Mac Mail Deleting Messages From Particular Senders

W

wickerman

Registered
I have noticed that Mac Mail on my system is deleting messages from particular senders after 24 hrs, despite my advanced settings in my mail accounts reading "Never" delete messages. I cannot determine any reason for this, or figure out why only some senders' messages are being deleted and not others. What can I do to fix this or reset Mail to default behaviour?

El Capitan 10.11.4 on a Macbook Pro.
 
Do those messages that are deleted still in your inbox - or have you moved the messages to a different folder in Mail?
Could be a solution, just move the messages as you get them. It would be a good use for rules in Mail.

Is it multiple senders? Are the senders related in some way (same sending server, or same company, or some other relationship)
Or are those deleted messages just random private senders that you know? Or senders that Mail may decide is junk mail (even if that designation is bogus, those mails usually arrive already marked as junk?)
 
They are being deleted from Trash. Yes, multiple senders, apparently random (I am not aware of any connection). Junk is normally in a different colour.
 
Some more 'random' questions:
So, no random lost messages, unless they are in the trash? Not suddenly gone from your active folders?
Do you have multiple email accounts? If so, do the deleted emails disappear from only one account?
Do your accounts all have the same characteristics - such as all imap, or all pop accounts.
Do the deleted messages belong to standard mail accounts, or are they set up through web-mail portals, such as gmail, or other dedicated web-mail setups?
Have you checked at THOSE web sites for other server configurations that may be affecting how trashed messages are handled?

Finally - just curious - why do you care about messages in the trash? They would be removed permanently at SOME point, eh?
I am an old believer in using a "save" folder, or some other name such as "keep forever", etc. just for keeping active folders manageable, and if I put some message in the TRASH, it's because I don't want to save it. Kinda what "trash" is for - at least in my opinion.... :D
 
I have always deleted read messages from the Inbox so that I can see at a glance whether there's anything new there as it comes in. I have smart mailboxes for easy sorting and reviewing but I rarely need to keep anything for ever, so I don't have a mailbox for that. Instead, I have always checked the box that says never delete old messages, and until now I've rarely had a problem.

So, no random lost messages, unless they are in the trash? Not suddenly gone from your active folders? > Don't think so.
Do you have multiple email accounts? If so, do the deleted emails disappear from only one account? > I think it's only my primary one that's affected.
Do your accounts all have the same characteristics - such as all imap, or all pop accounts. > All IMAP
Do the deleted messages belong to standard mail accounts, or are they set up through web-mail portals, such as gmail, or other dedicated web-mail setups? > Standard accounts.
 
I have no idea... just questions.

How often do you rebuild your mailboxes? (Select each Inbox, then click Rebuild command at the bottom of the Mailbox menu)
 
I’m going to jump in with a question. Do you have your mailbox set to view by conversation? (From the View Menu). Trashing or deleting one email from the conversation will delete all of them.
 
Cheryl said:
I’m going to jump in with a question. Do you have your mailbox set to view by conversation? (From the View Menu). Trashing or deleting one email from the conversation will delete all of them.
Click to expand...
I don't know. Where in Mail is this setting found? Doesn't seem to be in Preferences.
 
View by conversation is not in preferences.

With Mail open, Look at the top of the screen. You will see Mail, File, Edit, View. Click on the word View and you will get a pull down menu. Is Organize by Conversation checked? If it is, select it to uncheck it.
 
Cheryl said:
View by conversation is not in preferences.

With Mail open, Look at the top of the screen. You will see Mail, File, Edit, View. Click on the word View and you will get a pull down menu. Is Organize by Conversation checked? If it is, select it to uncheck it.
Click to expand...
OK, thanks. I will see if that makes a difference.
 
Have any emails disappeared (this time) that were NOT in the trash folder?
(related question) Did you have OTHER messages from those same senders that were NOT in the trash folder

Have you tried making a new mailbox folder, just for those messages, where you could put those messages, as an alternative to the trash?
Might be interesting to see if any of those emails would disappear, even though not in the trash.
 
DeltaMac said:
Have any emails disappeared (this time) that were NOT in the trash folder?
(related question) Did you have OTHER messages from those same senders that were NOT in the trash folder

Have you tried making a new mailbox folder, just for those messages, where you could put those messages, as an alternative to the trash?
Might be interesting to see if any of those emails would disappear, even though not in the trash.
Click to expand...
That's worth trying, yes. So far all messages have gone from the Trash.
 
Cheryl said:
Have you checked if you created any rules (in Mail’s preferences) ?
Click to expand...
There is one rule, and that is to mark Junk Mail as read, and delete it.

BTW, I created a new mailbox called Alt Trash on my primary server, and put new correspondence from one of the affected addresses in there last night. As of this morning, the message is still there.
 
Hmmmm, just thinking. I wonder if it is that rule that is assuming what is in the trash should be deleted even though it is not junk.

Sounds like your alt folder is working to save your emails. But you need to get to the bottom of why they were being deleted in the first place. Get rid of the rule and see what happens. You can always rewrite it.
 
Cheryl said:
Hmmmm, just thinking. I wonder if it is that rule that is assuming what is in the trash should be deleted even though it is not junk.

Sounds like your alt folder is working to save your emails. But you need to get to the bottom of why they were being deleted in the first place. Get rid of the rule and see what happens. You can always rewrite it.
Click to expand...
OK, thanks. I've done that. I'll see if the message is still there in the morning.
 
Here’s something you need to check: In preferences you have a choice of keeping deleted messages on the server as well as selecting when to empty the trash. Check Mailbox Behaviors in Preferences>Accounts for each one of your accounts.
 
Cheryl said:
Here’s something you need to check: In preferences you have a choice of keeping deleted messages on the server as well as selecting when to empty the trash. Check Mailbox Behaviors in Preferences>Accounts for each one of your accounts.
Click to expand...
I already have that checked.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top