Remove checkmark from „Include Attachments With Replies“ in Apple Mail

Question

I'm using a Mac with macOS Monterey 12.6.6 (21G646) and Apple Mail 16.0 (3696.120.41.1.3).

In Apple's Mail app under the Menu bar>Edit there's a setting Include Attachments With Replies

By default there's no checkmark, like here:

But unfortunately, I clicked one of them by mistake. Now it looks like this:

I can switch between the 4 options but I'm not able to remove the checkmark, as it was before I accidentally checked one of them.

But I want to remove the checkmark because with checkmark the behavior isn't as I want it. None of the options does the same as no checkmark. The missing option would be Always, but only when forwarding (not when replying). This is what happens, when none of them would be selected.

Does anyone have an idea how I can remove the checkmark? Is there a simple way? Or maybe I can edit some preferences file?

Answer 1

I was able to find the solution myself.

You have to do the following:

1. Quit the Mail app
2. Go to ~/Library/Containers/Mail/Data/Library/Preferences/com.apple.mail.plist
3. Open com.apple.mail.plist file, e.g. in Xcode
4. Remove the parameter MFAttachmentBehaviorKey
5. Safe the file and start Mail
6. Done!

HINT:

You may need to change Mail to com.apple.mail in the path. Background is the following: You may see multiple folders called Mail in ~/Library/Containers/. You may think, these are all duplicates, but they aren't. Mail isn't their real name. You can check the real name for each of them by opening the information window with ⌘+i. Under the section Name & Extension you will see the real name, like com.apple.mail, com.apple.mail.MailQuickLookExtension or com.apple.MailShareExtension.

EDIT: If you're using macOS Ventura check comment of Aussie Geek.