Mail archive taking up 200+ Gigs!!!

Hi, I use IMAP, and therefore delete the emails a do not want at all and just keep the rest of them on the server. I recently noticed that I was running out of space on my computer and that MAC mail was using 200+ Gigs of space (Yes I have a lot of mail).
So I called Apple and asked if it was okay to delete the archived files and they said yes, it wouldn't delete the files from he server... so I did and that was that, and I had a much "lighter" computer...
However, the very next day Mac Mail started once again to back up the mail box and it took 4 hours to download and archive thousands of emails (and 4 hours of me not using email). So I am back where I started. How do I delete the archive and keep it from doing this in the future.
Thanks

You mail client is doing what it's supposed to do; retrieve emails you don't have on your Mac. It doesn't matter that you've had them on your Mac before, if they're not there now, the mail client assumes everything on the remote server is new and downloads them again. You're going to have to remove the ones you don't want anymore from the IMAP account on Apple's server or you're just going to keep getting them.
Now I don't know all the ins and outs of IMAP or email servers in general, so maybe there's a way to tell your email program not to retrieve mail already flagged as copied from the remove server. But that's why most everybody sets up their accounts to delete retrieved messages from the remote server. There's no need for them to be there anymore. It should be you making a backup of the emails you need to save on your external hard drive or whatever, not using the remote server as if it will never ever run out of room.

Similar Messages

  • I recently signed on with iCloud. I find that the prompts interrupt my workflow and the costs of this feature for someone with 200 gigs of data is not competitive. I want to cancel the mail, contacts, email, etc. without Removing data from my Mac. How?

    I recently signed on for iCloud service, but find that it interrupts my workflow too often (which I know I can reset), but will soon exceed my free storage space. I have 200 gigs of data on my local drive and frankly the cost and benefit of having ICloud access to all of it is not competitive. This particular iCloud offering is overpriced for me. I want to cancel all iCloud services but can't seem to find an easy way to do it without removing the data on my local drive, which would be disaster. Need the communities help. Thanks to all.

    Tried this, but unfortunately there was no way to cancel it even when disconnected from the NET. I'm on WIFI which I turned off.
    I keep getting a pop-up that says:
    The same message comes up when you want to cancel or remove any of the other iCloud storage functions including Contacts and Emails. This is obviously a scary thought. Why would APPLE program in this type of message? I'm already at 50% of my FREE storage on iCloud after only 2 weeks. There is no way I'm going to be held hostage by this clearly unacceptable "pay or die" programming lapse when I get to 100%. I know APPLE loves making money. Who doesn't, but this makes no sense to this devoted "Since 1984" Apple fan.

  • Why is mail is taking up 80% of my hdd?

    I Just got an iMac about 2 weeks ago, and now the HDD is full. I looked up reasons way. I was told to to give Disk Inventory X a try to see what was going on. It turns out Mail is taking up 414.8 Gigs of my 500 Gig HDD. So what can I do to stop this?

    Before you can stop it you need to figure out what that stuff is.  Just saying it comes from mail is not enough information to suggest any help.  How do you know it is mail?

  • How to restore Thunderbird mail archive from external harddrive?

    Macbook Pro crashed (display). However, the hard drive is fully ok. How I can restore the local Thunderbird mail archive from the hard drive? I can see it as external drive from another mac computer.

    Terve, pekkak!
    Tässä englanninkielisessä kysymyksessä tulikin sitten jo vähän enemmän taustatietoa. Mielestäni paras vaihtoehto olisi koko profiilin kopiointi, sillä silloin saisit toiseen koneeseesi täsmälleen saman tilanteen kuin vanhassa koneessasi. Edelleen, sovella ohjeita artikkelissa [[Thunderbirdin profiilit]].

  • My e mail is taking forever to download.

    My e mail is taking forever to download. It comes through fine on my i phone via the same wireless router. It is showing the amount of e mails being downloaded, I know there are no large files in there. Its as if something is blocking or slowing down the download. The rest of the computer works fine, as does outgoing mail. Any clues anyone?

    Has the unit EVER been jailbroke?  Has it EVER been dropped?  Did it EVER get excessively wet?  Did you EVER load a pirated developer's version of the IOS?
    If "No" to all the above, first try a system reset.  It cures many ills and it's quick, easy and harmless...
    Hold down the on/off switch and the Home button simultaneously until you see the Apple logo.  Ignore the "Slide to power off" text if it appears.  You will not lose any apps, data, music, movies, settings, etc.
    If the Reset doesn't work, try a Restore.  Note that it's nowhere near as quick as a Reset.  It could take well over an hour!  Connect via cable to the computer that you use for sync.  From iTunes, select the iPad/iPod and then select the Summary tab.  Follow the on-screen directions for Restore and be sure to say "yes" to the backup.  You will be warned that all data (apps, music, movies, etc.) will be erased but, as the Restore finishes, you will be asked if you wish the contents of the backup to be copied to the iPad/iPod.  Again, say "yes."
    At the end of the basic Restore, you will be asked if you wish to sync the iPad/iPod.  As before, say "yes."  Note that that sync selection will disappear and the Restore will end if you do not respond within a reasonable time.  If that happens, only the apps that are part of the IOS will appear on your device.  Corrective action is simple -  choose manual "Sync" from the bottom right of iTunes.
    If you're unable to do the Restore and you have IOS-6 or lower, go into Recovery Mode per the instructions here.  Also, if you have IOS-7, read this.

