TS4424 I have done these steps 3 times now and I still can't open mail.

Question

Mail is in the Applications folder, not in any subfolder; it's never been anywhere else. There is only Mail application on my computer, and it still won't open! Help!
I have downloaded the MacOSXUpdCombo10.6.8.dmg and SecUpd2012-004.dmg updates and restarted my computer.  I've done this process 3 times.  Before the first time, I deleted the non-working Mail from my computer.  After each set of updates, I checked the mail application and it still did not work. 
All I did was update when it prompted, just like normal, just like every update - and now my Mail application seems lost forever.  Why would this happen on a non-related update?!
I have searched a few threads, and many say the same thing about the 2 updates above.  Does anyone else have any other solutions?  Can I re-download the Mail application from somewhere without having to pay for it?

Answer 1

Same thing happened to me-got same message box. I am totally not computer savy! I tried lots of fixes that I read on here but nothing helped me except one (link below).I had problem about 6 months ago after update and restored mail in my time machine. So I had more than one "mail" listed in my application folder. I wasnt sure which one I could delete or if I could back then so I just left it-so there were several MAILs with different names. Apparently that's where the problem began with the new security update. I read on link below that you need to get rid of all other mails except the original so it be the original MAIL and should just say "MAIL" not "MAIL(original)" like mine did. I went into my Time Machine all the way back to when I first got computer -searched under applications for mail- found it (the one with little stamp symbol icon) highlighted it and hit restore. Threw all the other "present" versions in trash.(Not sure if they were left on desktop if it would work??-just had to be careful not to empty trash just in case this didnt  work because I was really not sure if it was gonna work and I would lose previous MAIL applications and all my past emails) I threw all the weird little new pencil icon application versions of MAIL  away too(the ones I couldn't open). Searched in my present application so only one original MAIL that I pulled from TM was on there. Before that-in all my troubleshooting- I had downloaded the latest security update and the latest Java for mac update (my OS is snow leopard so it was the first one and security update was on the next page-but make sure you get regular one not server one-it's confusing -there are two for snow leopard) http://support.apple.com/downloads/ I dont think it matters that you have to keep downloading the upodates because I did several times. I think it just matters when you run it each time you switch things around and remember to restart your computer. And not ouch anything before you restart. So I threw out all the old MAILS except for one I pulled of TM. Then I reran the security update that I downlaoded and restarted the computer. It was the first time that-when I restarted-my mail icon didnt turn into a litle pencil and paper icon. It remained a stamp. So I clicked on it (the one in applications folder-I deleted the one on the bbar at the bottom previuosly) and IT WORKED. Others have said their MAIL application was not in the applications folder and missing somewhere else on their computer -that's all they needed to do to fix it-move it to the applications folder. Mine was more complicated. Hope you get it working. I've spent the last 4 hrs working on a fix for mine. Ugh. Good luck!
LC
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4311280?start=90&tstart=0