Extremely slow mail

[othello159]

When I open my mail program I mostly see a twirling color disk---wait!
It takes about 30 to 40 seconds for the program to start displaying my inbox.
If I click on another mail folder the same thing starts over again.
What can cause this incredible slowness, which is the same if I am online or offline???

I am using a iMac 27" desktop machine running OS 10.6.8 with Mail version 4.5

Update:

I had many thousand email messages and, trying to solve this slowness problem, I archived most of them.
The problem persists.
A small 5kB email message sends the little color disk twirling for 20 seconds before it opens.
Going off line and using Mail is just as slow, it is not my internet providers end which is slow, it is the mail program!

 

[miles01110]

You could try rebuilding your index.

http://www.hawkwings.net/2006/02/08/rebuild-your-database-and-speed-up-mailapp/

 

[FLH]

Extremely Slow Mail

I too, have the same problem. 27" iMac with i5 Processor. Mail 4.5. OSX 10.6.8
Tried the "hawkwings" method, downloaded scripts, rebuilt the index etc etc..
Same issue exists. Send the tiniest message and the dial spins for 30 seconds.
After trying some of the previous methods,, the first message to go out, is extremely quick,, but anything after,, well,, back to where it was...

 

[satcomer]

Tom fix slow mail use the following steps:

1. Make sure you have no email in your Inbox and only in cutom saved email boxes.

2. Quit Mail!

3. Launch the application /Applications/Utilities/Terminal . then put in the code:

sqlite3 ~/Library/Mail/Envelope\ Index vacuum;

4. Let that run until you get another prompt. This will mean the cleanup is done.

5. Launch Mail and see if that works.

 

[FLH]

Extremely Slow Mail

Satcomer

I had tried running that command last night, as I had found it elsewhere. tried it again today after your post.. Same as before... First two outgoing were immediate,, but after that, slowed down to around 20 seconds or so. From what I am seeing,,, it looks as if this problem has been around for quite some time, without a solution that seems to work.
Will keep looking.
Thanks for the tip...

Here is something bizarre... If I drag the mail icon from the dock so it is gone,, and then drag another mail icon from my applications folder, onto the dock once again,,, I can send around six or seven emails really quickly,, but then it slows down again..
Anyone have any thoughts on that one??