No Valid mbox files were found

[cavi]

Hello everyone,

I have a small business and few days ago I reinstall my Server in order to resolve an issue with the HD space that (for some reason that even Apple advisor didn't know) run out of space.

when I finish to handle email from client I move to mail to a designated folder of the client. I used several levels of folder: the first level if folder called "Office" (which I created by right click on the inbox and then "create new mailbox". the second level was a client folder which I created in the same way and the drag-and-drop it under the "office" folder.

all the emails that I exported from the Inbox were successfully restored, but the emails that are in the "Office" folder I can't restore.

I tried two methods:
1. in the mail app File ->Import Mailboxes -> Files in mbox format and then I get the following error: "no Valid mbox files were found" (I tried to chose the folder, the .mbox file, the files which are in the .mbox folder).
2. I tried the second method: File ->Import Mailboxes -> Apple mail. then I choose the folder containing the .mbox files and I proceed to the next window which shows the mailboxes which I want to import. after I continue I receive a message "You can find the imported mailboxes in the folder named "import" in the mailboxes list", but there is no such folder...

Those emails are very important and I will be more than happy if you could help me with this issue.

Thanks you!

 

[organicCPU]

Are these Apple Mail mbox files that you try to import to a newer version of Apple Mail?

Can you see the left sidebar in Apple Mail (Shift + Cmd + M)? After your second attempt, did you expand the local folders section in the sidebar? Hover over the local section and click "show" next to the "+" sign that should get visible. Still no import folder there?

 

[cavi]

Hi,

Are these Apple Mail mbox files that you try to import to a newer version of Apple Mail?

Yes, 10.13.

Can you see the left sidebar in Apple Mail (Shift + Cmd + M)? After your second attempt, did you expand the local folders section in the sidebar? Hover over the local section and click "show" next to the "+" sign that should get visible. Still no import folder there?

Nothing there... (I did it before, I have no "on my Mac" folder...

 

[organicCPU]

I guess the problem is that "On my Mac" section isn't visible, where the imported mbox files should reside. There are other people reporting similar loss of this section after High Sierra installation.

ATM I don't have access to High Sierra, can't do testing and just doing a bit of blind guessing.
Locate this folder (Press Alt Key while choosing 'Go To' from Finder):

~/Library/Mail/V4

Expand the V4 folder (could have a similar name) and the first nested subfolders (those with a serial number like name). Try to find a folder named similar to imported.mbox. If it's there you should be able to add it as a local folder within com.apple.mail.plist preferences. If it's not there the import probably went wrong.

I've seen the "no Valid mbox files were found" error on El Capitan before, but in my case it were Entourage mbox files that had Carriage Return instead of Line Feed endings that I had to convert, but that seems to me very unlikely your problem as you try to import Apple Mail mbox files that should have correct line endings.

As a last resort as an interim solution you could install Thunderbird and ImortExportTools Plug-In to see if your mbox files are still intact and would be showing up there.

EDIT: Found this thread https://discussions.apple.com/thread/8085150 that could help to resolve the problem with missing "On my Mac" section. Make sure you still have your important mbox files backed up somewhere.

 

[cavi]

Hi,

Unfortunately, didn’t worked =[

Thank you for the help!

 

[organicCPU]

Maybe you should give Thunderbird 52.x and ImortExportTools 3.2.5 Plug-In a try until Apple Mail gets an update. ATM, I use Thunderbird on macOS Sierra in parallel with Apple Mail, where I have different accounts configured. ImportExportTools has been doing a good job for me importing mbox files.

If you want to take a deeper look at the difference between the successfully imported mbox and the ones that don't work, a hex editor like HexFiend is always a great way to explore and editing line endings, file beginnings and endings or various kind of anomalies. By standard HexFiend will start up in read-only mode and doesn't harm your file (further), but be aware that you always have a file backup ready if you're leaving read-only mode... Good Luck!

 

[cavi]

I'll give it a try.

THANKS A LOT!