Combining Folders and Mailboxes

[jusacruiser]

I sort of created a mess with my Apple Mail files and folders.

I have my Comcast Mail set up in my Apple Mail Client.

So I have some folders under Comcast email......and some folders "On My Mac"

So I've got mix n match, duplicates, some here, some there. It really is a mess.

So my QUESTION is: How do I simplify so that i have one copy of everything in one Box.

Thanks!

 

[BrianBaughn]

Is your Comcast mail account set up as IMAP or is it set up as POP3?

 

[jusacruiser]

Is your Comcast mail account set up as IMAP or is it set up as POP3?

My Comcast account is set up as an IMAP.

 

[BrianBaughn]

My Comcast account is set up as an IMAP.

My answer depends on how much email storage you need. If you have enough allowed room at Comcast it would be best to end up with all your mail in a folder or folders hosted there. Otherwise, it's an "On my computer" folder.

Do you have your data backing up via Time Machine or something similar?

There are scripts out there on the web that will delete duplicate mail in the Mail app. I'm not certain they've been successfully run in High Sierra.

The ideal plan would be to backup your data, copy all your emails from your various old folders to a new, single folder, run the duplicate-deleting script and then, after confirming everything looks fine, delete the old folders

Copying emails in Mail can be sketchy...sometimes it drops a few. This behavior has been seen in other email clients, also. It's best to figure out a way to keep accurate track of what you're copying.

 

[dianeoforegon]

It sounds like you are new to IMAP. In the past Comcast was only available as POP.

IMAP account folders are stored on your account folders.
POP accounts or emails you move off the server are stored under "On My Mac". "On My Mac" literally means they exist on your computer and not anywhere else. They can be lost forever if you don't have backup, your computer dies or is stolen.

I do not normally suggest moving from IMAP to POP, but if you going to move all your messages to "On My Mac" folder you might as well setup your Comcast account as POP.

Advantages of using folders on your IMAP account are you can always download again from server if there is a problem on your Mac or you get another device.

Disadvange is if your account has limited space to store your IMAP messages. I've seen some IMAP account storage in the MB range. They had to constantly move messages off the server in order to stay under their limit. In cases like this you are better off in POP.

 

[jusacruiser]

It sounds like you are new to IMAP. In the past Comcast was only available as POP.

IMAP account folders are stored on your account folders.
POP accounts or emails you move off the server are stored under "On My Mac". "On My Mac" literally means they exist on your computer and not anywhere else. They can be lost forever if you don't have backup, your computer dies or is stolen.

I do not normally suggest moving from IMAP to POP, but if you going to move all your messages to "On My Mac" folder you might as well setup your Comcast account as POP.

Advantages of using folders on your IMAP account are you can always download again from server if there is a problem on your Mac or you get another device.

Disadvange is if your account has limited space to store your IMAP messages. I've seen some IMAP account storage in the MB range. They had to constantly move messages off the server in order to stay under their limit. In cases like this you are better off in POP.

It sounds like IMAP is the smart way to set up mail. But I still have a very messy Comcast Box. How can I spot and eliminate duplicates, and organize my box?