Mail says I have 4294967266 messages in Inbox.

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Mail says I have 4294967266 messages in Inbox.

I've just set up Mail for the first time, with a brand new Mac Pro running OS X 10.5.5, and I'm accessing an IMAP account. Mail reports the correct number of messages in every folder except the Inbox. Sometimes it says I have 1 message, or 4 messages, or 8 messages, but usually it says I have around 4 billion messages (the actual number varies, but it's always around 2 to the power of 32).

All these numbers are powers of 2, so I think this must be a mathematical error somewhere. Is this a known bug with the Mail app? Or is it possible the problem is on my IMAP server's end, even though this didn't happen when I used a different mail program?

Everything else seems to be functioning correctly, so it's not a dire situation. It's just reporting the incorrect number of messages.

Any ideas?

Thanks.

David

Mac Pro, Mac OS X (10.5.5), Mail version 3.5

Posted on Nov 6, 2008 7:27 AM

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Answer 1

V.K.

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Nov 6, 2008 7:37 AM in response to DavidNYC

select your inbox and choose "rebuild" from the mailbox menu.

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Answer 2

DavidNYC Author

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Nov 6, 2008 7:50 AM in response to V.K.

That didn't fix it, unfortunately. Here's what happened:

I rebuilt the mailbox, and Mail correctly reported 8 messages. Then I clicked onto another mailbox and when I clicked back to my Inbox the app now reports 4294967292 messages (which is 2^32 - 8).

Also, I just noticed that every time I click away and then back, the total number of messages reported decreases by 4.

Any other suggestions?

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Answer 3

V.K.

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Nov 6, 2008 8:11 AM in response to DavidNYC

try rebuilding the entire mail index. quit mail and move the file homedirectory/library/preferences/com.apple.mail.plist to the desktop. start mail and let it import (that means reindex) your messages.

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Answer 4

Nov 6, 2008 8:40 AM in response to V.K.

Don't you rebuild by removing the Envelope Index file?

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Answer 5

V.K.

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56,192 points

Nov 6, 2008 8:55 AM in response to Frederick Avolio

sorry, my mistake. you are completely right! my head was elsewhere when I was typing. don't touch the plist file. quit mail and delete the file homedirectory/library/mail/envelope index, start mail and let it reindex.

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Answer 6

DavidNYC Author

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Nov 6, 2008 11:57 AM in response to V.K.

Unfortunately, that didn't solve the problem. I opened Mail, and after rebuilding the mailboxes it told me correctly that I have 11 messages in Inbox. When I clicked away and then back, it told me I have 7 messages (despite the fact that I can plainly see all 11 are still there). Each time I clicked, the total number reported decreased by 4, and now it's telling me I have 4294967272 messages.

Anything else I should try?

Message was edited by: DavidNYC

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Answer 7

Nov 6, 2008 12:09 PM in response to DavidNYC

David,

No wonder you have problems, what with so many email messages!

No, just kidding. Please confirm that you did what I suggested: quit Mail and deleted the Envelope Index and then let it rebuild. Because it certainly sounds like that is the problem.

-fred

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Answer 8

DavidNYC Author

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Nov 6, 2008 12:17 PM in response to Frederick Avolio

I did exactly what you described, and it seemed to rebuild okay. But it didn't solve the problem.

Does Apple Mail calculate the number of messages on its own, or does it receive that information from the server? Is it possible it's a problem on the server end?

Incidentally, I found someone else who posted a similar problem in the forum (same symptom, but he was using a POP account), but it doesn't look like he ever found a solution: http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=1760862&tstart=32

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Answer 9

Nov 6, 2008 12:31 PM in response to DavidNYC

Apple Mail does not get this info from the server.

This is IMAP right?

The next step is more drastic but will be no problem for you, because you are a NYer.

1. Make sure you know all your email settings (in Mail, Preferences, Accounts... all the settings)
2. quit Mail
3. You have your system backed up, right? I'd back up your mail directory -- I'd put it off-system, but you can copy it elsewhere on your system.
4. Make sure you
5. Delete the mail account... in Mail, Preferences, Accounts.
6. Quit Mail and restart
7. Recreate your Mail account.

Wheeee

-fred

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Answer 10

Pablofp

Level 1

131 points

Jan 3, 2009 1:47 AM in response to DavidNYC

Hi David,
I have the same problem. Have you found an answer?
Best,
Pablo

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Answer 11

Jan 26, 2009 1:29 PM in response to Pablofp

Hello,
the number is changing after selecting another mailbox but always 429496xxxx.
This only in for one or more Inbox and only if the real number of messages is greater than zero
Regards
Claude

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Answer 12

Feb 3, 2009 7:39 AM in response to DavidNYC

Has anyone solved this? I have the same problem. Seems to have started after the last release.

charlie-imac

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Answer 13

Feb 4, 2009 1:19 PM in response to charlie-imac

Same problem here.

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Answer 14

Mar 5, 2009 9:13 AM in response to charlie-imac

I did two things the past couple of days and mail messages in inbox seems to be working. I installed the disk that came with Time Capsule and I delete the httpmail for connecting to hotmail per the instruction that came with the httpmail plugin. Hope this helps.

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