  • My e-mail archive somewhere in the system.

    Hi,
    A few of my incoming mails archive somewhere? After I suspect a missing mail I google the person above my e-mail account and find it.
    It then pups up in my e-mail but still can not see where it is archieved? When I click on incoming mails it disappears again somewhere?
    I can correspond with a person and then loose recipients answer. Also some new e-mails do the same. Frustrating since I do not know how many e-mails
    I loose! 
    I have goe through all my settings an can not see anything that should be changed.
    So far nobody has been able to help to solve the problem. Could this be safari settings problem, or my own settings?
    Any idea what it could be?
    TQ

    Hi Joelira,
    For updating applications, if the other AppleID is showing, that means that those apps were purchased under that other ID, and they will be forever tied to that ID - regardless of what ID you have signed on to iTunes & App Store. Any time you try to update those apps, you will have to put in the password for the ID that they were originally purchased under.
    For purchasing new Apps, if you have the correct ID signed on under iTunes & Apps option on your iPhone, then it will come up with whatever ID you have signed on under that option whenever you purchase a new App.
    Cheers,
    GB

  • How to import Apple Mail archive files in Outlook 2013?

    I need to import Apple Mail archived files in Outlook 2013 on Windows, but every time I open the import wizard and reach the file selection step, I cannot select the archived file. It doesn't even show in the dialog box.
    I don't know what the issue is. Is it the file size issue as the archive file is large (about 7 GB) or there is any other fault?

    If both system are using the IMAP mail provider all you have to do is setup the connection to the mail server and all the emails and folders will be copied down to the windows computer. That is what IMAP is for. The mail stays on the server, and can be store
    on the local computer also, and when you connect to the server with another device, computer, phone or pad, all the mail with folders gets copied to the other device.
    But I think some of your mail was gotten using POP so it is not longer on the server.
    Or you have emails in local folder only and they would be on the server. But you can create folder on the server in one mail program, or on the mail web interface and then copy those emails into those folder on the server byt copying them in one of the email
    programs. Then when you log on with the other device all of them will be downloaded to the other device.
    Other alternative:- You can find various solutions on having a google search
    for your problem. Or you can have a look at the following link: Apple mail to Outlook Windows

  • Why use e-mail archive? What are the Pros

    Why use mail archive? What are the Pros & Cons?

    gbaustian wrote:
    Tony T1, OK, thanks. So there is no space savings or compression, just another folder. Then why have it??
    Convenience.  I always had an Archive Mailbox.  I used to have to select and drag, now I select and click a button.

  • I have 200 Gig of "Other"

    Before downloading Mt Lion, I had more than 3/4 of my HD available. Now I have near to nothing because I have 200 GIG of Other. What the **** is it and how do I deal with it? The computer is running fine, but I suspect in a while it won't be. Surely there shold be a way to identify this stuff and get rid of it.
    I tried Disk Utility and repairing permissions, but it didn't help.

    Parrish Jones wrote:
    E.G. there is a lot of "Mobile Synch bkup that is using a lot of space. However I haven't a clue what is needed and isn't.
    Those are backups of your mobile devices.
    I need to get rid of ****, but it doesn't tell me where the **** is. I have all this stuff called "Other" that does not show up as other on my HD with Daisy DIsk.
    See The Storage Display for an explanation of what's in "Other."  200 GB sounds like quite a lot, though, so see Where did my Disk Space go?  The steps there may find some large stuff that's hidden.

  • Best Way to Backup Mail, Archive or Drag and Drop?

    I'm going to perform a clean install on a 4 year old G5 at work and I'm backing up the mail but I was curious if the Drag and Drop method I've used in the past is the most efficient? In the past, I've just copied the entire mail folder to a backup location and then when the reformat was finished, replaced the new mail folders with the old one.
    I've actually never noticed the "Archive Mailbox" or the "Import Mailboxes" options before and was curious if going the Archive then Import route is a better/safer option or if my old method works just fine (I've not seemingly had any problems in the past).

    In my experience copying the entire Mail folder is the most trouble free method. Mail archives sometimes fail to restore. Archiving also doesn't save all the support files in the Mail folder.

