Archive and Install?

[superspiffy]

I'm trying to figure out a way to reinstall OS X without deleting all my apps, files, and settings. Apple Mail has not been working right since I upgraded to Leopard and I really think a fresh install is the only way. So can I do Archive and Install to wipe the OS X clean, but keep everything else just the way it was? Also, what would happen to my Windows Boot Camp partition?

[EvanLugh]

Archive and Install would keep your documents, I don't know about your Windows partition though, most likely it will be removed or nothing at all.

[IJ Reilly]

What is your problem with Apple Mail, and what have you tried to fix it?

[superspiffy]

What is your problem with Apple Mail, and what have you tried to fix it?

i have trouble sending out mail ever since leopard. sometimes it works sometimes it doesn't. but i use the exact same settings for thunderbird and it works perfectly.

[IJ Reilly]

i have trouble sending out mail ever since leopard. sometimes it works sometimes it doesn't. but i use the exact same settings for thunderbird and it works perfectly.

Then you don't have an OS issue. What happens when the mail doesn't send? Do you get the message to select another outgoing mail server?

[superspiffy]

Then you don't have an OS issue. What happens when the mail doesn't send? Do you get the message to select another outgoing mail server?

no message. the outgoing mail gets stuck in the outgoing box and would sometimes remain there even after I relaunch Mail. sometimes it does get sent out and sometimes it doesn't. it's very buggy. if i can just reinstall Mail i would, but isn't it part of the OS and cannot be installed separately?

[bpl323]

Have you tried deleting your Mail preferences in ~(user home folder)/Library/Preferences/com.apple.mail.plist

It will reset your prefs to default, but may solve the issue.

[IJ Reilly]

no message. the outgoing mail gets stuck in the outgoing box and would sometimes remain there even after I relaunch Mail. sometimes it does get sent out and sometimes it doesn't. it's very buggy. if i can just reinstall Mail i would, but isn't it part of the OS and cannot be installed separately?

I agree with the poster above that throwing out the preference file is worth trying. Spotlight com.apple.mail.plist.

You can reinstall just Mail, but it requires a shareware application called Pacifist, which extracts this application installers from the OSX discs.

[EvanLugh]

There is also a link (http://forums.macosxhints.com/showthread.php?threadid=5750&highlight=mail.app) on Mac OSX Hints where someone has uploaded mail.app. - If pacifist is a long way around for you. Scan it first though, I doubt it would be a virus but meh.