Synchronizing Mail on two computers

I use two computers: my MacBook Pro and an iMac. I'm pretty good about keeping the appropriate files backed and and/or synchronized on both machines. I have a problem with Mail, though.
Here's what I know:
Mail messages are stored in user/library/mail/ and then in various folders that are the names of my various e-mail addresses. They are stored as numbered files, i.e., 74056.emlx.
During the course of the week, because I don't synchonize every day (can't, really), a message may end up on my lap top with the same number as one that ends up on my desk top, but they may be completely different messages. In the past, I've been able to resolve the conflict by letting ChronoSync do it's job and then rebuilding whatever mailbox I knew to have a message header that no longer represented the real message.
But now, when I rebuild, hundreds of messages I have deleted return, and create duplicates or triplicates in my mail folders. I have deleted them from the server, I have used "erase deleted messages" from the drop down menu, and I am, as I write this, using Mail Scripts to search and delete.
That said, what am I doing wrong? I want to keep neat orderly duplicate free mail boxes without losing the important info that various messages still contain.
Suggestions?

Synchronization of local mail data between computers by means of a file synchronization utility is a really bad idea if more than one computer is allowed to access mail between synchronizations.
Mail uses a global Envelope Index file to keep track of every message within the ~/Library/Mail/ folder. If this file is modified on both computers between synchronizations, there is no way a file synchronization utility can handle the situation properly.
Another more subtle and dangerous issue is that Mail may use different *.emlx sequence numbers to name the same message on different computers, or worse yet, the same sequence number to name different messages. The only thing a file synchronization utility can do about it is create duplicates of some messages while overwriting (i.e. losing) others.
Mail data “synchronization” at the filesystem level can only be done reliably if it’s a one-way operation, i.e. if the entire contents of the Mail folder on one computer are overwritten by the entire contents of the Mail folder on the other. You should think of the ~/Library/Mail folder as if it was a monolithic entity.
BTW, this is not a Mail thing. Although the granularity may be different, you would encounter similar issues with any other mail client because there is no way you can avoid the same files being modified differently on both computers if you use both between synchronizations. The only reliable way to achieve mail synchronization between computers is using an IMAP account and storing mail on the server.

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Problem syncing Mail between two computers

I know this is a well worn topic and I've read the posts on syncing mail between two computers. Overall, I've gotten it to work pretty well. Whenever I move from one computer to another, I copy my ~/Library/Mail folder to my thumbdrive and sync it w/ the same folder on my other computer before I fire up Mail on it.
But here's the problem: I rebuilt the "sent" mailbox on one of my computers (let's call it computer A). This apparently gives new message numbers to the messages. Things worked great on computer A after that.
Then I synced the mailbox with my other computer, computer B. On computer B, the change in mailbox numbers apparently was not recognized. Every message in the "sent" folder gave me the message that I needed to go online and download the message. So I rebuilt the "sent" mailbox on computer B. Things then worked great.
Then I synced back with computer A and the same thing happened. Every message in the sent folder gave me the "download from server message."
It seems that I'm in some sort of infinite loop. The rebuild on one computer is not recognized by the other computer. Clearly, there is some file somewhere that contains info that's not being conveyed when I sync the ~/Library/Mail folder.
Any suggestions??

That is interesting. To that effect I have thrown together this Applescript:
(CAUTION... do not run this script, experimental only!
set flashDrive to "FLASH"
tell application "System Events" to exists process "Mail.app"
if the result is true then tell application "Mail" to quit
-- copy files to mounted disk
do shell script "rm -r /Volumes/" & flashDrive & "/Mail/"
do shell script "cp -r ~/Library/Mail /Volumes/" & flashDrive & "/"
do shell script "cp ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.mail.plist /Volumes/" & flashDrive & "/Mail/"
--copy files to userfolder
do shell script "rm -r ~/Library/Mail"
do shell script "cp -r /Volumes/" & flashDrive & "/Mail ~/Library/"
do shell script "cp /Volumes/" & flashDrive & "/Mail/com.apple.mail.plist ~/Library/Preferences/"
Problem is, I don't know how to tell the script which version of mail data is older or newer. If you know of such a way let me know and I'll script it in, otherwise the user is stuck with manually choosing what to copy to where.
And as we all know, any user choices are error-prone.

Synchronize Mail Across Two Computers

Hey everyone!
I have two iMacs running 10.5.7 with Apple Mail set to download email from my own domain with a POP server. I have a gigabytes of locally stored mail that I would like to have synchronized to another, iMac also running 10.5.7. I don't have the option of IMAP, but even if I did, the gigabytes of saved mail would go over my quota.
I tried using Live Mesh, but it does not support files in the /library directories, and MobileMe does not support IMAP/POP accounts.
Any other ideas?
Thanks in advance!

there is no good way to keep POP mail synced across two computers. one time syncing is possible by exporting a mail archive and moving it to another computer but it's not something you want to do on a regular basis. the best i can suggest is to check the option in mail preferences->accounts->advanced to keep messages on the server after retrieval. this way you can download them to both computers.
Message was edited by: V.K.

