You can make a difference in the Apple Support Community!

When you sign up with your Apple Account, you can provide valuable feedback to other community members by upvoting helpful replies and User Tips.

Looks like no one’s replied in a while. To start the conversation again, simply ask a new question.

Mail.app problems with Big Sur 11.0.1

Mail stopped opening one day after I upgraded. It shows up in the dock with the dot underneath it, but I can't open a window to see the mail.

iMac Line (2012 and Later)

Posted on Nov 15, 2020 11:55 AM

Reply
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Nov 15, 2020 11:57 AM

Boot into Safe Mode (How to use safe mode on your Mac - Apple Support) by booting with the Shift key held down and and try opening Mail from there.  Reboot normally and try Mail again.


NOTE: Safe Mode boot can take up to 10 minutes as it's doing the following; 

• Verifies your startup disk and attempts to repair directory issues, if needed

• Loads only required kernel extensions (prevents 3rd party kernel/extensions from loading)

• Prevents Startup Items and Login Items from opening automatically

• Disables user-installed fonts 

• Deletes font caches, kernel cache, and other system cache files


11 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Nov 15, 2020 11:57 AM in response to grant141

Boot into Safe Mode (How to use safe mode on your Mac - Apple Support) by booting with the Shift key held down and and try opening Mail from there.  Reboot normally and try Mail again.


NOTE: Safe Mode boot can take up to 10 minutes as it's doing the following; 

• Verifies your startup disk and attempts to repair directory issues, if needed

• Loads only required kernel extensions (prevents 3rd party kernel/extensions from loading)

• Prevents Startup Items and Login Items from opening automatically

• Disables user-installed fonts 

• Deletes font caches, kernel cache, and other system cache files


Nov 15, 2020 2:56 PM in response to grant141

I don't see any of the usual suspects in the report. It's quite clean. I see nothing that might be associated with the problems you're having with Mail.


Rerun Etrecheck and go to the Clean Up section to remove the items listed there.


💡Just had an idea: remove the mail icon from the Dock and go to the Applications folder and double click on the Mail app. See if that will open your Mail so you can see it.


If that works drag the Mail app from the Applications folder back into the Dock.

Nov 15, 2020 12:41 PM in response to grant141

In your main account download and run Etrecheck. Etrecheck is a diagnostic tool that was developed by one of the most respected users here in the ASC and recommended by Apple Support  to provide a snapshot of the system and help identify the more obvious culprits that can adversely affect a Mac's performance.


Copy the report



and use the Additional Text button to include the report in your reply.



IMPORTANT:

Before running Etrecheck assign Full Disk Access to Etrecheck in the Etrecheck's Privacy preference pane so that it can get additional information from the Console and log files for the report:


Also click and read the About info to further permit full disk access.



Then we can examine the report and see if we can determine what might be causing the problem.



Nov 15, 2020 3:40 PM in response to Old Toad

Thanks again for the help and quick responses. I've been able to get Mail to work again, though the mailboxes are now set up differently, with iCloud mailboxes separate from on my mac. The problem seemed to have something to do with internet accounts, though I'm not sure and I did reinstall Big Sur. Regardless, your help is greatly appreciated.

Mail.app problems with Big Sur 11.0.1

Welcome to Apple Support Community
A forum where Apple customers help each other with their products. Get started with your Apple Account.