Home directory full

I have been using the Mail program on my G4 800 FW for years to send and receive email. Recently after a reboot, when I tried to open Mail, I got an error message that read, "Mail cannot update your mailboxes because your home directory is full." That text was in bold. After that the message went on in regular type, "You must free up space in your home folder before using Mail. Delete unneeded documents or move documents to another volume." The problem of course is that the only live button in the message is a "Quit" button. I can't delete anything from my home directory in Mail, if I cannot even launch the program. Nearly all the drop down menu items are grayed out and unavailable. The ones that are not, are ones that have further drop downs and they are all grayed out and unavailable, except for the drop down entitled, "Style" which lets me select either "Bold" or "Italic". My 160 GB hard drive is nearly full. The infor window indicates that I have 1.36 GB available. I have tried rebooting the machine again and it did not help.

Thanks for your reply Klaus. It took me a while but I now have 22.4 GB of free space on my 160 GB hard drive. When I finished, I rebooted the machine, but I still get the exact same error message when I try to launch the Mail program. Any other suggestions?

Similar Messages

  • "Home Directory Full" message "fix doesn't work for me

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    I tried to use the standard fix (e.g., removing the "Envelope Index" file to the desktop and launching Mail). This did cause a dialog to pup up informing me that I needed to re-index my mail file. I did that, and the process stopped with the progress indicator about two thirds through. I quit Mail and replaced the Mail folder in Library with the backup I had made before getting started.
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    And this is where things stand. I still get the "Home Directory Full" message about once out of two launches of Mail (but never once Mail is up and running). I desperately need to get this fixed as I fear I'm on the brink of a disaster with my mail file.
    One more clue: I cannot be 100% sure, but it seems to me that the problem began when I added a second dot mac email account to my Mail setup (we have a family pack; I always managed the main account and have more recently added one of the sub-accounts to my configuration). I also noticed that sometimes, this second dot Mac account shows up in my list of mailboxes on the left side of the screen, and sometimes it doesn't. Both these accounts are configured to be checked automatically. In addition to these IMAP accounts, I have a half dozen POP3 accounts and some 40 or 50 local mailboxes configured.
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    Thanks in advance for any assistance you can offer.
    Daniel

    You’re welcome.
    When I removed the preference file (com.apple.mail.plist), I also removed
    the folder "Mail" so as to start from scratch completely.
    Well, that’s not what you said in your first post...
    I only use "Other" because I read in one of Apple's notes that one should
    try "Other" in the event that the OS X Mail import failed (which it did).
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    there is a way to actually export the contents of a mailbox as individual
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    Selected messages can be exported in standard mbox format by doing File > Save As in Mail and choosing Raw Message Source from the Format popup menu. Standard mbox files can be imported into most mail clients. In particular, they can be imported back into Mail doing File > Import Mailboxes and choosing Other as the data format. Using this format, however, would cause some status flags to be lost (e.g. whether a message has been replied to).
    Locally stored mailboxes can be copied to the Desktop or anywhere else by just dragging them there from Mail itself (for server-stored IMAP mailboxes, copy the messages to locally stored “On My Mac” mailboxes in Mail first). These, however, are .mbox folders (not standard mbox files), where messages are stored in individual .emlx files that other mail clients don’t know or care about. They can be imported back into Mail doing File > Import Mailboxes and choosing Mail for Mac OS X as the data format.
    It also explains why the import only brought in 5,200 items instead of the 7,900.
    The question is: where are the others?
    In the Messages folder.
    as I mentioned above, I used disk utility to check the disk and fix permissions, so I did
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    OK result, then there is no point in booting from another disk to perform a repair disk.
    Right. I missed that part of your first post. Sorry.
    if the mbox files are no longer needed, can they be removed?
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    <hr>
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    If all is well and you don’t miss anything, the files on the Desktop can be deleted, although you may want to keep them for a while, just in case.
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  • WGM Home directory full path not populating properly

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    Message was edited by: MattLucas1505

  • Help  -  "mail home directory full?

    hi,
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    We I searched the usual and went to Users/me/library/mail. I openned that and went to my POP account, openned up the mail boxes for inbox etc. I copied the .emlx messages into a folder and put them on the desktop, thinking that would free up some space. It didn't. I did a restart ... same message happens.... The mail bar opens but everything is grey, the message above pops up and I have no choice but to quit.
    I can't access any of my mail. When I try to open one of the .emlx files on the desktop, the same message above opens. I am at a loss!
    Could someone please help. I can't even get the About Mail to open so that I can tell you what I version I have, but I do update everything.
    thanks

    With the Mail.app quit and using the Finder, go to Home > Library > Mail.
    Copy the Mail folder and place the copy on the Desktop for backup purposes.
    Using the Finder, go to Home > Library > Mail > Envelope Index.
    Delete the Envelope Index file and empty the Trash.
    Launch Mail and you will be prompted to import all mailboxes available in the Mail folder at Home > Library > Mail. Select OK and allow the import process to complete.
    This isn't really importing anything but replacing the deleted Envelope Index file and re-indexing all mailboxes and should resolve the problem.
    After confirming all mailboxes and messages are available, you can delete the copy of the Mail folder placed on the Desktop.

