Duplicate Mail Archive folders "ON MY MAC"

I recently migrated all my email over to Mail from the fast-deprecating M'soft Entourage. Recently, I have been trying to diagnose and fix an issue in Mail 7.0 having to do with the automatic Archive command. When the command is applied to an iCloud message, then it is archived in the iCloud [myicloudusername] folder under Archive under the MAILBOXES section, which I think is logical and correct.
However, when applying this command to any email other than an iCloud email, the message is archived in 9 (nine) duplicate folders, each titled "ON MY MAC" in the MAILBOXES section and under Archive. This syndrome seems to bw widespread among Mail users, with the main difference being the number of duplicate folders. Selecting one of these folders and deleting it causes all of the ON MY MAC folders and their contents to be deleted. This is a forever deletion; nothing goes to Trash.
Inspecting the ~/Library/Mail folder I find that an Archive.mbox appears as a subfolder of Mailboxes. Appearing there are all of the non-iCloud Archived messages as would be expected. There is no hint of multiple instances of this and nothing named "ON MY MAC" anywhere therein.
This problem was first observed in I think, Snow Leopard or Lion. I have not seen a reliable solution or an explanation for it. Other than the multiple ON MY MAC instances under Archive under MAILBOXES, the issue seems benign. However, just to be extra safe, I have decided to drag messages out of lthe ON MY MAC folder(s) from time to time and into a folder which I have called "Archive - Local" under the sidebar section also called ON MY MAC. That way I still enjoy the automated Archive command. I can keep the multiple ON MY MAC folders hidden with the triangle control next to the Archive folder.
Still, this is annoying and I am a bit squeamish about issues like this in mission critical applications such as Mail. Is this just a display bug or a structural/database issue? I am writing here to find out if anyone has found a solution or explanation for this, or if it's just another bug that Apple has been kicking down the road for awhile. Any bits o' wisdom out there?

More or less the same issue here. I have three "On My Mac" subfolders under "Archive". I think they are the same physical folder because deleting a messgage from one deletes it from all three. Previously I could drag a message on the "Archive" folder and all three subfolders would update. With the Marvericks update 10.9.1 I have to drag onto the last of the three subfolders. So looks like Apple touched the code but just made the problem slightly worse. Like you, I hate having flaky behavior in such an important application.

Similar Messages

Copying all mail and folders from one mac to another

I have a pop account that loads to my imac. all the mail is sorted into folders and kept there till needed. is it possible to take all the mail on my imac and transfer it to my macbookpro so i have all my files sorted when i go on trips? can i either upload it or do it through .mac? i thought i could just archive the whole thing like in entourage and reopen it, but i haven't found a way to do that yet. Can you help?

All your mail and mail attaachments are in /Users/inahayes/Library/Mail and /Users/inahayes/Library/Mail Downloads (unless you set up your Mail downloads to be saved somewhere else). While not hte most elegant of solutions, conceivably, you could manually afp-mount one computer onto the other's desktop (⌘k or ⇧⌘k in Finder) and drag those two folders to the corresponding /Users/inahayes/Library folder on the MBP. When you return from your trip, do the same thing in the opposite direction. However, an imap account would eliminate this problem, if you have the ability to migrate to an imap account.

Why is mail creating folders on my mac AND my mail server?

strange things happening, please tell me i am not alone.
i have an IMAP account set up in mail
preferences>accounts>mailbox behaviors i have all unchecked except for 'move deleted messages to the trash'
everytime i open mail, or even while its open, all these mailboxes get created. i have an inbox inside my inbox, which has a deleted messages folder inside that. plus another deleted messages folder under the 'on my mac' heading in the sidebar. then there is another set of folders below that: deleted messages, drafts, sent and trash. what is going on here?
and to top it off, if i log into my mail server, there are two new folders, one called 'deleted messages' and another called 'apple mail to do'
i dont even know where to begin.... when i delete the folders, they keep coming back...
should i delete the 'mail' folder in the user library and the com.apple.mail.plist file and start over?

