Apple Mail spawning dozens of new email windows, has to be force quit

Tech Support
1

Strange problem just popped up. Literally. Here’s a screenshot:

SCR-20230614-jysl
SCR-20230614-jysl1920×1200 91.8 KB

This is on my MBAir M1

I am unable to actually change any settings for any of these email windows before a new window pops up. I think it is trying to open somewhere between 150-200 windows.

iCloud+ settings seem fine. Mail is working just fine on my Mac Mini and iPhone.

I’ve tried reinstalling (impossible, actually), rebooting, force quitting about 50 times now, holding down Shift when opening Mail, and even deleting some mbox messages in Library. So far none of these things makes any difference.

I haven’t found anyone else having this same issue in any Google searches.

2

“Rebuild” command on Mailbox menu and restart Mac?

1 Like
3

wouldn’t I have to be able to first see and then select a mailbox first? I never get a chance. Menu and mailboxes are completely unresponsive while windows are spawning. They are spawning fast, one or two per second…

EDIT: I managed to open the Mailbox menu, but Rebuild was greyed out. Tried hitting different inbox locations on left under Favorites and iCloud - nothing changed in menu. Then windows covered that all up again.

4

HEY - ok, Googling for rebuild solutions led me to this discussion, and the main selected answer solved the problem:

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4673000

Specifically deleting the Envelope Index.

So thanks!

1 Like
5

Always been my first step in fixing Mail when it slips into a fugue state and cannot get out of it on its own.

Katie

2 Likes
6

Envelope Index? That’s a new one. I’ll have to add it to my fixit notes.

1 Like
7

I believe Onyx has an option to rebuild the envelope index. Not at my Mac to verify but seem to recall running it in the past.

2 Likes