  • "Home Directory" full in mail

    I can't use my mail as I keep getting this message:
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    I can't find this 'home directory' and have no issues using mail on my other mac which is linked to the same pop account.

    Hi surepure,
    It sounds like you are using Filevault.
    Filevault- "There isn't enough space on your hard disk..." alert ...
    http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1974
    Mac OS X 10.3, 10.4: FileVault - How to verify or repair a home directory image ...
    http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2631?viewlocale=en_US

  • Mail wont open says home directory is full. HELP?

    I dont know what happend but i restarted my powerbook today and when i got back to the desktop and tried launching mail it gives me the following message.
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    what happend to cause this and what can i do to fix it.
    Thanks

    If your hard drive has at least 5GB of free space available, quit Mail first and using the Finder go to Home > Library > Mail > Envelope Index. Move the Envelope Index file to the Desktop.
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    Select OK and allow the import process to complete and a new Envelope Index file will be created automatically by Mail within the Mail folder.
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  • On 10.4.11 Mac Mail I get this: Mail cannot update your mailboxes because your home directory is full. You must free up space in your home folder before using Mail. Delete unnedded documents or move documents to another volume. I can't open mail.

    On 10.4.11 iMac Mac Mail I get this message: "Mail cannot update your mailboxes because your home directory is full. You must free up space in your home folder before using Mail. Delete unneeded documents or move documents to another volume." I can't open mail to do this. I have reinstalled software but no effect. How do I get into Mail to delete?

    Found this on the "more like this" Worked like a charm!
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  • Unable to open Mail.  Home directory is full.

    Suddenly I can no longer open my Mail program. The error message I am confronted with is:
    "Mail cannot update your mailboxes because your home directory is full.
    You must free up space in your home folder before using Mail. Delete unneded documents or move documents to another volume."
    I have gone in to my home folder and deleted a ton of stuff. But I am still unable to open my Mail application.
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    What is your hard drive capacity and available free space after deleting a ton of stuff?
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    With the Mail.app quit and using the Finder, go to Home > Library > Mail > Envelope Index.
    Move the Envelope Index file to the Desktop.
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    After confirming all mailboxes were successfully imported, you can delete the old Envelope Index file from the Desktop and this should resolve the problem.

  • "Mail cannot update your mailboxes because your home directory is full"

    I have a 250 GB hard disk, 4.34 GB of which is in my "Home" folder. (Total HD usage is about 27 GB.) This happened suddenly after Mail had been working fine for eons. I deleted a bunch of files (107 MB) in a "Drafts" folder (none show up in the Mail app's "Drafts" icon), but it made no difference. I re-installed the Mac OS X 10.4.11 combo update... no difference. Mail version is 2.1.3.
    Any help here? I cannot use Mail at all.
    Message was edited by: Bill Strohm

    Hey there,
    Have you had a chance to look at this Apple support document relating directly to this issue. Hope it helps.
    [Mac OS X 10.4: "Mail cannot update your mailboxes because your home directory is full" alert|http://support.apple.com/kb/TA24486?viewlocale=en_US]
    B-rock

  • Mail account cannot update because home directory is full. But I can not get into mail without freezing. Is there a back door entry?

    mail account cannot update because home directory is full. But I can not get into mail without freezing. Is there a back door entry?

    Do you mean that your startup disk is full?

  • Home directory is full problem

    My Mac at work gets the following message now whenever I try to use Mail -
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    Hello, mikekin4.
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    Forum: Mail and Address Book
    If you are running OS X 10.4, here is a link to an Apple Support document.
    Mac OS x 10.4: 'Mail cannot update your mailboxes because your home directory is full' alert
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    No Alibi.
    Message was edited by: No Alibi. The last link does not work. I will try to post again with a correction.
    Message was edited by: No Alibi

  • Home directory is full - how do i delete?  It doesn't look full

    After my problems last week - i was able to reindex mail, but now I'm getting doubles of each email and then mail won't work because "my home directory is full"
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    How did you reindex your mail?
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  • Home Directory is Full? And it is so not Full

    Hi There:
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    Thanks
    W

    No thanks
    I figured out that it was a corrupted envelope index file in my mail folder.
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    Hi Allan,
    I finally realized that I couldn't move any folders or objects (not just mail related folders) and figured out that all of this started when I connected my laptop to my desktop via firewire (target) and perhaps it was not properly ejected. So I connected again, ejected and voila - then I could move objects again. I moved the envelope index and it worked perfectly - mail is working again.
    Thank you for your efforts!
    Amy

  • Mail not opening, "Home directory is full" ???

    I am unable to open my mail application. I'm getting the following error message:
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    Hello Aaron.
    With the Mail.app quit and using the Finder, go to Home > Library > Mail > Envelope Index.
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    Using the Finder, go to Home > Library > Mail. Copy the Mail folder and place the copy on your Desktop for backup purposes.
    Launch Mail and you will be prompted to import all mailboxes available within the Mail folder at Home > Library > Mail.
    Select OK and allow the import process to complete. It really isn't importing anything but replacing the deleted Envelope Index file and re-indexing (so to speak) all messages.
    When completed and after confirming all mailboxes and messages are available, you can delete the copy of the Mail folder from the Desktop.

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