Synchronizing accounts on two computers?

I have a desktop and laptop and I would like to keep the Documents folder synchronized between the two. Is this possible? What about syncing Mail and its mailboxes?
thanks
Ken
flat-panel imac & PM G4 w/ Sonnet 800MHz card Mac OS X (10.4.3)

You can do it with iSync, but that requires a .Mac account. See http://www.apple.com/dotmac/ for details.

Syncing Mail between two computers

I use both a desktop and a laptop computer and need to sync my work files including my >10GB Mail folder between the two. For the most part I have been able to do this pretty successfully using Chronosync. I have a firewire drive that I plug in and sync the desired files, and this fire wire drive goes back and forth to work. For Mail I backup ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.mail.plist and ~/Library/Mail.
The problem I'm having with my mail is that every so often the index gets corrupted and then Mail abruptly quits. I'm assuming this is the Envelop Index file stored in the Mail folder, but I'm not totally sure. To rebuild it I have to restart Mail so it can rebuild the Index. That would be fine if that's all it did, but actually it re-imports all my email messages again and now I have duplicate copies. After this happens, I have triplicate and even quadruplicate copies. I'm using a Mail script to remove these duplicates, but this situation is getting out of hand. For example, today it will take ALL DAY to remove the >30,000 duplicates.
Does anyone know the answers to the following:
1. Why does the index get corrupted sometimes but not others?
2. What can I do to keep this file from getting corrupted?
3. Where are all these email messages that Mail re-imports coming from? I have extensive filters to sort incoming messages; I delete junk; I empty my trash on a regular basis. Why can't the index be created based on the existing folders that have the messages sorted into them? WHy are a bazillion messages being reimported?
I am currently using POP servers. I played around this morning with IMAP because my employer provides it, but I don't see how this will solve my problem with my local nested storage of messages on my two computers that I wish to sync. And I think that IMAP is going to give me troubles in a short time because my employer only provides 250 MB of storage space. So storing messages on the server really isn't going to be an option for me.
Any ideas anyone? Right now I'm not syncing to anything mobile other than my laptop, so I don't need any of iphone fixes....

I'll just update to mention that I just noticed that the "Remove Duplicates" script isn't actually removing all the duplicates. I'm down from 3-4 copies of everyting to just two, and now I need a way to get rid of this one extra duplicate. Anyone know of any other ways to do this?

Sync Mail between two computers

After Leopard upgrade, I switched from Entourage to Mail.app, so I'm new to it.
I use two Macs and POP accounts. How can I sync Mail.app between two computers in Leopard? The Sync Service of Smart Folders is not enough for me.
May I use a sync app like Folders Synchrnonizer?
Thanks
Stefano

Both my wife and I have multiple macs and work at home and on the road - we've tried all sorts, and there are 3 approaches that work:
1) IMAP
I know you think this isn't the ideal solution for you, but it is unbelievably simple and rock solid once you get it working.
Set your POP mail addresses to forward all mail to your IMAP address (I use .mac which is brilliant, I don't know about Gmail).
Your mail is server based, so your laptop, desktop, iPhone, webmail from a PC etc. are all always in sync.
You will still get your mail from your old accounts.
You can set rules on any of your machines to filter your mail into folders according to which address they were originally sent to.
HOWEVER the mail you SEND will be FROM your IMAP address, so your clients / friends may get confused if you don't want them to use your IMAP address as your main address.
2)
Leave POP mail on the server.
In Mail preferences, highlight your POP account and click on the "Advanced" tab.
Select "Remove mail from server" to a 1 day if you come home each night.
If you are away for longer, make it 1 week or Never.
This way, if you download mail on your Laptop, when you get home that evening, your desktop will download the same mail again, as it has been left on the server.
It's sort of fake IMAP.
The downside is you can end up with a full mailbox at the server very quickly as you are now leaving messages on it, and you may have to empty the server yourself sometimes (in the same menu you just adjusted).
Also, if you are away from your laptop too long, you may download and later delete-from-the-server messages on your desktop, leaving your laptop out of date.
Use Mac Sync to keep your rules, mailboxes and preferences synced up.
This is the way it's designed to work, so it should work fine.
3)
Drag the Mail folder.
Assuming you're only using one Mac at any one time, you simply move the main mail folder to whichever machine is current.
Quit Mail on both machines.
On your target mac, go to youruserfolder/Library and rename the "Mail" folder to something else like "Mail Old". This is just so you have a backup.
On your source mac, go to youruserfolder/Library and copy that entire folder (not just the mailboxes) either to a drive to transfer to your target mac, or straight to it if you have it networked.
When you start up mail you will find the messages, folders, mailboxes etc. are the same as they were on your source mac.
Now you use your target mac (say your laptop) for a while.
When you are going back to your original source mac (e.g. your desktop), you now repeat the process in the other direction, replacing your desktop's mail folder with your newer laptop's version.
It's really important you use one mac at a time and swap the folder each time you switch.
If you rename the previous version before you overwrite it, you know you have a backup if things get out of sync.
It works really well if you only take the laptop out occassionally, or if you use it exclusively for days at a time (i.e you go away) and you only need to do the transfer every so often.
Also, it helps if you don't have thousands of emails - if your Mail folder is under half a gig, you can do this quickly using a USB keyring or similar. Any bigger and the transfer can get a bit slow.
I use option 1, and felt it was worth changing my email address for.
My wife uses option 2 when she is using her laptop in the day and she can run her desktop each evening the download the mail left on the server.
But she sometimes gets trouble with her popmail server filling up (she gets lots of video and audio attachments) so if she's going away or not planning to use her desktop in the evenings, she reverts to option 3 and removes messages from the server "right away", updating her desktop's mail folder at the end of the week and just using her laptop until then.
Good luck!

