Comments on: Mail POP disaster: When it’s gone, it’s gone

By: Austin

Austin — Wed, 28 Mar 2007 04:59:48 +0000

Am I correct in that Gmail only allows POP access to its mail? Is the more secure solution of IMAP even possible with Gmail to Mail.app?

By: Hawk Wings » Blog Archive » Big Wraps for IMAP (and tuffmail)

Hawk Wings » Blog Archive » Big Wraps for IMAP (and tuffmail) — Mon, 23 Oct 2006 11:34:52 +0000

[...] For example, deleting the settings for a POP account in Mail can delete all the messages stored in that account’s local folders. When they are gone, they are really gone. With IMAP, I know that can never happen. I just download them again into Mail.app’s local cache. That’s saved my bacon a few times. [...]

By: Hawk Wings » Blog Archive » Switching a .Mac account from POP to IMAP

Hawk Wings » Blog Archive » Switching a .Mac account from POP to IMAP — Wed, 04 Oct 2006 15:32:53 +0000

[...] Allan Sampson’s procedure (the second reply) seems simplest. Following the steps set out there will make sure that no emails are lost or accidently deleted by Mail.app’s unpleasant POP account ambush. [...]

By: arlene

arlene — Mon, 11 Sep 2006 14:34:06 +0000

I have recently lost my secondary Mail account, too - except the .Mac account in my Mail program. It happens frequently. It seems I get a message that I have a “new” version of Mail (which when I check later I don’t) which deletes everything except the .Mac account.

I have recorded the info for the other account so I can reenter it.

As to lost messages, if you look in the folders users/library/mail and you will find .mbox’s which you can reimport - that is if you file your messages into seperate boxes from the account as someone stated earlier.

My problem is why does Mail do this? Is there a fix? A way to stop the update that’s not an update? At least I don’t “freak out” now since I realize I can get my mail back but it’s irritating and takes time.

thanks.

By: smith

smith — Fri, 25 Aug 2006 05:19:38 +0000

Try reinstating the account in Mail exactly as it was…. In some iteration of Mail…. I recall this seemed to magically bring everything back as though it had never been erased…

By: Drew

Drew — Thu, 24 Aug 2006 19:01:31 +0000

I’ve done the same thing. I was trying to stop my then current employer from using one pop account accross a half dozen users and computers. It was a nightmare and then it got really bad because–sure enough–some emails were only on some computers and not the one that I had picked to hang onto that stupid, stupid account.

By: Jean MacDonald

Jean MacDonald — Thu, 24 Aug 2006 17:19:11 +0000

Dave, I lost everything, even messages that were in separate folders I created “On My Mac”, as I recall.

By: Paul

Paul — Thu, 24 Aug 2006 17:14:35 +0000

The screen shot looks like it was a Google Gmail account you were using POP3 with. IF you choose the option to save the mail on Google’s servers on the preference page, all your mail is still there. Log into the web nterface and see all your mail. I choose to let Google keep a copy of my mail in my inbox, which I have to clean out every so often, but I don’t loose mail.

By: Dave M.

Dave M. — Thu, 24 Aug 2006 16:40:06 +0000

Personally, I move all mail that is important to me out of the folder that is associated with the email account and put it them in folders I have created outside of the account folders.

I can’t say for certain that the messages won’t get deleted, since I haven’t removed accounts yet, but my assumption is that they won’t.

By: Jean MacDonald

Jean MacDonald — Thu, 24 Aug 2006 16:07:48 +0000

Ouch, that brings back memories of pain–but also of deep inner peace. My out-of-control InBox was zapped and there was nothing I could do about it. I emailed all my clients, asked them if there was anything important that they were waiting on, and went on from there.

Still, it’s not a method I would recommend. Since then, I learned about GTD. :-)