Mail Madness

mnewman · 10-06-2012, 07:56 AM

Both my wife and I are having, on different machine running ML, identical problems with Mail. Each of us has mail accounts on iCloud, Gmail and from our web host. Here are the problems:

Mail periodically loses connection with all IMAP and SMTP servers. (Connection Doctor shows red dots for every single server.) Sometimes quitting mail and restarting works, sometimes only force quitting mail (when it has SPODed out) will do the trick.
Mail periodically forgets that we want to use iCloud as the mail server for our iCloud mail accounts. In Mail's preferences the "Outgoing Mail Server (SMTP)" for iCloud reverts to "None".

Both of us have iPhones and I also have an iPad. We have none of these difficulties with our iOS devices. So, I must assume that this is a problem with Mail on Mountain Lion.

Anyone else?

anthlover · 10-06-2012, 10:35 PM

Doubt its ML. Apple Mail... 10.8.2? With or Without the supplemental update? Do you have all the same mail accounts on the IOS devices?

You could potentially delete the accounts and re-add them since all the mail is on the servers.

The fact that is happening on two different machines leads me to believe it is external point of failure. I would start by changing your dns server on your router or the computer/s. The former is usually easier if you have alot of devices. One of the best dns is opendns, much faster and offers benefits. You read up on it. To save you time I put their primary and secondary ups below for you.

http://www.opendns.com

IP address:208.67.222.222 and 208.67.220.220

mnewman · 10-06-2012, 10:46 PM

Installed the supplemental update after the OP. I notice that there is a Mail update.

All the same accounts are on the iOS devices.

Also, no problem with a MacBook running Lion. But that only has a single Gmail account.

Been using Open DNS for years. I run DNSMasq on my router with the following settings:

server=208.67.222.222
server=208.67.220.220
cache-size=2048
log-async=5

I think it very odd that the problems are recent (since ML) and only happen on ML machines.

I also think it odd that since ML Mail "forgets" that we want to use iCloud as the SMTP server. Why would this constantly happen on both of our ML machines? It never happened before and happens on no other device.

I did delete and completely reinstall all mail accounts on my wife's machine a week or so ago when the problem got especially painful. Didn't seem to help.

zo219 · 10-06-2012, 11:20 PM

When Mail "forgets" ... have any of the passwords gone blank in Mail accounts preferences?

If so, try this: open System Preferences for iCloud, uncheck Mail; open Mail, Contacts & Calendars and uncheck mail from each account there; open Keychain Access and delete all corresponding keychain entries; Restart, and check the iCloud and Mail account boxes again. This should add them correctly to the keychain. Run Keychain First Aid. See if this doesn't help.

mnewman · 10-06-2012, 11:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zo219


	When Mail "forgets" ... have any of the passwords gone blank in Mail accounts preferences?

Nope. All I have to do is reselect "iCoud" as the SMTP server and I'm good to go. No need to reenter passwords.

anthlover · 10-07-2012, 01:11 PM

Thought i remembered you had been using opendns

It is odd. I only have gmail and exchange accounts, but i do have 10 in total.

Weird.... I take i its set to only use the server icloud?

mnewman · 10-07-2012, 05:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by anthlover


	Weird.... I take i its set to only use the server icloud?

Right. But every once in a while a message will pop up saying, "Mail cannot be sent because you have not selected a default server....".

And, sure enough, if you go into Mail Preferences the iCloud account has "none" for the SMTP server.

Very weird.

anthlover · 10-07-2012, 08:40 PM

Hmm. Do you use the Cloud features? Keeping stuff synced to Apple's servers? Have a feeling that Local vs. cloud, vs. Imap thing might be a part of the equation.

I fond this ebook of which there is a preview. Not sure how great it is but it looks through.

http://www.scribd.com/doc/101550460/...-Mountain-Lion

Hopefully someone else will post an answer. Might have to try on Apple's forums. I did some quick google searches did not see..

mnewman · 10-07-2012, 08:55 PM

I think this is related to the fact that Mail under ML seems to lose contact with servers periodically; both IMAP and SMTP. iCloud is the only account for which I have "Use only this server" checked. So, when iCloud's SMTP server goes missing, it replaces it with "none".

I do use some iCloud syncing.

I've also searched and found nothing similar to what we are experiencing in this house.

But, after the latest system update, we're all good.

anthlover · 10-08-2012, 06:13 AM

Glad the update fixed things. I know in some corporate environments ports are blocked and some have had to change ports or use another server like gmails to get their cloud mail out.

