Files in Mail folder ?

[HallStevenson]

I don't use Apple Mail but in ~/Library/Mail, there are lots of files and folders (gigabytes worth). What is this from ? More importantly, can I delete them ?

I use Thunderbird for mail and in ~/Library/Thunderbird/Profiles.... I have an Imap folder with what is I presume my current mail data. This "data" was created a couple of years ago and was last modified minutes ago. Makes sense, of course. The folder above, the one related to Apple Mail, was created within a few days of me getting this machine (and setting up Mail). It was last modified about a month ago. Not sure why obviously. I haven't even opened the Mail app in a couple of years.

 

[simsaladimbamba]

Are there any other people with access to your Mac, who might have setup Mail to use for themselves?

If not, try opening Mail and see, if it is already configured? Have you migrated data from your previous Mac?

 

[HallStevenson]

Nope, I'm the only user. No migration either - first Mac

I did rename the Mail file to Mail.old and re-opened Thunderbird with no issues. I was 99% sure there wouldn't be, but just thought there might be some, odd link between the files/folders. When I open Mail... it goes to "Choose a mail account to add...". Hitting Cancel actually closes Mail. Safe to say I'm not going to break anything by deleting the files/folders in ~/Library/Mail, but I'll give it a few days before I really do it !

 

[robgendreau]

It probably has your old mail.

I noticed that by default on my Mac that old mailboxes and even accounts I deleted in Mail.app survive in the ~/Library/Mail folder. Odd, and rather alarming since some of that mail was stuff I wanted deleted forever (stuff about closing the bridge, you know ).