Time Machine Apple Mail backup missing

Question

Level 1

4 points

Time Machine Apple Mail backup missing

I installed El Capitan on my MacBook Pro some time ago and run Time Machine backups periodically.

I am trying to restore a couple of specific e-mails from a few months ago that I mistakenly deleted.

When I go to Apple Mail and enter Time Machine, I have all of the e-mails from my back ups prior to the El Capitan upgrade, but no backups since then. When I choose a back up date, Time Machine does not let me in (It will do so for my folders. Just Apple mail seems to have this problem.) Even the automatic Time Machine backups made of the last few days and stored on the MacBook do not contain any e-mails. In these cases, Time Machine lets me in and shows the Mailbox structure, but shows no e-mails.

All of my mails without exception are stored on my MacBook. I always close all programs including Mail prior to performing a Time Machine backup. I have also checked the V3 folder, and the correct files seem to be there.

MacBook Pro

Posted on Dec 24, 2018 11:41 PM

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Answer 1

Eric Root

Level 10

685,245 points

Dec 26, 2018 10:32 AM in response to RFLux

If you enter Time Machine and go to the desired backup, then paste the below into the search box, can you access the emails?

~/Library/Mail/V3

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Answer 2

RFLux Author

Level 1

4 points

Dec 27, 2018 2:42 AM in response to Eric Root

Yes.

I have looked at the back ups prior to upgrading to El Capitan: The data files and the mails are all there.

I have looked at the back ups after upgrading to El Capitan: The data files are there. There are no mails or files in the V3 folder for any of them. (I checked all of them.)

I have looked at the recent back ups Time Machine has made on the local disk: The data files are there. There are no mails or files in the V3 folder for any of them, exactly like the back ups I've made to my external drive.

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Answer 3

RFLux Author

Level 1

4 points

Dec 25, 2018 12:14 AM in response to RFLux

Correction concerning the V3 folder: The correct files are there, but are never backed up. When I go into Time Machine I see the folder structure, but there are never any files in the back ups.

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