Missing Reveal Triangles on Mail Boxes

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Level 1

4 points

Missing Reveal Triangles on Mail Boxes

I'm trying to rebuild my Junk Mail box because it shows (in bold) the number of emails that come in but when you click on it to view them...there are no emails at all. I asked the MacFixit Forum how to rebuild my Junk Mail box and someone instructed to rebuild mail boxes, go to each mailbox and make sure that you click the reveal triangle if there's more than one account. Well the problem is...and didn't notice until now...I have no reveal triangles on my Inbox, Sent or Junk. I have them on the other mailboxes...so could rebuild those by going to the top menu and pulling down to Rebuild. However, the Junk Mail box is greyed out so it cannot be clicked on. Moreover, my iBook that's running the same system Apple Mail...has triangles at Inbox, Sent, Trash, Junk, and any other folders that I have and I can see the Junk Mail...and I guess I hadn't noticed that mine on the iMac had disappeared. Anyone have any ideas how to get those back? Can I do anything like trash the plist for Junk Mail in my Library? I'd just like to be able to see what comes into my Junk Folder before I trash it. Thanks a bunch.

G4 iMac & iBook, Mac OS X (10.3.9)

Posted on Aug 24, 2007 10:45 PM

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Answer 1

Aug 25, 2007 4:11 AM in response to bugmenow

Do you have more than one account? If not, there would be no triangle.

However, your problem with not displaying may be something else, other than the need to Rebuild. Quit Mail, and in the Finder, open Home/Library/Mail/this account folder. Once this account folder is opened, look to see if there is a properly named Junk.mbox folder, or perhaps only one named merely Junk? If the latter, rename Junk to be Junk.mbox, and then relaunch Mail.

More info, please.

Ernie

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Answer 2

bugmenow Author

Level 1

4 points

Aug 25, 2007 9:37 AM in response to Ernie Stamper

Good question on the multiple accounts. My iBook does have multiple accounts so makes sense that they have reveal triangles on every mailbox. Here’s what I see on my iMac when I open the Mail folder in the Library: A few individual icons like Signatures.plist, MessageSorting.plist, etc.
Then there are TWO folders, one named Mailboxes and one named POP-bugme@mail.ipns.com. The Mailbox folder contains all of my additional folders that I’ve named for various clients.
The POP folder contains icons for mboxes for Deleted, Drafts, Inbox, and Sent.
Then there’s a Junk folder (no mailbox icon as the others have). Within the Junk folder are Incoming Mail, Incoming Table of Contents, Info.plist, Table of Contents and then one that’s just listed as mbox. I’m not sure why my mailboxes are in separate folders other than maybe the ones you create show up that way. I’ve tried to be explicit without being confusing…but I guess you’ll be the judge! Thanks for trying to help. If this set up looks normal to you, then you’re suggesting that I label the mbox in the Junk folder as junk.mbox?...and then relaunch?

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Answer 3

Aug 25, 2007 10:00 AM in response to bugmenow

It is normal for there to be a Mailboxes folder, and it is to contain those mailboxes that are NOT standard to each account (and thus in account folders, such as your POP folder).

What I want you to rename, in the POP folder, is the folder that is currently only named "Junk" to be "Junk.mbox" -- if you looked in the package of the existing Junk folder, which it is not clear you did, and saw a file named mbox, this is standard for any mailbox created under 10.3 and Mail 1.3, as you appear to be using.

While Mail can put messages into an ordinary folder (like this one named Junk), it cannot later display them. For that the extension .mbox is needed on the folder.

Ernie

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Answer 4

bugmenow Author

Level 1

4 points

Aug 25, 2007 10:24 AM in response to Ernie Stamper

Yes I did look in the Junk folder as mentioned in the last reply...it contained the items I listed:
"Then there’s a Junk folder (no mailbox icon as the others have). Within the Junk folder are Incoming Mail, Incoming Table of Contents, Info.plist, table of contents and then one that’s just listed as mbox."
So if I get your drift...you want me to rename *only the Junk Folder* to be Junk.mbox. But do nothing with the item labeled *mbox inside the Junk folder*. I'll give it a try

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Answer 5

bugmenow Author

Level 1

4 points

Aug 25, 2007 10:28 AM in response to bugmenow

Ernie...you're the best! It's back.

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