Apple Mail IMAP issue

[Huxleypiguk]

Recently switched Macs and copied everything from one to another. All my mail settings are working with the exception of my main mail. When I try to put in a password it relies with "This account already exists". I have checked all the IMAP settings but it refuses to bring the account online

I can see it via webmail, but not using the Apple Mail client. Any thoughts?

[Client62]

Does this look like your situation ...

https://support.microsoft.com/en-gb/topic/outlook-for-mac-account-already-exists-error-bee7eb88-74d8...

[Huxleypiguk]

Thank you but no. As I am not using Outlook there is no option to do do what they suggest. 

[用心棒]

In Mail, select Mail > Preferences… > Accounts and review those listed are correctly stated.

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[Matthew_ML]

Hey Huxleypiguk, thank you for reaching out and I am sorry to hear you are having some issues with the mail app. 

Please can you make sure you are on the latest mac operating system.

Is this email back up to icloud? If so delete or disable the icloud for the time being and then try.

Did any of the advice above help at all? Thanks 

[Huxleypiguk]

It didn't sadly. I did have thought. I am access in mail using a Gmail client on my phone. Could that be confusing it?

[coenoby]

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@Huxleypiguk wrote:

 I am access in mail using a Gmail client on my phone. Could that be confusing it?

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The answer is no because email apps do not synchronise or talk to each other. They will not be aware you have set up the same email account on other apps.

Each of them talks directly with the server that handles the email account itself, in this case you main email account.  If your main account is one issued by VM that will be the smtp.virginmedia.com server. If it's an Apple Mail account it will dealing with the smtp.mail.me.com server.

The problem would seem to be coming from the email app you are using but I don't think you have said which one that is. You have just said that you are not using Outlook or Apple Mail

Most email apps have their own support pages or community forum, have you tried researching that?

Coenoby

[Huxleypiguk]

Apologies, I thought I had mentioned it was Apple Mail. I will have a look further and see what I can find.

The exact same setup worked on my previous Mac which is why I am a little baffled

[coenoby]

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@Huxleypiguk wrote:

Apologies, I thought I had mentioned it was Apple Mail. I will have a look further and see what I can find.

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No, my apologies, I realise now that I misread your first post "I can see it via webmail, but not using the Apple Mail client". Sorry about that, I focused on the "not using the Apple Mail" bit, silly of me. 😞

Here's a interesting post from the Apple Community Forum on this issue https://discussions.apple.com/thread/252056513 I think this problem has been coming up on and off for years with no real solution ever being found.

"The exact same setup worked on my previous Mac which is why I am a little baffled"

Yes, I think somewhere in that long thread on the Apple forum someone reported that they were using the same email password and server settings in Apple Mail on two devices, one worked and the other other did not!

Might be worth trying another email client on the Mac? - https://www.macworld.com/article/668716/best-email-app-for-macs.html 

Coenoby

[Zoie_P]

Hi Huxleypiguk, 

Thank you for your posts and for updating us when you have tried the resolutions offered. 

Have you tried @coenoby's helpful advice above? Please keep us posted on this.

Zoie