ISP's server.

That will probably fix things. Usually a problem such as the one that you are having is caused by a corrupted e-mail that Mail is having a hard time interpreting. Often it is a spam e-mail, or a very large e-mail with an attachment.

If your ISP doesn't have a Web interface for you to use to access your e-mail, you can call and ask your ISP to inspect and clear your incoming e-mail.

I hope this helps.

___________________________________________

Randy B. Singer
Co-author of The Macintosh Bible (4th, 5th, and 6th editions)

Macintosh OS X Routine Maintenance
OS X Maintenance And Troubleshooting
___________________________________________

03-06-2011, 03:20 AM

It's Gmail so yes they have a web interface.

Can't really delete the emails because of the rather bizarre way Gmail archives and flags them.

Problem is I'm pretty sure it's not an incoming email...it's one I tried to send from Mail and was too big. Somehow it's still in the system and I can't get rid of it.

With Gmail, I can't be sure when I drag an email to a folder if it really is on my computer or just flagged and still saved on the server. I CANNOT lose these emails.

Ideas? If I blow away the account, do the emails stay behind on Gmail?

03-06-2011, 03:41 AM

Originally Posted by lrd

an't really delete the emails because of the rather bizarre way Gmail archives and flags them.

In the Gmail Web interface, put a checkmark in the box next to the message you want to delete.

Then click on the Delete button near the top of the screen just before the first listed e-mail message.

Originally Posted by lrd

Problem is I'm pretty sure it's not an incoming email...it's one I tried to send from Mail and was too big. Somehow it's still in the system and I can't get rid of it.

Look in the Sent or Drafts mailboxes in Mail, and/or in the Sent Mail or Drafts folders in the Gmail Web interface.

You can also try looking in:

[hard drive icon]/Users folder/[your user name]/Library/Mail folder/Mailboxes folder/Outbox.mbox/Messages folder

...to see if the outgoing message is stuck there.

___________________________________________

Randy B. Singer
Co-author of The Macintosh Bible (4th, 5th, and 6th editions)

Macintosh OS X Routine Maintenance
OS X Maintenance And Troubleshooting
___________________________________________

03-06-2011, 03:48 AM

Originally Posted by Randy B. Singer

In the Gmail Web interface, put a checkmark in the box next to the message you want to delete.

Then click on the Delete button near the top of the screen just before the first listed e-mail message.

I thought he meant in Mail...

Look in the Sent or Drafts mailboxes in Mail, and/or in the Sent Mail or Drafts folders in the Gmail Web interface.

You can also try looking in:

[hard drive icon]/Users folder/[your user name]/Library/Mail folder/Mailboxes folder/Outbox.mbox/Messages folder

...to see if the outgoing message is stuck there.

Been there, nothing. Can't figure out where this 40mb file keeps regenerating from (it's up to 15 copies in my recovered folder now)

03-06-2011, 04:08 AM

Well, I bit the bullet and wiped the account from Mail and recreated it. Fixed it. All the emails were on Gmail and recreated themselves. Perfect.

Now I can sleep...

Thanks to all who contributed

03-06-2011, 04:13 AM

For anyone else finding this thread - here is the fix - link.

03-06-2011, 04:17 AM

NOW you tell me

03-06-2011, 04:28 AM

Sorry, apparently I don't get up as early as Randy.

Or he could be going to bed around the time I get up in the mornings.

03-06-2011, 06:02 AM

Originally Posted by bobtomay

For anyone else finding this thread - here is the fix - link.

OOOoooo...nice tip!

It's a bi--h that you had to figure it out the hard way. But it's great that you *did* figure it out!

Thanks!

___________________________________________

Randy B. Singer
Co-author of The Macintosh Bible (4th, 5th, and 6th editions)

Macintosh OS X Routine Maintenance
OS X Maintenance And Troubleshooting
___________________________________________

03-06-2011, 06:07 AM

Originally Posted by bobtomay

Sorry, apparently I don't get up as early as Randy.

Or he could be going to bed around the time I get up in the mornings.

I don't ever sleep, it seems. My job has no set hours. I work until all the work is done.

But I realize that I'm just lucky to have a job, so I'm not complaining.

On another discussion list that I'm on, folks are talking about going to foreign countries to teach English just to have a job.

___________________________________________

Randy B. Singer
Co-author of The Macintosh Bible (4th, 5th, and 6th editions)

Macintosh OS X Routine Maintenance
OS X Maintenance And Troubleshooting
___________________________________________