  • Automatic e-mails archiving in UCM

    Hello,
    I am trying to get some information about this topics:
    Is there any possibility for automatic e-mail archiving in UCM in the context of using the Desktop Integration Suite?
    For example: automatic archiving of all e-mails that are older than 10 days
    or other archiving criteria: - automatic archiving of all e-mails bigger than 10 MB
    - automatic archiving of the e-mails by the existence of only 10% of the emailbox capacity
    - automatic archiving of the e-mails if the users are out of office
    Is there any possibility to access the emails that are archived into the UCM through the Outlook Web Access?
    Is there any possibility to reduce the load on the Exchange Server by moving received e-mails to the UCM ?
    Many thanks in advance

    Hey Kunst,
    I could not get you when you say *"emails that are archived into the UCM through the Outlook Web Access?"*
    do you mean emails that are checked in UCM. In this case it might be possible to do it.
    Is there any possibility to reduce the load on the Exchange Server by moving received e-mails to the UCM ?
    For this you will need to write your custom SMTP server which can directly check in e-mails in UCM from SOAP interface.

  • Mail archival and status of the archived mail

    I use IMAP to talk to microsoft exchange server. When the server complained that the mailbox was full, I decided to archive the mail and delete it from server. Then I imported the archived mail. But to my surprise ALL of my mails in that archive are showing up as "unread". I had about 100 or so unread emails when they were in the server, but I have now lost the knowledge of which ones, because everything is showing up as unread.
    Am I doing some thing wrong in the archival process? Why isn't Mail.app preserving the [un]read status of the mails during archival process?
    Thanks
    Siva

    this is the default behavior. Mail archives messages in mbox format that is used by many mail clients. this is just a plain text file containing the raw source of the messages. read status is not contained in that file. hence when mail imports an archive like this it has to treat all messages as new.

  • [ Bug ? ] Mail archive - discussion thread not visible if archive 'too early'

    Hello,
    I feel like something is wrong concerning mail archive and thread/discussions. I explain :
    - Septembre : I receive a mail and I archive it, via Gmail,  in the XX category
    - Octobre and Novembre : this mail become a thread, people answer, I answer etc...  The discussion ends and I archived it, via Gmail, so that it's not in my Incoming box anymore. (so :  it's the second time I archive it )
    - Today : I want to read again what we talked about in this thread, so I go to my XX category via iOS Mail app.
    > Here is the problem: I only see the the first mail of the thead, I have to 'unarchive' it and 're-archive it' so that all the mails in this discussion ( so the thread ) are totally visible when I go to my XX category via the Mail app. (of course, no problem with gmail interface)
    Someone may confirm ?
    Did I miss something ?
    cya

    No one got that problem ?

  • Mail Archive without hosting a Mail Service

    Hey all,
    I'm working with a University group that just set up a server. We are running DNS, Open Directory, and Web services. We would like to document and archive all e-mails going to and from members of the group using the server, but we do not want to issue new e-mail addresses to our members. Is there an easy way to do this using 10.5.4?
    Maybe a mailing list just using everyone's third party e-mail addresses?
    Thanks
    Pat

    Hi,
    I have set up a couple of groups doing this with a group mailinglist with and without the archive and forwarding to individual user's email addresses (not hosted on the server). It does require a mail service for _teamsserver to distribute the mail for the group to users. You can setup the mailservice easily following pterobyte's nice tutorial at http://osx.topicdesk.com/content/view/45/41/ for a basic setup. Ensure to enable server group mailing lists and put the mailservice domain in the local host alias panel of Advanced->Hosting.
    Enable group web service->site->Web Services mailist web archive and
    in WGM enable group services including mailing list web archive for the group. This puts a mail archive function alongside wiki and blogs for the group.
    If you just want to distribute mail without a wiki/blog, only enable Mailing List for the group service in WGM; no archive will be maintained.
    For each user assigned to the group in WGM ->Mail -> enable Forward and enter the email address as well as in the Info Panel email address block.
    HTH,
    Harry

  • Mail is taking up too much space

    I've got just few emails on my iPhone but in Usage it says that mail is taking up 3.5GB...how come ? how can i delete it ? where is the mail hidden ? thanks

    Hi ProspectP,
    The resource below will explain how to see how the storage space on your iPhone is being used by various applications, including Mail.  For Mail and Messages especially, the photo and video attachments can take up a lot of space if you've saved them to your iPhone.
    In the Mail app, in the list of Mailboxes, you will see a mailbox called Attachments, which shows you all of the emails that you have with attachments.   Also, look at the settings for Mail.  Tap on your primary mail account, and look in the Advanced settings.  You can change the settings to removed deleted email from your device after one day, which will free up space.
    See how much storage you've used on your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch - Apple Support
    https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201656
    Attachments - iPhone
    http://help.apple.com/iphone/8/#/iph845853585
    Work with multiple messages - iPhone
    http://help.apple.com/iphone/8/#/iph9db03b2f5
    Hope that helps ...
    - Judy

Maybe you are looking for