Questions about Mail Downloads

[SpaceJello]

I am curious if i import my mail from one computer to another, would I have to worry about the "mail downloads"? I just worry that if I delete them, I wouldn't have access to them again. Or is the attachement is still with the original email that is stored within my mail database already?

Currently, I am only importing my mail within Library/Mail and NOT the mail downloads.

 

[Aniej]

I need you to clarify a bit. are you switching to a new mac from an old one? I don't understand what you are doing, it sounds like this is an ongoing thing rather than a one time deal. whether an attachment will be saved depends on the mail client you use. If it is gmail managed by Mail, then there is no problem because gmail stores it all. library is probably the best way to do this, but what are the downloads, mostly pdf and docs, things like that? why not make it really simple go into finder, make a new file, go into mail downloads, drag all the downloads into the new finder file. Done. Or, if they relate to several already existing files, just do the same thing, but drop them in there.

 

[mad jew]

The Mail Downloads folder is just where the server sends attachments so that you can see them as physical files (well, virtual, but you get what I mean). The attachments should still be in the Library folder as well. In other words, to back up your Mail you should back up the folder by the same name in the Home folder's Library as well as the relevant PLIST files in the Preferences folder. If you're transferring to a Mac with the same version of Mail, dragging and dropping these files/folders to their respective positions should be all you need to do. Of course, do this when Mail is closed.

 

[SpaceJello]

Thanks, i am using apple mail program and i moved onto a new mac with the mail downloads left over from a previous mac that I wasn't sure what to do with, whether they were valueable or not. Since that folder can get really big, I was wondering whether i can go ahead to delete it or transfer it as well if I don't want to loose any "attachments" to the emails I had.

 

[mad jew]

I guess you may as well transfer it, although that'll probably mean you have double ups. That folder is for when you open an attachment in Mail. Mail needs somewhere to download the file to and by default, it downloads them to there. I've changed my settings in Mail's Preferences to save to the Desktop instead, so I can keep an eye on what's happening more easily and so that I don't really ever have to redownload attachments.