Hi Geoff,
It sounds like your mail service provider has created some default folders in your account e.g. sent, trash etc. Mail cannot know which folders to use so it creates it's own e.g. Apple Mail To Do, Deleted Messages.
If you look at the sidebar in Mail after you create the account, you should see a section (probably near the bottom) that has the name of your IMAP account. Click on the disclosure triangle and you should see the folders that your mail service provider set up for you. If you would prefer to use one of those then choose Mailbox > Use This Mailbox For > Drafts/Sent/Trash/Junk as appropriate. You will then find that the folders Mail created in the other parts of the sidebar get moved and replaced by the ones you selected. You can safely delete the folders created by Mail afterwards if you like (move any messages you want to keep first though).
Mail will still create Apple Mail To Do.
Finally, the INBOX within the INBOX sounds like you need your IMAP Path Prefix set properly in the preferences for your account. Put the words that appear in square brackets in there.
Hope that helps.

Why can't I copy files from a Mail Archive folder ON MY MAC to another folder?

I created a folder ON MY MAC named Archive. Now I want to move all the email to another folder and all I get is an error message.
I am aware that it was a mistake to name the folder Archive, but that's in the past.
I have tried exporting, but not all the emails get exported.

Click on the drive, choose Get Info from the File menu, and check the format.
If it's formatted as NTFS, reformat it as MS-DOS, exFAT, or Mac OS Extended (Journaled) as desired, or install software such as Paragon NTFS on the computer.
If it's formatted as FAT32 or exFAT, use the Disk Utility's Repair Disk command on it.
(119491)

Why yosemite mail multiple archive folders ?

Can anyone please explain how I now have several Mail Archive folders all showing the same mail ?
There were always a few minor bugs in Mail but now under Yosemite it's a shambles.
Search is s shambles, Rules is a shambles editing cut and paste is a shambles and now this.... Archive shambles also.

Nope, they all have the same mails inside from many accounts. Have no idea where the extras came from. Mail is stuffed up significantly in Yosemite.

I have had to "re-instate" "Mail" on my 5yr old Macbook Pro after it got "lost"during an s/w upgrade to Snow Leopard v10.6.8. In reinstated version all my Email archive folders are now missing from the screen. How/where do I find them ??

I recently purchased Snow Leopard v10.6.3 in order to upgrade the OSX platform on my 5 year old Macbook Pro. That loaded without trouble. Then I needed to do an online upgrade from 10.6.3 to 10.6.8 (via 10.6.4) and there the trouble commenced !! Somewhere along the way, the "Mail" application simply disappeared! On advice from Apple telephone support, I did a "selective" reinstall of "Mail" from the Snow Leopard disk, but the version of Mail it loaded (v4.5) was wrong for use with OSX v10.6.8 and so it kept asking for the 'latest" version (v4.6) and just would not work. I tried a "Fix" download provided on the Apple site, that didn't work.
I spent 2 hours at the Genius Bar of my local Apple Store and they finally found a fix, after some difficulty. Apparently there had been a programming error somewhere in one of the Apple update downloads.
So now I have "Mail" back - but the Mailbox folders now not as they were before - particularly they do not contain my archive Folders that I had been using to store certain historic emails.
I think the folder structure on "Mail" is now identical to that on my "BT Yahoo" screen - whereas before they had been different. My local Apple Store told me that it was practice now to synchronise the "Mail" screen and (for example) the BT Yahoo screen to be identical. This is well and good going forward - but does not help me with access to my historic "email filing system" !!
Anyone help me find those missing folders ?? They must be stored somewhere, but where ??!!
Cheers
Higgins5000

Use the trackpad to scroll, thats what it was designed for. The scroll bars automatically disappear when not being used and will appear if you scroll up or down using the trackpad.
This is a user-to-user forum and most people will post on here if they have problems. You very rarely get people posting to say there update went smooth. The fact is the vast majority of Mountain Lion users will not be experiencing any major problems with the OS, or maybe with apps which are not compatible, but thats hardly Apple's fault if developers don't update their apps.

I deleted an e-mail account, as I changed e-mail, now all the archive folders associated with that account are gone!! Can I find them somewhere? Help Please!!!