Sync mail on two computers

i have two laptops and several email accounts - a mixture of POP and IMAP.
at the moment i use a macbook pro for email, but i'd now like to set up my macbook air to use with the same accounts when i'm travelling.
is it straightforward to duplicate all my accounts and messages on the MBA or are there any potential conflicts i need to watch out for that might run a risk of messages going missing or not being collected on both computers ?
any pointers towards how to do this would be much appreciated.

I'd use IMAP for all accounts. You already use IMAP for some of your accounts, so you should know the benefits of having synced mail across all devices. Can you switch your POP accounts to IMAP?

I am looking to change my apple ID because my e-mail is changing. How can I do this? or Can I have the same e-mail for two computers?

I am looking to change my Apple Id (changing my internet profider), which is my e-mail, How do i do this? or, can i have two computer using the same gmail e-mail as a apple id ? thanks!

My iTunes appleID is an old defunct e-mail address - it does not have to be functional.
Do what Winston says to ensure you keep getting correspondence related to that ID.
AC

Mirror mail on two computers

I have a typical situation, with a desktop computer in my office, and a lap top that travels with me.
I need my mail to be identical on both machines. I'm trying to use Mail, but haven't figured out how to get this to work. Ideally, the sync feature would sync not just accounts, but actual mail. (Which I thought it would do by the way, initially!) Having sync only sync my accounts, which basically never change, but not my emails, which change all the time, seems very non-intuitive.
I have a POP account, and do not want to use IMAP for this process, for various reasons.
I had hoped I could find a solution similar to iCal and Address Book, where I could make changes on either computer anytime, and once the computers are synced, changes from both would be seen on both computers. (Is this a planned upgrade for the future??)
Any ideas? Or am I missing something somewhere?
Intel Core Duo Mac OS X (10.4.6) laptop: PowerPC G4, also on 10.4.6

Mike,
Thanks for the suggestion, but that doesn't actually work for me. I need all sent and received email to be the same on both computers, and I don't think the sent mail would be the same on both with your suggestion.
The other problem is that I get enough mail that my mailbox would clog on my server, and I don't really want to pay for more space, since I have the space on both the local computers.
Previously, I was copying all my Entourage files from one computer to the other, which worked, although not convenient. One of the reasons I switched to Mail (at least for now), is to make this process more convenient for me. I do like Mail better, as far as the interface is concerned. If I were to do it "the brute force way", like I used to, do you know what files I need to copy from one computer to the other? Is that my only option, to have an identical copy?
By the way, I don't use both computers at the same time. I use one while in town, and one while out of town, so I just have to do this when I leave and when I come back.
Thanks for any suggestions!

How do I get mail on two computers using OSX 10.5

how do I get my Mail on both my computers. MacBook and iMac

You can choose to leave mail on your ISP's servers. See http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3228
That way if you get mail on you MacBook, it's still available to get the same messages on your iMac.
 Cheers, Tom

Proper setup for using two computers and backup drives?