10-06-2012, 07:56 AM	#1
mnewman MVP Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Korat, Thailand Posts: 2,046	Mail Madness Both my wife and I are having, on different machine running ML, identical problems with Mail. Each of us has mail accounts on iCloud, Gmail and from our web host. Here are the problems: Mail periodically loses connection with all IMAP and SMTP servers. (Connection Doctor shows red dots for every single server.) Sometimes quitting mail and restarting works, sometimes only force quitting mail (when it has SPODed out) will do the trick. Mail periodically forgets that we want to use iCloud as the mail server for our iCloud mail accounts. In Mail's preferences the "Outgoing Mail Server (SMTP)" for iCloud reverts to "None". Both of us have iPhones and I also have an iPad. We have none of these difficulties with our iOS devices. So, I must assume that this is a problem with Mail on Mountain Lion. Anyone else? __________________ http://www.mgnewman.com/

10-06-2012, 10:35 PM	#2
anthlover Hall of Famer Join Date: Apr 2003 Posts: 2,660	Doubt its ML. Apple Mail... 10.8.2? With or Without the supplemental update? Do you have all the same mail accounts on the IOS devices? You could potentially delete the accounts and re-add them since all the mail is on the servers. The fact that is happening on two different machines leads me to believe it is external point of failure. I would start by changing your dns server on your router or the computer/s. The former is usually easier if you have alot of devices. One of the best dns is opendns, much faster and offers benefits. You read up on it. To save you time I put their primary and secondary ups below for you. http://www.opendns.com IP address:208.67.222.222 and 208.67.220.220 Last edited by anthlover; 10-06-2012 at 10:40 PM.

10-06-2012, 10:46 PM	#3
mnewman MVP Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Korat, Thailand Posts: 2,046	Installed the supplemental update after the OP. I notice that there is a Mail update. All the same accounts are on the iOS devices. Also, no problem with a MacBook running Lion. But that only has a single Gmail account. Been using Open DNS for years. I run DNSMasq on my router with the following settings: server=208.67.222.222 server=208.67.220.220 cache-size=2048 log-async=5 I think it very odd that the problems are recent (since ML) and only happen on ML machines. I also think it odd that since ML Mail "forgets" that we want to use iCloud as the SMTP server. Why would this constantly happen on both of our ML machines? It never happened before and happens on no other device. I did delete and completely reinstall all mail accounts on my wife's machine a week or so ago when the problem got especially painful. Didn't seem to help. __________________ http://www.mgnewman.com/

10-07-2012, 08:55 PM	#9
mnewman MVP Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Korat, Thailand Posts: 2,046	I think this is related to the fact that Mail under ML seems to lose contact with servers periodically; both IMAP and SMTP. iCloud is the only account for which I have "Use only this server" checked. So, when iCloud's SMTP server goes missing, it replaces it with "none". I do use some iCloud syncing. I've also searched and found nothing similar to what we are experiencing in this house. But, after the latest system update, we're all good. __________________ http://www.mgnewman.com/

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10-06-2012, 11:20 PM	#4
zo219 Triple-A Player Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 83	When Mail "forgets" ... have any of the passwords gone blank in Mail accounts preferences? If so, try this: open System Preferences for iCloud, uncheck Mail; open Mail, Contacts & Calendars and uncheck mail from each account there; open Keychain Access and delete all corresponding keychain entries; Restart, and check the iCloud and Mail account boxes again. This should add them correctly to the keychain. Run Keychain First Aid. See if this doesn't help.

10-07-2012, 01:11 PM	#6
anthlover Hall of Famer Join Date: Apr 2003 Posts: 2,660	Thought i remembered you had been using opendns It is odd. I only have gmail and exchange accounts, but i do have 10 in total. Weird.... I take i its set to only use the server icloud?

10-07-2012, 08:40 PM	#8
anthlover Hall of Famer Join Date: Apr 2003 Posts: 2,660	Hmm. Do you use the Cloud features? Keeping stuff synced to Apple's servers? Have a feeling that Local vs. cloud, vs. Imap thing might be a part of the equation. I fond this ebook of which there is a preview. Not sure how great it is but it looks through. http://www.scribd.com/doc/101550460/...-Mountain-Lion Hopefully someone else will post an answer. Might have to try on Apple's forums. I did some quick google searches did not see..

10-08-2012, 06:13 AM	#10
anthlover Hall of Famer Join Date: Apr 2003 Posts: 2,660	Glad the update fixed things. I know in some corporate environments ports are blocked and some have had to change ports or use another server like gmails to get their cloud mail out.