Mac OS X 10.4.2 Special Report: Mail.app: Problems with IMAP, SMTP servers, sluggish performance

CNET staff

Sept. 2, 2009 11:57 a.m. PT

5 min read

Users have noted significant issues with ability to send and receive mail, as well as overall sluggish performance from Mail.app 2.0.2 -- the new release included with Mac OS X 10.4.2.

Other issues include inability to send mail through SMTP servers and repeated requests for passwords that have been entered several times.

MacFixIt reader Cheryl Fuller writes:

"Count me as another person with ongoing problems with Mail since upgrading to 10.4.2 -- this after never having had problems with Mail before. It takes forever to open with long periods of 'application not responding' showing. Mailbox will show as empty when opened, then after a long delay the mail in it will show. Both IMAP and POP accounts are showing these issues. I am seriously considering downgrading to 10.4.1."

Randy Smith adds:

"I thought I had fixed my problem with Comcast and Mail.app but that was not the case. It seems that all of my Comcast mail accounts will not send any mail. I can receive mail just fine but when sending I am constantly asked for my password even though all my information is correctly entered and had been working at least up to the 10.4.1 update. The only way I can send email is to use my .Mac account which works fine.

Pete McFetridge writes:

"Good morning, since the new update (10.4.2) Mac mail has not been connecting correctly to the server at the university (IMAP account). I receive mail and it will eventually send mail but takes a very long time...if at all. The whirly thing that's in the 'inbox' folder line just keeps whirling around as if it's trying to do something."

Solutions

Switching the SMTP port In some cases outgoing mail issues can be solved by switching the SMTP port through which you access your ISP's sendmail server.

In order to change this setting, use the following process:

Launch Mail.app

Under the "Mail" menu, select "Preferences"

Click "Server Settings" under to the "Outgoing Mail Server (SMTP)" heading

Set the SMTP port to the one specified by your ISP (for users of Comcast [and some other ISPs], try port 25)

Back in the Mail.app preference window, click the "Advanced" tab

Set the appropriate port number (for users of Comcast [and some other ISPs] try 110)

Note that you may also need to turn off SSL (secure socket layer) in both of these areas (for the SMTP server and the incoming server).

MacFixIt reader Nate Goldshlag is one user who had success with this workaround:

"I also was having problems sending through Comcast, constantly getting asked for my password. I had Mail configured for SSL on port 465, password authentication, which is what they say you need if you are outside their network. If you change the SMTP settings to SSL port 25 no authentication it works fine, at least from within Comcast. I have not had a chance to test out the 465 password authentication from outside Comcast. Their tech support admits that 465 password will not always work from within Comcast."

Use MD5 Challenge-Response Some users have reported that switching password authentication to MD5 Challenge-Response, using port 465, and turning on SSL (secure socket layer) for problematic e-mail accounts resolves the persistent password requests.

These settings are found in the "Accounts" pane of Mail.app's Preferences, after clicking the "Server Settings:" button.

Removing extraneous ":" from username, server field MacFixIt reader Ita Vellek reports that Mail.app 2.0.2 inexplicably added a colon (:) to the server and username entry fields in the applications Account preferences. Removing the colon, in his case, resolved the issue.

Ita writes:

"I have experienced the same inability to send Comcast mail as did my daughter. I've remedied this problem by starting Mail.app > Preferences > Account Information > Outgoing Mail Server. On both of these computers some update or other seems to have added a ':' plus the user name. Click server settings, top line type in server address with out the : and name. Then under authentication select "None." Now no problems."

Use Port 25 without authentication In the Server Settings section of the Account Preferences pane, you may want to try using port 25 with no authentication. For some users, this has resolved issues with sending mail -- and of course, you will not be prompted for a password via this route.
Create a new account, delete .plist file For some users it is necessary to create a new account in Mail.app, as well as delete the file com.apple.mail.plist from the ~/Library/Preferences directory before normal operation returned.
One reader writes:

"I also use Comcast and was getting error messages saying outgoing mail did not recognize my password and asking for password verification. Retyping password did not resolve issue. Spent over an hour with Apple tech support. Also unable to resolve by reading preferences in mail. Same problem with outgoing mail server field adding colon and user account name.

"Finally had to create new account, trash the .plist, and drop password authentication."

Minor issue: Mail.app not displaying time stamp Some readers have reported that Mail.app, by default, does not display a time stamp on messages after the Mac OS X 10.4.2 -- only a date stamp.

This issue can be easily resolved by simply widening the date/time stamp column, revealing the hidden information.

One reader writes

"(I was having this problem) and it was suggested that I widen the column just slightly. I did, and the time stamp appeared. I had squeezed the column width to the narrowest that would always display both the date and the time.

"Either the font characteristics have changed subtly in 10.4.2, or an additional space has been added following the date in the defined column format... Regardless, widening the column just a tiny bit will allow the time to appear and display properly. "

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