I've just purchased Aperture 3 and want to fix a longstanding problem I've had with my workflow and setup in Lightroom. I've got an iMac and a MBP and what I'd like to do is use the iMac as my main computer for Aperture. My plan is to import my existing files into Aperture and copy them to an external (non-portable) hard drive for back-up purposes. Based on this, I'd have two copies of each file, one each on the iMac and the back-up drive, right?
I also use my MBP for a lot of photo editing work while on the road, but don't have a lot of drive space on it. I've bought a 750GB hard drive and I'd like to have the Library on this drive as well for use on the MBP. I know this would give me three copies of each file, but it would also give me some peace of mind in the event I somehow lost the info on the 750GB drive. I don't want copies of the images on the MBP directly as I don't have enough space.
Can this setup be "easily" done and if I make a change in an image on one computer will it be synchronized between the two computers and the two external hard drives? I guess in plain English, what I'd like to achieve is the ability to work on either computer and have the most recent versions synchronize when I attach the 750GB drive to the iMac, with the non-portable external drive as the back-up for the synchronized Library.
Thanks in advance for any help,
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No, vaults only look after a managed library. A referenced library has to be backed up manually.
There are a few reasons i prefer to use a referenced set up. I use a MBPro on the road for long periods and sometimes high volumes of large image files, so the limited capacity HD is no longer a problem.
Aperture does not slow down with a referenced library as the HD fills.
The Vaults cannot be accessed like manual back ups can, there is no way of knowing what is in there, you hope it is your entire Aperture library.
With manual project backup you have a more manageable size that is much more versatile, and is viewable because of its smaller size. You can delete stuff and then restore it from the backup.
It is safer in my opinion to not have all the library in a single library folder. Much safer split up by project.
When i did use a managed library and Vaults there were times when i wanted stuff off the Aperture library but still kept in the vault, which was not possible.
Allan

Synchronize iTunes Library Across Two Computers

I have separate iTunes music libraries on my work and home computers. I would like to keep them synchronized, such that if I add a song, or change the rating/playcount/etc on one computer it is reflected on the other.
I currently use an external HD and a 3rd party sync program (Synchronize X Pro) to keep my work files synchronized between the two computers. I'm wondering if I just include the music folder in the synchronization if that will work.
Many thanks.

I have been synchronizing iTunes between two computers by duplicating the following three files/folders from the "source" computer over to the "target" computer:
iTunes Library (file)
iTunes Music Library.xml (file)
iTunes Music (folder)
However, you lastly need to check (with a text editor) the
iTunes Music Library.xml
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<key>Music Folder</key><string>file://localhost/Users/Username/Music/iTunes/iTunes%20Music/</string>
If this string does not properly describe the location of the iTunes Music folder (the folder that holds all the music files), you must edit it so that it does. (If both computers store the iTunes stuff in the Apple default location, no changes will be needed.)
With this exception, my manual "synchronization" has worked well and all tags, ratings, playlists, counts etc. have been preserved.
imac G5 Mac OS X (10.4.6) (also imac G3 10.2.8; and G4 Powerbook 10.3.9)
imac G5 Mac OS X (10.4.6) (also imac G3 10.2.8; and G4 Powerbook 10.3.9)

I have two computers one 10.5.8 one 10.6.8. Updated the 10.6.8 and now my mail has disappeared on one computer - do I sync account to get all my mail content back?

I have two computers one IMac 10.5.8 one MacBookPro 10.6.8. Updated the MacBookPro 10.6.8 and now my mail has disappeared on that computer - do I sync account to get all my mail content back onto the MacBookPro?

You can do it. This article from Macworld will be helpful to you:
http://www.macworld.com/article/161087/2011/07/install_lion_over_leopard.html
I recommend the "brute-force" method.
Just make sure you have your data backed up properly!

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Hello All,
Apologize if this has been answered before. I have two computers: a laptop and a desktop, and I use Apple Mail on both. I would like to send signed/encrypted mail from both. I got myself a Thawte personal certificate and installed it on my desktop machine. So far so good, have had no troubles signing/encrypting mail through Apple Mail on the desktop machine. I now want to do the same for my laptop.
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You can just download the certificate(s) from the Thawte site again on your laptop, then import it into Keychain Access and set it up that way.
Mulder
If my answer helped solve your problem, please consider awarding some points. Why Reward Points?
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Mail and yahoo on two computers

I use Mac Mail POP from Yahoo my messages go two computers and I and up have to go through messages twice plus I have iphone and have the same email messages on there. Does anyone have ideas of how to setup my mail so the mails will sync and I don't have to go through many different accounts with the same messages.

your solution is to get an imap account, which will effectively sync across your two macs and the iphone. i do not think yahoo offers imap though. gmail does, for free, but of course you would have to change your email address. i guess you could also get a gmail account, set it up for imap, and set up that gmail imap account on your two macs and the iphone, and then have your yahoo mail be forwarded to your gmail account, thereby not needing to switch email account.
hope this helps

Synchronizing Mail on two computers

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