mail.app continues to crash !!
 

this is really annoying. everytime i open my mail.app v. 1.3.4 it crashes and hangs, i have to force quit it.
not sure how to fix this. i upgraded from OS 10.3.3 to 10.3.5 hoping it would improve functionality of the mail.app. but, no luck. it does the same exact thing.

how can i reinstall my mail.app and not have to reinstall my whole OS ?
or, if i do have to reinstally the OS, how can i make sure i don't loose any of my previous "sent" and "draft" emails, etc. ?

i'm stumped. many thanks for ay help here.

csw

The usual prescription for crashing apps is to remove their preferences file. This is the file "com.apple.mail.plist" in the folder "Library/Preferences" under your home folder.

Other ways to collect clues that may help point to the reason for Mail crashing are the following:

1. After a Mail crash, check the console.log and system.log in Console (in the Applications > Utilities folder) for relevant messages related to the Mail crash. Copy and paste messages from these logs related to Mail into a post to the forums/discussions for analysis. Messages related to the Mail crash should be at the end of these logs if you launch Console right after the crash.

To open these log files in Console, click the Logs tool in Console's tool bar to select these, or use Console > File > Open and select a log to open. If messages appear in these logs at the time the problem occurred, copy and paste them into a reply here for analysis.

2. Upload the Mail.crash.log file to any personal Web space you have and post a link to it so that others can review it for clues. Crash logs are generally too long to post in a forum. Application crash logs for crashes in your account will be found in your Home > Library > Logs > CrashReporter folder.

removing that preference worked, it does not crash now.

however, now it's a clean slate, like the 1st time i opened the app.

how do i regain all of of the contents of my inbox, sent mail, etc. ?

thanks !

trying to figure out how to import my mailboxes, and walking through this setup assistant type import mailboxes system at the first lauch of mail.app after my preferences reset (prefs removed)..

when i select a mac osx mailbox folder to import (the original "mail" folder in my library, or any folders therin like "mailboxes") it gives me an error : "no valid mail files were found"
?

Simply double click on the file in the finder and it will open as a small mail box of its own. then simply drag and drop the messages into your new mail box.

I have this problem also.
When I try to reply, fwd, or send new mail the mail app crashes.
When I delete the com.apple.mail.plist mail.app still crashes.

Here is the concole log:

Mar 8 14:41:14 haans-grubers-Computer /Applications/Mail.app/Contents/MacOS/Mail: Corrupt JPEG data: premature end of data segment\n
Mar 8 14:41:14 haans-grubers-Computer /Applications/Mail.app/Contents/MacOS/Mail: Unsupported marker type 0x02\n
Mar 8 14:49:18 haans-grubers-Computer Mail[177]: SIGUSR1 received... quitting Mail.app cleanly
Mar 8 14:49:18 haans-grubers-Computer Mail[177]: SIGUSR1 received... quitting Mail.app cleanly
2007-03-08 15:31:29.646 TextEdit[187] *** NSRunLoop ignoring exception '*** -[NSCFArray objectAtIndex:]: index (0) beyond bounds (0)' that raised during posting of delayed perform with target 3115c0 and selector 'showRuler:'

here is the url for the crash info as requested:

http://www.ham-radio.mine.nu/Mail_Crash/mail_crash.txt

If anyone can help I would greatly appreciate it.
Not being able to respond to mail ....... it can be a pain.

peace,

haans :)

You've probably already done this, but repairing permissions can be a magic potion for strange problems. Also, printer profile/driver corruptions and font problems can also cause applications to crash. Are you able to use all of your printers without a problem in other apps? If available, you can try to run a font scan using something like FontDoctor, or even just open FontBook and cycle through your fonts...if you don't see a preview for some of them, or if FontBook itself hangs or crashes, you may have a font problem.

Yep, I ran Disk Utility and even dumped the mail app from applications and copied it from another machine's apps folder (which worked on another friends machine previously). Unfortunately it didn't work for me.

I have no printer attached to the machine/network. But, I'll look into fontbook just the same.

From what I saw in the error log (console.log) it was a corrupt jpeg whether that has anything to do with the mail.app crash or not, I am not sure.

I dumped the com.apple.mail.plist which started me at scratch but mail still crashes.

Now I also found a damaged file in a new folder created by OS X in the main folder called DamagedFiles.

The file inside is named: 000803c2 classes.nib

Perhaps this has something to do with it.
Now to find where it goes and restore it.

try upgrading to 10.3.9
or better yet to 10.4.8

I am running 10.4.8

Host Name: haans-grubers-Computer\
Date/Time: 2007-03-08 14:15:41.007 -0500\
OS Version: 10.4.8 (Build 8L127)\
Report Version: 4\
\
Command: Mail\
Path: /Applications/Mail.app/Contents/MacOS/Mail\
Parent: WindowServer [61]\
\
Version: 2.1 (752)\
Build Version: 1\
Project Name: MailViewer\
Source Version: 7520000\
\
PID: 205\
Thread: 0\
\
Exception: EXC_BAD_ACCESS (0x0001)\
Codes: KERN_PROTECTION_FAILURE (0x0002) at 0x00000018\

I notice from the crash log that you have the "Menu Extra" InputManager installed - the file is /Library/InputManagers/Menu Extra Enabler
InputManagers often cause instability in applications, so I suggest removing it to see if that fixes the problem.

