Mail messages keep disappearing

I bought my mac about a month ago and am confounded by the mail program. Seems messages keep disappearing from my inbox and also from my sent items. This morning I sent a message that I needed to call up again but it had disappeared. I've searched everywhere for answers to this but can't figure out what's happening. Can someone help?
Thanks
alda

Since you are accessing two accounts with Mail, there is an Inbox mailbox for each account and the same for Drafts, Sent, Trash and Junk when Junk Mail is set to automatic.
Open Inbox be selecting the black triangle beside it pointing it down to reveal the Inbox mailbox for each account. Selecting an account's Inbox mailbox reveals messages received by that account only in the message list. Selecting Inbox reveals a "blended" Inbox mailbox for all accounts in the message list.
The same applies to Drafts, Sent, Trash and Junk (when Junk Mail is set to automatic) in the mailboxes drawer.
Since you are accessing an IMAP account with Mail, there is also an account named icon for the IMAP account at the bottom of the mailboxes drawer. This includes the server stored mailboxes for the account with the exception of the account's Inbox mailbox which is located under Inbox in the mailboxes drawer. Regardless the account type, the Inbox mailbox for each account is located under Inbox.
So now, which account is missing messages - the POP account or the IMAP account and from which mailbox - the account's Inbox mailbox, Sent mailbox or both?
Are you storing sent messages on the server for your IMAP account which is available under the Mailbox Behaviors tab for the account preferences?
There is no setting to remove messages from the server with an IMAP account. Mail is keeping the server stored mailboxes synchronized with the server.
In order to create a separate account in Mail provided by the same provider, the account must be an actual account which means the account has its own user name. An additional email address that shares the same user name, incoming mail server and password as a primary email account is called an alias and you cannot create an alias address as a separate account in Mail due to the account and associated mailbox filing structure at the Finder level.
To add a alias email address to the primary account, go to Mail > Preferences > Accounts and under the Account information tab for the account preferences at the Email Address field, add the alias email address in this field separated by a comma from the primary account's email address. Save the changes when prompted.
All messages addressed to the alias address will be deposited in the primary account's Inbox mailbox and when wanting to send a message with the alias email address, select the address via the Account selection pop-up when composing a message.

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If any of my answers helped solve your problem, please consider awarding some points. Why Reward Points?
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