Mail quits overnight

Question

Hi there,
I often leave my macbook on overnight and while it's not doing anything Mail has started to quit itself. I've no idea why it does it. The log reads:
15/01/2008 02:42:46 [0x0-0x23023].com.apple.mail[270] Mail(270,0xa0564f60) malloc: * error for object 0x1849fa80: double free
15/01/2008 02:42:46 [0x0-0x23023].com.apple.mail[270] * set a breakpoint in mallocerrorbreak to debug
15/01/2008 02:47:44 [0x0-0x23023].com.apple.mail[270] Mail(270,0xb03d1000) malloc: * error for object 0x17a95870: incorrect checksum for freed object - object was probably modified after being freed.
15/01/2008 02:47:44 [0x0-0x23023].com.apple.mail[270] * set a breakpoint in mallocerrorbreak to debug
15/01/2008 02:47:44 [0x0-0x23023].com.apple.mail[270] Mail(270,0xa0564f60) malloc: * error for object 0x17a95870: incorrect checksum for freed object - object was probably modified after being freed.
15/01/2008 02:47:44 [0x0-0x23023].com.apple.mail[270] * set a breakpoint in mallocerrorbreak to debug
15/01/2008 02:47:55 com.apple.launchd[119] ([0x0-0x23023].com.apple.mail[270]) Exited abnormally: Segmentation fault
Any ideas?
Edd

Answer 1

Malloc and Free are two functions in Unix for allocating and freeing memory.
Malloc saves parameter data in a Mallox object.
There are references in the log to the Mail plist.
The log suggests that a freed object may have been modified since it was freed.
I am only guessing but I think the mail plist has been corrupted.
The other possibility that comes to mind is that the cache for it may have been corrupted.
I would quit Mail.
I would then remove the user library cache folder to the trash.
I would then pull the com.apple.mail.plist out of the Preferences folder in the same Library, to the desktop.
I would then set up my mail accounts, again.
If this fails to resolve the return from sleep issue then create a new user account and test in that account.
If it fails to resolve the issue in a new account you have a system wide issue and should remove and reinstall the Mail application.
It is an Option Install available from the Leopard install disk.
You would then need to download and reapply the 10.5.1 Leopard update in order to update Mail
or download the update, download Pacifist and then apply the Mail update alone from the update package.