I am running Windows 7 and Thunderbird 26.6.0 I guess I should have made new archive folders under my new e-mail account and transferred everything into them before i deleted the old account, but I didn't know all the archive folders were going to disappear. I know nothing ever actually goes totally away, but I have no idea how to find it. If anyone can help, with relatively simple instructions, geared toward a semi-computer iliterate, I would really appreciate it. Thanks, Len

http://kb.mozillazine.org/Recovering_deleted_mail_accounts

Move mail folders from one mac to another

How to move my mail folders from one mac to another.
The foldera re on my mac. See below the attached image.

Some possible options in no particular order:
(1) Copy the folders to a SUB Thumb Drive.
(2) Use Dropbox
(3) If your Macs are compatible with AirDrop see list:
MacBook Pro (Late 2008 or newer)
MacBook Air (Late 2010 or newer)
MacBook (Late 2008 or newer)
iMac (Early 2009 or newer)
Mac Mini (Mid 2010 or newer)
Mac Pro (Early 2009 with AirPort Extreme card, or Mid 2010)
Activate AirDrop on both Macs to Move/Copy your Mail Folders.

How do i set up my iOS devices to see my mail folders from my Mac?

how do i set up my iOS devices to see my mail folders from my Mac?

Welcome to the Apple Community.
If your mail folders are actually "on my Mac" then your iOS devices cannot be set up to see them. However, if your mail folders are within your email service account and your email service is an IMAP account, then the folders should sync between devices.

I had a MobileMe account and when Apple switched to iCloud I now have two mail accounts: @mac and @me. Additionally my folders in iCloud not longer show up in my Mail program. How do I return to one account and see my folders on my mac?

I had a MobileMe account and when Apple switched to iCloud I now have two mail accounts: @mac and @me. Additionally my folders in iCloud no longer show up in my Mail program on my iMac. How do I return to one account and see my iCloud folders on my mac?

I went to Notes. Showed all notes. Three notes are duplicated, one on iCloud and one on Icloud. I deleted one of the notes and checked to see if the other still existed. It did. I deleted the other two notes. I check all notes and found that the three notes were deleted on both accounts. The only notes on this device are under On My iPad.
I went into system settings and tried to delete the Icloud account. The warning comes up: This will delete all IMAP notes on your device. Will this also delete the notes in On My iPad?

Mail Smart Folders across accounts / between Macs

OS X Mail Smart Folders are very useful, but I have one problem:
My "Unread" folder between accounts and Macs has two criteria: Unread, plus on one account, not in a certain Inbox. Now, the mail account that I use for that 2nd criteria is only set up for use on one account. I have 2 accounts on my Mac Pro and 1 account on my MBP. When I check my Mail Unread folder on the other account and other Mac, the Unread folder syncs across iCloud, but since that email account I use for the 2nd criteria is not set up (active) on the other account / Mac, the Unread folder essentially breaks. If I edit it, then it breaks on the other user account where that 2nd criteria is effective.
Does that make sense? Anyone else having iCloud Mail Smart Folder sync issues across accounts / Macs?
Running OS X Yosemite all up to date on everything.

iCloud does not support or sync Smart Mailboxes or local folders. You can create mailboxes at the iCloud.com site that will be IMAP and show in the Mail sidebar under the iCloud folder. Those will show up on all devices.
Other than that, iCloud will only sync Mail's main mailboxes (default mailboxes).
In Addition to better explain:
Local folders under On My Mac are folders only located on the computer. They are not part of any IMAP or Exchange account.
Smart Mailboxes are for the most part just search engines. Messages are not stored in those, but they merely point to messages which actually reside in the original mailbox where they are stored.

Mac Mail Smart Folders triplicate messages (Gmail-based mail server)

I can't get Mail Smart Folders to work well with my Virginmedia mail server, which seems to use a Gmail type of system. (I'm using IMAP).
It is easy to set up an instruction to select mail e.g. from defined individuals only, or any other qualifier.
However, I get all mail in triplicate: from the normal Inbox, but also from Gmail-type "All Mail" and "Important" inboxes. I know these mailboxes exist on the Virginmedia server, and also, virtually, in Mail, but I don't ever look at them or need to. There might be a way of not having all mails defined as "Important" on the server, but "All Mail" exists by default and can't be removed, for obvious reasons.
I have tried various additional instructions in the Smart Folder such as include if "Message is in Inbox", but that selects all messages. Also, if "Message is not in Inbox", so that I get only two sets of messages, but that has produced strange results such as messages marked as in Spam folder, which seem to have nothing to do with the defined instructions.
Is there anything "smart" I can do about this, or is it just a matter of Mail not being up to speed with Gmail-based servers. It's just an annoyance, more than anything.

