Mail dosen't always open automatically

I have Mail configured to open, in the background, ie, not in Tabs but in Notifications.
When I log in, I get my usual 5 Tabs and the Mail Alerts. Sometimes not, in which case I go to the Dock and manually open Mail. I'm using Chrome.

I don't want it to open in Tabs, but that appears to be the only problem-free solution. The question though, is why does my scheme work most of the time, but not always?

This is characteristic of Windows random behavior, and I thought that with Apple I would escape such quirks. (Don't worry, I'm still happy I have a Mac.) Hopefully it's user error.

dotdotdot said:

I have Mail configured to open, in the background, ie, not in Tabs but in Notifications...

in which case I go to the Dock and manually open Mail. I'm using Chrome.

...

Click to expand...

Mail is one application and Chrome is another application.

The Mail application does not have "tabs".
A web browser, such as Chrome, would have tabs.

Either you have 2 separate and distinct questions which have been jumbled into one (at least for me) or you are using some web email inside Chrome.

Could you clarify &/or separate the 2 items?

I'm trying to keep Mail running in the background without any user input when logging in. It does most of the time, but not on a consistent basis.

I probably should not blame Apple, because I am using Chrome.

I'm just as confused here. How is Chrome involved here if this is a Mail issue?

If you simply want it in the background, just close the main window and Mail will continue to operate without interference.

OK, let's leave browsers out of it.

I have Mail configured to alert me when a new message has come in via Notifications.

The problem is that sometimes, about 1 in 4 times, after when I first log in to the computer, I do not get notifications (alerts) of new messages.

So Mail acts closed.

In that case, I go to the Dock and manually open Mail to retrieve new messages.

No problems with getting Mail automatically while computer is running throughout the course of the day; just sometimes at login.

I just wish I didn't have to do that extra step, but yes, I can live with it the way it is.

how about this:

System Preferences > Accounts > highlight your login > Login Items. Add mail there and check the hide box.

Now this should open Main in the background when you login and keep you from having to take that extra step

My question would be this:

The times it works: is after a fresh boot &/or you have logged out of your account and then logged back in?

The times it doesn't work: is after the computer has gone to sleep and the Mail app was quit prior to it going to sleep. In this scenario, it is not going to auto start after you log in again.