Mail window display issue

[electric wheels]

I use Mail a lot, and have found that one "layout" is far superior than others for my specific needs. So I have my Mac Pro and Macbook (both 2009 vintage) set to display that way. Lately, the Mac Pro has been displaying it without something I depend on. Though I basically know how to "fix" that (because I see how to do it on my Macbook), the same trick won't work on the MPro - there's something wrong.

I use "classic layout", which gives me a window with mailboxes in the sidebar, and a column with messages with from/subject/date etc each displaying on a single line. THEN, I split the messages screen into and upper and lower pane, so that some of the selected message will appear at the bottom of the window.

The interface gives me a cursor that toggles this lower pane on or off by double clicking (on the older OS on the laptop), then I can just drag up or down to size the two panes. The cursor is shaped like the mathematical sign for division, with a horizontal line, and tiny arrows pointing up and down. If the lower pane is toggled off, the cursor changes to one without the down arrow. Double clicking, or dragging upward, restores the lower pane. At least that's what happens on my trusty and crusty old Macbook running the prehistoric 10.6.8.

On the MacPro (10.11.6), double clicking doesn't seem to toggle this lower pane, it just changes the size of the lower pane, as far as I've seen.

But a few weeks ago, the lower pane on the MacPro disappeared. I stumbled around for a while and finally did something that restored it, and of course I don't remember what that was. So when this happened two days ago, I went to the laptop to search for insight and confirmed the cursor and double clicking process. On the MacPro, double clicking the handle at the bottom to restore the lower pane does nothing. Dragging also does nothing. I tried multiple times yesterday and today to toggle the lower pane on by double clicking, and by dragging, with no success. I tried closing the program and relaunching, restarting, and then finally shut down and restarted. Twice. No change.

While writing this, I tried it again.

So why did it work TODAY, and not YESTERDAY???

Why / how could this functionality be intermittent? What could I possibly have done differently today that I didn't do - a few dozen times - yesterday?

Thanks for all explanations, extra points for amusing ones!

 

[Cory Cooper]

Hello and welcome.

I assume you mean Mail > Preferences... > Viewing > Use classic layout. I have seen it not work normally myself, and I am not sure why it does this. Fortunately, it hasn't happened on my Mac, just on other people's that I support.

The explanation could be as simple as quitting Mail, restarting the Mac, opening Mail, and adjusting the pane. "Have you tried turning it off and on again?" works wonders sometimes.

Let us know if the issue persists,

C

 

[electric wheels]

Thank you Cory. Yes, I did try all the quit/logout/shutdown options, to no avail. I just started the computer a few minutes ago and the layout was as I had left it, with the bottom pane visible. It's been that way all week, with a couple restarts since last Saturday.

Just to see if the issue was "fixed" I decided to test it. Bad idea! I grabbed the horizontal separator bar and dragged it to the bottom of the window to eliminate the lower pane, to determine if I could make that lower pane re-appear. I could NOT. So I'm back to the original problem, just have to wait until Mail is feeling more cooperative.

It's the intermittent nature which is most troublesome.

 

[Cory Cooper]

Oops...

-What happens if you hold the Option key and click it?
-Did you try to toggle Use classic layout on and off a couple of times?
-Did you make sure you have an email selected before trying to drag the pane divider back up?

C

 

[electric wheels]

Thanks, good thought on the option key. I had the same idea earlier today. I tried all three modifier keys (command, option, control), even in combination. Nada.

Your other good suggestions also unsuccessful. I'll have to wait until the Mac is in the mood...

Must be something in my system that won't resolve until I upgrade the OS. But I can't do now because, apparently, my 2009 MPro is too old to move to Sierra without some advanced trickery.

 

[Cory Cooper]

If I think of anything else, I will let you know. If it does correct itself...leave it alone!

Be well,

C