Mail Mail - Lost local files after re-configuring Exchange account

[Martin_IT]

Hi,

I was speaking to a client the other day and he had issues with our Exchange account so I helped him remove and re-add the Exchange account in Mac Mail.

The client contact me a few days later telling me that his local emails that he had saved have disappeared.

Questions:
- Where are Mac Mail's locally stored emails?
- How does one import these emails back into Mac Mail?
- Is this normal behavior for Mac Mail to remove local files when any account is removed and re-added?

This seems like poor design. Local files should be a separate account so it does not interfere with other corrupted accounts - just my .02 cents.

Thank you.

M

 

[dianeoforegon]

Hi,

Questions:
- Where are Mac Mail's locally stored emails?
- How does one import these emails back into Mac Mail?
- Is this normal behavior for Mac Mail to remove local files when any account is removed and re-added?

M

Mail stores it's data in the User's Library/Mail folder. Local emails are stored in the Mailboxes folder.

Removing an Exchange account should not have removed any local folders. Only when you remove a POP account does Mail delete the Inbox messages.

Does he have Time Machine backups? You can select to restore this folder from Time Machine. I suggest you restore to Desktop then use Mail's import feature to import into Mail.