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Level 1

0 points

Address book/Mail collecting unwanted email addresses

I participate in several education listservs via email. The problem is that hundreds of email addresses are showing up in my address book now, very few of which I actually need. Any suggestions on how to get Address Book or Mail to stop automatically putting these addresses in? Thanks!

MacBookPro, Mac OS X (10.6.4), IPad, iTouch

Posted on Jun 18, 2010 10:16 AM

23 replies

Barney-15E

Level 10

112,830 points

Feb 8, 2011 4:44 AM in response to tyronehowe

I would expect you would know you installed an add-on, so that's not it. If there is one, it is usually in your user/Library/Mail/Bundles folder. If the folder doesn't exist, there are none.

There is no automatic way to do what you describe. When do they appear? Is it only after it is synced with an iPhone or some other device? I'm wondering if it is triggered by syncing with MobileMe/iPhone.
I do have an iPhone, but not MobileMe and I don't see this happening.

[You're not typing cmd+shift-Y are you?|http://www.apple.com/findouthow/mac/#addemail] No, I really don't think you are, but can't find any way this should be happening.

Feb 8, 2011 5:07 AM in response to Barney-15E

Hello again

Exactly as you thought – the Bundles folder doesn’t exist.

Since yesterday (when I cleared the Address Book of these extra additions), I’ve been watching my Address Book closely. So far today, I’ve only received one email from someone that’s not already in my Address Book, and that was the Misco company.

I have now turned off syncing with Mobile Me, so when I receive the next email from someone not already in my Address Book, I can tell if cancelling the MobileMe sync has made a difference.

I’m definitely not typing Cmd-Shift-Y, and I have not selected that item from the menu.

I’m starting to think (unfortunately) that this might some kind of virus.

Barney-15E

Level 10

112,830 points

Feb 8, 2011 5:11 AM in response to tyronehowe

I would doubt that. You would have had to install it. Nothing can just install code without you authenticating it.

TelJr

Level 1

8 points

Feb 17, 2011 1:28 PM in response to Barney-15E

I posted about this a while ago and just checked my User/Library/Mail folder after reading this thread but I don't have a "Bundles" folder, either. And unfortunately addresses of people emailing me still appear to be showing up in my address book. Any advice would be much appreciated -- thanks.

Mrdrfrank Author

Level 1

0 points

Feb 20, 2011 9:18 PM in response to TelJr

I was having this problem for a while (I started this thread last June), and it kept reoccurring until fairly recently. The 10.6.6 update may have solved the problem. Is anyone with 10.6.6 still having the problem?

Dec 12, 2011 10:33 AM in response to Mrdrfrank

I have 10.7.2 and have this problem using iCloud and two iPhones. I am on just one mailing list and all the other recipients are added every time I get an e-mail. It is definitely the address book and the addresses get poplulated out to the iPhones - and perhaps vice versa if I open the e-mail on the phone first? Phones are 5.0.1, but this has been going on for years.

bob48

Level 1

4 points

Jan 29, 2012 2:47 PM in response to kevinfromsan rafael

This is happening to me also. I haven't stopped the problem, but after I have added an address, I make a backup of the address book. That way, if many unwanted addresses seem to pop up, I just delete all the addresses, and then import from the backup. Doesnt solve the problem, but cleans out the unwanted addresses.

Oct 1, 2013 4:24 PM in response to Mrdrfrank

I have searched everywhere and I can't see there has every been a solution suggested to this problem. I am using the current softward (including OS) and my mac takes at least some of the email addresses from email I receive in Mail and adds them to my Contacts programme as a new contact. This even occurs some time if I already have the email address associated with a specific person in my contact list.

It is incredibly annoying and makes it quite challenging to find a contact as it has the effect of adding a considerable number of names to the list.

I made no changes around the time this started happening (about a month or so ago).

Any suggestions gratefully received. Thanks.

Address book/Mail collecting unwanted email addresses