Troubleshooting Mail issues in Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard

Various reports have surfaced around the Web regarding unexpected behavior of Apple's Mail application in Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard, prompting Apple to release a knowledge base article describing possible troubleshooting steps for the program.

MacFixIt reader "Gerald S." reports:

"After upgrading to Snow Leopard, I can no longer send mail. I have a clue, though. The issue seems to be related to existing mail accounts. If I create a new mail account, it works just fine. Now we need to figure out how to import older mail into a new account."

If you are having issues sending Mail in Snow Leopard, you may need to update your authentication settings for your outgoing mail.

Users should follow Apple's Mail Setup Assistant or contact their ISP to determine the proper settings for their e-mail service.

After obtaining the proper settings for your mail account, Apple suggests these steps:

1. From the Mail menu, choose Preferences.
2. Click Accounts, then select the account that is having issues sending messages.
3. From the SMTP server pop-up menu (at the bottom of the window), choose "Edit SMTP Server List".
4. Click Advanced.
5. Select the 'Authentication' pull down menu and select the appropriate authentication type (from your ISP or the Mail Online Setup Assistant).
6. If necessary, fill in the username and password.
7. Click OK