MacOS e-mail client automatically reverting to older settings

Question

MacOS e-mail client automatically reverting to older settings

After recent changes at my Internet Service Provider, I received telephone support from my ISP's excellent support person to change the connection set-up for my Apple MacOS e-mail client. We worked through the changes. Sent and received several test e-mails successfully, and closed the call.

Later that day I had trouble sending an e-mail, again.

My MacBook is running OS Big Sur version 11.0.1.

I received the following error message:

"Cannot send message using the server homemail.com.au

The sender address <my-e-mail-address> was rejected by the server mail.iinet.net.au"

Which makes sense because mail.iinet.net.au is the old incorrect server address, not the new one we so carefully set up.

Apple's e-mail client seems to be automatically correcting my set-up back to the older settings???

It is also re-setting the out-going host server Port number to the older setting.

So, I went into e-mail preferences, and reset my account settings to the ones that work properly. I sent a test message to my wife. The test message arrived successfully. I closed e-mail. Re-started e-mail. Lo-and-behold, the account settings have reverted again.

How can I get my changes to stick?

Thanks in advance,

Bruce from Canberra, Oz

MacBook Pro 15″, macOS 11.0

Posted on Feb 16, 2021 3:16 PM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

Matthew.S81

Community Specialist

Mar 9, 2021 5:48 AM in response to bruce in Illinois

Hi Bruce,

We're glad those steps resolved the issue regarding your emails. In reference to the Smart Folders or archieved folders. If those were created in the Mail app, and not email account specific you're on the right track with wanting to restore to a Time Machine backup. If you need to reference those steps you can find them in the following article.

Restore your Mac from a backup

Have a great day!

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Answer 2

KMB_12

Community Specialist

Feb 18, 2021 7:47 PM in response to bruce in Illinois

Hello there bruce in Illinois,

Thanks for reaching out. We'd like to see how we can help with your Outlook issue.

We'd like to ask some questions so we understand the exact issue and how we can get it resolved. When you were working with support, did you ever remove the entire account from your Mac and re-add the account? If so, do you notice settings reverting still?

If you did remove this account, are these the steps used to re-add your account to your Mac?

Add an email account to Mail on your Mac

We'd also like to have you look at this article to ensure these are the steps you attempting to fix your outgoing and incoming servers with these steps:

If you can’t send or receive email on your Mac

After reviewing those articles, keep us posted with your findings.

We look forward to working with you.

Cheers.

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Answer 3

Feb 20, 2021 10:06 PM in response to KMB_12

Yes, eventually that is how I solved the problem. I removed another account from the macOS Mail client.

You see I had 3 accounts for different mail servers. I noticed that one of the accounts (an older one I only receive e-mails from occasionally), was attempting to be the default account. So I removed it. Da-da! My main account was able to accept its set-up being adjusted properly. I closed-down and re-started mail several times and observed that the proper account settings remained permanent.

So that was a win.

Unfortunately, however, when re-created my 2nd account to my older mail server, account I was left with a disappointing outcome. All of my e-mail archive folders from all 3 of my e-mail accounts are now deleted. This is very, very frustrating. You see I've collected together e-mail archives going back to 1992. As I've migrated to different PC and Mac desktops and laptops over the years I have carefully transferred old mail archives from system to system. I had a history of all my important work e-mails and personal e-mails stretching back over time. Now it's all gone. I have a back-up of my e-mail folders captured last November. I'll try a restore. But I'm unsure whether I can get that to talk to my Big Sur macOS client.

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Answer 4

Mar 9, 2021 7:07 PM in response to Matthew.S81

Many thanks... Unfortunately my backup wasn't complete.

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MacOS e-mail client automatically reverting to older settings

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