Mail auto-opens (unwanted action)

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Hi,
I'm on an iMac, running 10.6.8. I use Outlook as my default email program, but Mail keeps auto-opening every day. I have set the preferences in Mail to only check email manually, yet it auto-opens daily. This has gotten rather annoying after several months, mainly because it seems like it should be a simple fix. Any help on how to stop this would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks.
Chris
 

Slydude

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When does the auto opening occur? Is it happening any time you log into your account or only when you perform a restart?

One thing to check. Go to System Preferences and look at the User accounts. Click on the settings for your account and look at the list of login items. Is Mail, or anything Mail related, listed there?
 

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After Mail opens - try a right click on it's icon in the Dock and see what options you have there.
 
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When does the auto opening occur? Is it happening any time you log into your account or only when you perform a restart?

One thing to check. Go to System Preferences and look at the User accounts. Click on the settings for your account and look at the list of login items. Is Mail, or anything Mail related, listed there?

Machine is left on throughout the day. I'm not sure of a specific time that it checks, but I'll pay closer attention. I have it set to sleep when inactive, not log out.
I checked system prefs- Mail is not in the login items. The only things checked there are iTunes helper & Google Chrome (neither of which open when I log in).
 
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After Mail opens - try a right click on it's icon in the Dock and see what options you have there.

Options- Keep in Dock, Open at Login, Show in Finder.

Below that, only Hide and Quit. I always quit.
 
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Is Mail the default client? Mail/Preferences/General - Default email reader.
Change it to Outlook.
 
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Is Mail the default client? Mail/Preferences/General - Default email reader.
Change it to Outlook.

No sir, Outlook was already the default email reader. That's why this is baffling me!
Thanks though.
 
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When it opens does it actually try to check for mail? In other words, are any accounts set up in it?
If so, and you don't want to use it, remove the accounts.

It's possible something else running might have Mail as the default (unlikely but I'm grasping at straws).
 
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When it opens does it actually try to check for mail? In other words, are any accounts set up in it?
If so, and you don't want to use it, remove the accounts.

It's possible something else running might have Mail as the default (unlikely but I'm grasping at straws).

It tries, but I had deleted all the passwords.

Just found a choice of "Take all accounts offline" under Mailbox. Hoping this will do the trick. Will post results after a day or two, to see if it auto-opens.
 

Slydude

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Options- Keep in Dock, Open at Login, Show in Finder.

Below that, only Hide and Quit. I always quit.
Is the Open at Login option checked? If so, uncheck it.
 
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It tries, but I had deleted all the passwords.

That won't stop it from prompting for one, if there's a mailto: call...

As Craig said, if you're not using Mail, it really is best to have no accounts there, or at least have them all deactivated: Mail | Preferences | Accounts | Account Information - at the top untick "Enable this account" for each of them.
 
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Is the Open at Login option checked? If so, uncheck it.

It was not checked. But thanks for the idea.

That won't stop it from prompting for one, if there's a mailto: call...

As Craig said, if you're not using Mail, it really is best to have no accounts there, or at least have them all deactivated: Mail | Preferences | Accounts | Account Information - at the top untick "Enable this account" for each of them.

When I tried to do that it said it was going to delete all messages. I am not 100% sure I can delete all the messages now. I'm going to wait to see if taking all accounts offline will keep it from happening. Thanks.
 
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When I tried to do that it said it was going to delete all messages.

Is (are) the account(s) IMAP or POP3?

I have done this a number of times, and do not remember seeing such a warning. Certainly is not displayed, when de-activating a POP3 account - just tested it, to make sure.

Do you keep all the messages in your Inbox? If so, create a few folders under ON MY MAC and move everything from Inbox (and Sent and Drafts) into these folders, then there will be nothing for Mail to delete (it won't touch user folders).
 
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Backed all the email up into On My Mac folders and deleted all the accounts. Now to wait a day and see if this solves it, or if I delete this program altogether.
Thanks for the help everyone.
 
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You cant delete it. Mail is part of OS X. If nothing else, next upgrade it'll be right back.
 
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You cant delete it. Mail is part of OS X. If nothing else, next upgrade it'll be right back.

Well that certainly is bad news to me.

Even with all the accounts deleted the program keeps opening.
 
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Is (are) the account(s) IMAP or POP3?

I have done this a number of times, and do not remember seeing such a warning. Certainly is not displayed, when de-activating a POP3 account - just tested it, to make sure.

Do you keep all the messages in your Inbox? If so, create a few folders under ON MY MAC and move everything from Inbox (and Sent and Drafts) into these folders, then there will be nothing for Mail to delete (it won't touch user folders).

They are POP accounts, but I don't see POP3. Just POP.
 

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Something is odd here. If there are no accounts defined Mail should just sit there and do nothing. I would suggest opening Activity Monitor (in Utilities) and keep an eye on the processes that are open. When Mail launches itself there will probably be increased activity in whatever is causing Mail to launch.
 
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It seems the Mail auto-start problem has been with some users for some time and one possible solution was generally a typical comment like:

"...check for any alarms you may have set up in ical that may be using mail as default for sending alerts

Along these lines check to see if any of your other applications are sending any email alerts, alarms or notifications. ..."

Another possible fix might be at:

osx - How do I stop Apple Mail from opening because of iCal appointments? - Super User

I wonder if there might be some other third party utilities mucking about in the background as well... ???

Trying a Safe Boot to check would answer that question if the problem disappears. Then discover what the problem cause might be...

Ah, the joys of computer problems..... NOT!!!
 
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If nothing else, I've at least deduced that this is an issue being caused by alarms set in iCal. After the end of the school year we didn't have it happen. Today I had one appointment in iCal and Mail was open... Thanks for helping me here.
 

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