I want to delete an old email account that I don't use anymore and I want to confirm the right way to do this. Is it true that as long as I've moved the emails for that account out of the Inbox, and Sent folders, to another local mailbox, that I should be able to delete the account without losing data?
Just want to make sure before I proceed.
Thanks!
iMac 27″, macOS 11.4
bentStaple wrote:
I want to delete an old email account that I don't use anymore and I want to confirm the right way to do this. Is it true that as long as I've moved the emails for that account out of the Inbox, and Sent folders, to another local mailbox, that I should be able to delete the account without losing data?
Just want to make sure before I proceed.
Thanks!
https://discussions.apple.com/content/attachment/75dc001c-2c91-486e-9925-e3b5d9e969bb
Yes this how it works—
POP removes off the server, so once downloaded they are in your inbox.
IMAP remain on the server accessible for other devices. You can still create "local" mailboxes "On My Mac" for any reason you see fit.
My understanding is you create a mailbox "On My Mac" and move all you emails to the "On MY Mac" they remain there in your Mail.app side bar under the "On My Mac"
For each mailbox for example your Inbox—> "Old Inbox" "Old Sent" etc.. Once you have "local copies you can delete the account or make your change to IMAP or whatever.
I have Old-Old-inbox going back to 2003 in this manner, from an old POP EudoraMail.app before I transitioned from POP to IMAP back in ~2009
If you have a ton of emails to move, I recommend doing it in batches, compared to all at the same time/ per mailbox.
It is scary business if you are determined to save the old records. Have reliable backups of your computer system— so if something goes sideways you can always fall back and try again. I did several trial runs in this way before I was satisfied with the results.
Follow the advice of leroydouglas. I did this before deleting my POP account and making a new IMAP account. I saved all my old emails to "on my Mac" and then moved them back after the new account was setup.
Okay I was going to proceed with the deleting of the account, but after the first warning popup, shown at the top of this thread, another scary one was shown:
The warning makes it sound like there is no hope of having any old emails saved, even if they have been moved into mailboxes under "On My Mac". Are you sure it's safe for me to continue?
Thanks!
what you wish does not make sense, if you wish not to receive more emails on your pop email account change the password to an invalid one, if you delete an account you delete everything related to said account, also your emailsl.
bentStaple wrote:
Just want to make sure before I proceed.
One caveat to your above advice given,
If you 'move them back' from On My Mac: the 'old sent' box to your new All Sent account, it will resend all those old emails...
I would not recommend that. There is hardly any penalty leaving them "On My Mac," as you move forward.
ref:
tbirdvet wrote:
....my old emails to "on my Mac" and then moved them back after the new account was setup.
"If you move them back from On My Mac: the 'old sent' box to your new All Sent account, it will resend all those old emails..."
I think this would only happen if you moved those emails into "All Drafts", right?
They will not be removed for any folder "on your Mac". I also get this when deleting accounts. However, be sure TM has backed all up as the mail folders will exist in your user/library/mail/V directory just in case.
Interesting, did not happen for me but who knows with mail.
How to safely delete a POP email account without losing emails
