User profile for user: TT2752
TT2752 Author
User level: Level 1
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How to Retrieve Deleted Mailbox in On My Mac

In MacMail, while copying an email from Inbox to my local mailbox under On My Mac, my cursor picked up an entire mailbox and within a second, the mailbox got moved from its original location on the side bar and quickly disappeared. I cannot find it anywhere again. I have years of important mail stored in this mailbox and it is a catastrophic loss!


Unfortunately, I did not backup the library where Mail is stored so could not restore from Time Machine backup files. I learned the hard way and now know to back up the library too.


Is there anyway to get my deleted mailbox and all my folders with the stored emails back? Is it saved somewhere else in my hard drive?


Why did it not ask to confirm that I want to delete the mailbox before it is removed? In this case, it happened so fast, as in as soon as my finger was lifted from the track pad, years of important documents gone in a poof! I am devastated.


Please share if someone knows if I can restore my deleted mailbox. Thanks in advance.


I am running OS X El Capitan on a MacBook Pro.

MacBook Pro

Posted on Sep 21, 2019 7:01 AM

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User profile for user: Joseph_S.
Joseph_S.
User level: Community Specialist

Posted on Sep 23, 2019 9:34 AM

Hi there, TT2752,


If I understand your post, you accidentally moved a mailbox from On My Mac in the Mail app that contained important emails, and are not able to find it. I'm happy to help!


In order to delete a mailbox in Mail, you must purposefully do so by right- (or Control)-clicking on the mailbox folder and choosing Delete Mailbox from the menu that pops up: Create or delete mailboxes in Mail on Mac - Apple Support. If you didn't do that, it sounds to me like the mailbox folder got tucked away in another folder in the Mail app.


If the mailbox folder was moved into another folder, there would be no confirmation for the move. Mailbox folders that contain other folders appear with an arrow to the left of the mailbox name, though. So, my recommendation would be to scroll through the mailbox folders in the sidebar, expanding any that have this arrow. You should be able to find the missing folder, and drag it back out to your sidebar.


If you still cannot locate the folder, you can also use the Search bar in the upper right of the Mail app to search for the mailbox folder name. A drop down will appear giving you options to search for different criteria, including the mailbox itself.


Thanks for visiting the Apple Support Communities.


Best.

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply
User profile for user: Joseph_S.
Joseph_S.
User level: Community Specialist

Sep 23, 2019 9:34 AM in response to TT2752

Hi there, TT2752,


If I understand your post, you accidentally moved a mailbox from On My Mac in the Mail app that contained important emails, and are not able to find it. I'm happy to help!


In order to delete a mailbox in Mail, you must purposefully do so by right- (or Control)-clicking on the mailbox folder and choosing Delete Mailbox from the menu that pops up: Create or delete mailboxes in Mail on Mac - Apple Support. If you didn't do that, it sounds to me like the mailbox folder got tucked away in another folder in the Mail app.


If the mailbox folder was moved into another folder, there would be no confirmation for the move. Mailbox folders that contain other folders appear with an arrow to the left of the mailbox name, though. So, my recommendation would be to scroll through the mailbox folders in the sidebar, expanding any that have this arrow. You should be able to find the missing folder, and drag it back out to your sidebar.


If you still cannot locate the folder, you can also use the Search bar in the upper right of the Mail app to search for the mailbox folder name. A drop down will appear giving you options to search for different criteria, including the mailbox itself.


Thanks for visiting the Apple Support Communities.


Best.

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How to Retrieve Deleted Mailbox in On My Mac

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