Monterey process to backup and restore Mac Mail?

[MTShipp]

TLDR; How do I only restore email to new OS from a Time Machine onto Monterey?


The long; Bought a M1 mini to replace my broken 2016 MBP. Went to restore from Time Machine and just hated to put it all back. I was wanting to do a clean install and just move my mail over. One thing, in all the years since 2009 when I first bought an Apple computer was having trouble being able to fully manage mail the way I wanted. I mean being able to wipe the whole disk, install a fresh OS, and only move my mail back. The tutorials for each version of OSX over the years have been pretty good but as newer versions release it seems to get harder. For Monterey I am lost.

 

[BrianBaughn]

Just to clarify…are you saying that on your previous MBP you had mail and folders under the "On My Mac" heading?

 

[adrianlondon]

IMAP mails are on your mail server; just re-setup the accounts and you'll have them.

I don't think anyone uses POP3 any more - those that do probably know how to restore them

Anyway, all your old mails (downloaded IMAPs, On My Mac etc.) are in ~/Library/Mail/V9. Shut down Mail, move the current V9 directory to V9-old or somerhing, then restore that directory from your TM backup.

 

[MTShipp]

Just to clarify…are you saying that on your previous MBP you had mail and folders under the "On My Mac" heading?

Yes, I would periodically move the mail from the inboxes of each account into the On My Mac equivalent. It was a GMail and 2 IMAPs. Additionally it was copies of mail from 2 old email accounts from years ago. This connections are no longer used but all of the ail is in the On My Mac folders.

 

[MTShipp]

IMAP mails are on your mail server; just re-setup the accounts and you'll have them.

I don't think anyone uses POP3 any more - those that do probably know how to restore them

Anyway, all your old mails (downloaded IMAPs, On My Mac etc.) are in ~/Library/Mail/V9. Shut down Mail, move the current V9 directory to V9-old or somerhing, then restore that directory from your TM backup.

So the keychain and preferences is not used anymore?

 

[BrianBaughn]

Follow adrianlondon's instructions in post #3. Let us know if you have any issues with the transfer/update or with using Mail subsequently. Problems aren't uncommon.

 

[GoGoNico]

I, too, am doing a clean install to Monterey -- and all I have access to is Time Machine. (I can no longer access the administrator account on my old MBP.)

I read that the V2 directory holds sent mail. Is sent mail ever saved only to the On My Mac folders, or is it always just saved into whatever server it goes through?

A related question, if I somehow got access to my administrator account again, would it make sense to archive all the email folders in mail and then export/import them to the new computer? That is what I read recommended elsewhere.

Thanks!