In addition to Hayne's point could you indicate whether you are using Growl - and if so what happens when you disable it?

No, so far as I know I am not running growl.

the MenuExtra input manager has something to do with the processor readout on the titlebar of the os?

I'll check to disable it.

It seems like this happened after I did the Quicktime and iTunes update today.
Mail stopped working shortly thereafter.

meantime some sleep is required.

Thanks for all the suggestions and help.

Please, keep em coming!

peace,

haans :)

Updates to system-wide things like QuickTime often break 3rd-party software like InputManagers that are hacking the system to make it do something unintended by Apple.

The point I was trying to make at 1.0am is that the interesting line in the crash log is the above.

Googling for answers I see that the AppleScriptHeaderRecord class appears here as part of the header for the GrowlMail project.

It does not appear to be part of Apple's private code, and the only place it appears to be is in the GrowlMail project. So once again I strongly advise checking to ensure that Growl (and GrowlMail - it escaped my attention that this was different to Growl this morning) are disabled.

Thanks for all the suggestions:

I see that same header in a lot of the mail crash log files posted on this forum. Problem is, I'm not sure what it is I am looking at here. In which case I have to defer to someone who does. The hex code comparisons are about as far as I got. Beyond that I have to trust someone else to examine the crash log file.

Also the unsanity.MenuExtraEnabler is the unsanity module which monitors my CPUs and displays a percentage on the title bar for uage of each processor from of course ....... unsanity.com.

I tried a new account on the system. Mail.app still crashes on that account too. Which indicates to me this is a system wide bug.

Hopefully the right person will examine the crash log and give me a push in the right direction.

It's either that or no email until apple decides to release the update that corrects this problem. Which I have no doubt could be a long time.

peace,

haans :)

One more question:

How can I 'undo' the updates in order to test that theory?

It seems to me that you've got the wrong end of the stick.
If you are having trouble with Mail.app due to some 3rd-party system-mods that you have installed, then the correct course of action is to uninstall that 3rd-party software. That is the way to test the theory. If Mail.app works without the 3rd-party software, then the problem is not with Mail.app and hence there will never be an update from Apple that will resolve this problem. Any such update would need to come from the 3rd-party developers.

If you can't figure out how to uninstall the 3rd-party software, then you can start fresh with an "archive & install" from the OS X Install DVD

But that's great! If you would just post links to those threads (since as previously stated a search on Google doesn't report them) they might give somebody here a clue as to the common factor here so that your problem can be solved!

I also found this in the terminal window:

/Applications/Mail.app/Contents/MacOS/Mail; exit

I am wondering why that would be a residual of a command sent in terminal

any help?

previous forum posts

http://forums.macosxhints.com/archiv...p/t-65711.html

http://forums.macosxhints.com/archiv...p/t-23486.html

I also found this on macfixit.com after looking at the crash log:

Which states there was some kind of issue with a graphics file:

ate-Breakers
Thursday, January 04 2007 @ 08:30 AM PST
Mail.app: Graphic signatures causing receiver crashes
MacFixIt reader Kosta Tsetsekas reports that receivers of his e-mails are experiencing unexpected quits or crashes of their e-mail programs when receiving messages from him that contain graphic signatures.

Kosta writes: "Since setting up graphic signatures in Mail, I have had a number of reports that my emails are crashing both Macs (running Mail) and PCs running Outlook 2003. I am on an Intel-based Mac running the latest system/software."

hayne: guess I forgot to mention that I removed the Menu Extra Enabler as you suggested and mail.app still crashes when I attempt to reply, fwd or new mail.

I figured as much since I started with extensions off (holding shift key at boot).

I am not prepared to go this route until I have made backups of my data since I am not familiar with this process.

Unless you have some very specific instructions for me. My entire photography database for Aperture resides on this drive with no backup at present. The backup of this data is my next step. I will use another machine for email until I either backup the Aperture Library, or resolve the mail issue by some other means.

Since I have no guarantee it will not eradicate 300 GB of Aperture Library

I appreciate the suggestion.

peace,

haans :)

Having no backup of files that are important to you is a bigger problem than mere Mail.app crashes.
Good. Backing up to an external drive is the easiest way.

Doing an "archive & install" and selecting to preserve users should be fine - it will keep all your data. Nevertheless, a backup is definitely in order.

Do you have any files under /Library/Mail/Bundles or ~/Library/Mail/Bundles ?
(~ = your home folder)

Agreed; Aperture is one large Library file for all of the contents of Aperture and cannot be saved except as one large file. (Unless Aperture Spanner is used) Then additional hard drives are required. So, it's a catch 22. I intend to fetch a new HD right now if I can find one in stock at a store nearby.

