99% of my email is gone from Mail

[jvaska]

This is not good. I booted up Mail yesterday and found that more than a years worth of email has disappeared from my received email box. About three weeks of mail exists, but nothing older than that.

Has anybody had this problem before?

I'm actually afraid to start going after permissions and such because I don't see how it would actually help - if it works it works, if it doesn't it doesn't. So, I'm searching for advice and hopefully somebody has had the same problem and knows what to do.

 

[munkle]

Maybe back up your ~/Library/Mail folder first. Then repair permissions and see if that helps. If not try re-importing your e-mails from the backup folder. Hopefully the messages will still be there.

 

[jvaska]

The messages are there it seems...there are over 15 megs of emails and currently it displays only three weeks worth...so I'm guessing they are...

However, after fixing permissions and making a backup copy Mail just won't let me import them.

This really sucks...I actually do use old emails alot for information (like work stuff)...

 

[jvaska]

Nope...WRONG...the emails are gone...THEY ARE ALL GONE...

I just deleted a round of images I received on Friday and my 15 megs went down to 3 megs...6 emails had 12 megs of images...

Geezus...

All my sent email is still here though...that's something at least...

 

[munkle]

You should be able to import your backed up mailboxes. Under Mail, go to File/Import Mailboxes then navigate to the relevant folders from there. Or is that not working?

Edit: Just read your post...crap. I'm guessing you don't have any backups either. I think you'll just have to take it as an expensive lesson, we've all been there. Sorry bud and hope there wasn't anything too critical that you lost.

 

[jvaska]

You should be able to import your backed up mailboxes. Under Mail, go to File/Import Mailboxes then navigate to the relevant folders from there. Or is that not working?

It won't allow me to select the mailbox...

Before I did anything I checked the size of the file - it was 13.5 megs. That is WAY too small for emails going back to 01/2004. But I made a copy anyways and then deleted the six emails I recieved with attachments...then the folder went down to 3 megs...I think that tells the story...

it's hosed...