Nope. Gone.
I went to my second mac. Opened Mail, it refreshed its previous state, with 1100 messages in the Inbox, I was relieved and while thinking about my backup options, Mail started its new activity cycle and POOF....Gone. One test message in the Inbox.

ICloud + Apple mail; can I see content in mail folders on my mac?

Question for those who know iCloud.
If I am using iCloud + Apple mail; can I see content in mail folders on my mac?
Have 2 email accounts currently (yahoo and gmail), and use smart rules to move my email to them for organization automatically, issue is then I cannot see them on my iPhone mail, they are there, then "gone" when moved to the iMac folder.
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-MltXmqSQAXI/UkjrwPwtQmI/AAAAAAAAQk8/qwuOU7FFj dI/s720/iMac%2520mail.jpg

I don't see any evidence of an iCloud account there - do you actually have an @icloud.com address? iCloud syncs only its own email, it has no relationship to any other service.
However, if both your Mac and your iPhone are receiving, for example, Gmail, and you move a message on your Mac from the Gmail mailbos to a mailbox in the list under 'On My Mac' then this removes it from the GMail mailbox and as it's only on the Mac the iPhone cannot see it. In order to do what you want you have to create any new mailboxes on the GMail account itself and move the messages there.

Apple deciding what is junk mail and creating folders on my Mac

I am becoming far less enthused with Apple. For Apple to be filtering my email, to decided what is OK for me read and what is not, Apple must read my email and decide for me like a Big Brother, reasoning "it's for my own good".
Further Apple has demonstrated that not only can they direct where in my computer information is placed Apple can also create folders remotely in my MacIntosh computer as if Apple owned my computer, not me.
My computer belongs to me, not Apple. I decide what is SPAM and what is not. I decide where information in placed not Apple. I decide if a folder is created not Apple.
With iCloud based email service Apple is not just coordinating your email, Apple is deciding for you what is appropriate for you and where information is to be stored. Its a small thing ownership, but its an important thing. Good people died so we can have ownership.

jimoase wrote:
Csound1 wrote:
jimoase wrote:
Let's assume for a second that no one has a complaint: would there be a problem to solve?
Reasoning that because someone else does something that makes everyone else doing it OK, seems a little weak in the unalienable rights department.
I agree that if you like someone deciding for you what is good for you and what is not appropriate, that is your right to make that decision for you. Neither you or Apple can assume that right for others without their consent. Until the first part of April this year Apple did not make that decision for you.
Has Apple asked you for your permission to read your email and decide/censor what you information you can store in your InBox and what you can not?
More nonsense, Apple do not read your email, or add folders to your Mac, you are living a fantasy.
And please note, you do NOT own OS X (which is what you are actually talking about) you have been granted a license to use it under Apples terms, if you don't like that the answer is clear.
Here is an experiment to try. In Preferences: turn off Junk Mail. Delete the Junk mailbox with in Mail. In a few minutes, depending on your email traffic, Apple will recreate the Junk mailbox and place email in the newly create Junk mailbox.
Who read the email to determine its junk?
Who created the new Junk mailbox?
If it wasn't you, it's either Apple or ghosts. You decide.
I have no intention of allowing your nonsense to affect me.
Do it yourself.

I am unable to access mail folders on my mac from my iPad: is this s settings issue?

I keep a selected number of incoming e-mails in subject specific folders on my Mac for future reference. I am able to access all incoming e-mails on both my Mac and my iPad but these mail folders only on my Mac. If this is a settings issue, can anyone advise me how to correct the issue?

If you are using a POP type email account, no, those folders would not transfer over. They only exist on your Mac.
If you are using an IMAP type account, it is still possible you created the folders locally on the Mac rather than on the server. You may need to recreate them and then move emails over to the new folders.

Duplicate Mail Archive folders "ON MY MAC"

Similar Messages

Maybe you are looking for