Once I have a secondary HD in place I'll run "archive & install" to attempt repair.

I should have used DejaVu or Retrospect to back this thing up but haven't done so (been too busy). Which is the best reason for this to happen and force me to do so.

I'm awaiting Time Machine (WWDC 2006) so I can fly back through time and retreive my files in the future with Leopard.

meantime: It is what it is.

No, I just peeked in, and there is no Bundles in the Mail folder in my /home/Library/Mail heirarchy.

You also need to look in /Library/Mail/Bundles - under the Library folder at top level of the drive.

No, the only thing there is /Library/Mail/Account_Types

Got the new HD installing and creating a mirror.
Then we'll try "archive & install"

Alright, I have mirrored the HD onto a 750 GB and each boots seperately but, they won't boot together? Gives me the boot drive not found error (circle with a line through it).

Each drive boots fine by itself and is a mirror of one another. One is a 500 GB Seagate the other is a 750 GB Seagate. When I mirrored my 160 GB onto the 500 GB they both booted fine. Perhaps beyond the 1 TB limit of the machine boot rom?

The machine is a dual 2.5. Seems like my problems are getting worse instead of better save for the fact I have made the backup of the system which makes me feel better.

I tried with and without 1.5 gbit/3.0 gbit jumpers on the hard drives. No difference.

I tried reinstalling Mail & iTunes from the OS X DVD with Pacifist.
I also tried removing QuickTime.

I am going to try this "archive & install" as suggested on the new mirror of the drive.

hayne:

I would like to thank you for all of your suggestions, advice and assistance (and everyone else too).

"archive & install" fixed the broken mail.app (is it safe to delete the archived system folder now)?

This also provided me with the opportunity to make a much needed backup of my entire system.

If you have any insights on the hard drive/boot rom. I'd welcome any information about them. Perhaps I should start a thread specifically for that issue so it can be more widely addressed?

Again, thank you so much!

peace,

haans :)

You can safely delete the archived system folder as soon as you've tested things enough to be sure that there is nothing in that archive that you need (i.e. that you miss)

I kind of figured that was the case. I deleted it from the original drive (Macintosh HD 500 GB). But, it remains on the 750 GB for a week or so just to make sure.

At which time I will also consider deleting the 500 GB drive for an exclusive Aperture Backup drive. The OS/Applications I can use DejaVu/Retrospect for onto DVD (reasonable size to DVD backup).

Any way to make it recognize both HD's 750 GB & the 500 GB at the same time on the same bus? Without say an external eSATA card?

It runs with either an empty drive when I run Disk Utility and when I use Drive Genius (which I assume does not mount the drives)? The empty 750 showed up when I ran Disk Utility for the first time as an empty 750 GB. Once I mirrored it to the 500 GB no dice. I can only boot either, or, not both drives on the 1.5 GB SATA bus together.

Any help is appreciated.

Ps. hayne: I took a look at your website: good stuff, I'll be using that for sure. Thank again for all the assistance.

peace,

haans :)

mail app problem
 

You should use the mail app in Entourage. It works perfectly

Try resetting your base station. I had the same problem, but disabling airport solved the problem. I then whittled it down to the AEBS (airport extreme base station) I reset that and now it runs OK. It's still a big that shouldn't be.. but who else would have figured that out?

everything crashing OS10.3.9
 

iMac G5, CPU Type:PowerPC G5 (3.0), Number Of CPUs:1, CPU Speed: 1.6 GHz, L2 Cache (per CPU):512 KB, Memory:512 MB, Bus Speed: 533 MHz,
Boot ROM Version:5.2.2f4. Always had problem with Safari. Now Firefox instantly spins to infinity, but doesn't open. Safari has limited success, usually crashes after 3rd or 4th opening page. Mail crashes. Appleworks crashed yesterday.
SYS LOG: Sep 7 14:00:02 localhost loginwindow[1479]: CGSResolveShmemReference : offset exceeds bounds
Sep 7 14:00:25 localhost /Applications/Mail.app/Contents/MacOS/Mail: CGSResolveShmemReference : offset exceeds bounds
Sep 7 14:01:14 localhost /Applications/Mail.app/Contents/MacOS/Mail: CGSResolveShmemReference : offset exceeds bounds
Sep 7 14:10:59 localhost /Applications/Safari.app/Contents/MacOS/Safari: CGSResolveShmemReference : offset exceeds bounds.
CONSOLE LOG: 2009-09-07 14:00:25.510 Mail[3328] Exception raised during posting of notification. Ignored. exception: Error (1000) creating CGSWindow, 2009-09-07 14:01:14.663 Mail[3328] *** NSRunLoop ignoring exception 'NSInternalInconsistencyException' (reason 'Error (1000) creating CGSWindow') that raised during posting of delayed perform with target 4cdb350 and selector '_loadDrawerAndMessages', 2009-09-07 14:10:59.476 Safari[3281] Error (1000) creating CGSWindow.
I need SOS! Maybe something to do with super fast FIOS modem?
Thanks, With Best, Eliza