Mail (macOS Monterey 12.6.3) - emails opening delay

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Level 2

151 points

Mail (macOS Monterey 12.6.3) - emails opening delay

Hello,

For a few weeks I'm having this problem: In "All Inboxes" view (holding about 69K emails altogether, mostly POP3), the first email I open appears normally quickly, but when I try to open the second email, it takes about a minute until it appears. The following emails open normally.

When I download new emails, this begins again...

Why does this happen and how can it be fixed?

Thank you.

(27" iMac, 3TB Fusion Drive, 250GB free space - this Mac can't be upgraded to Ventura)

iMac

Posted on Feb 19, 2023 3:16 AM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

a brody

Level 10

85,314 points

Feb 20, 2023 6:32 AM in response to coxorange

Fusion drives are not true SSDs. Only the first 128 GB is SSD. You can check the health of your drive with http://www.binaryfruit.com/ DriveDX. If healthy and you are still having trouble, make sure your hard drive isn't over 85% full, and you aren't trying to sync with ICloud, or OneDrive simultaneously as both can cause significant lag if you are syncing large amounts.

POP3 being stored locally needs to be backed up somewhere when you aren't working, otherwise you might lose it. Keep in mind if you POP the same account you are IMAPping, it might explain the lag. POP messages will try to download again from the IMAP server, unless they are deleted from the IMAP server.

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Answer 2

a brody

Level 10

85,314 points

Feb 26, 2023 9:22 AM in response to coxorange

Time Machine can explain the lag. There is no start/stop time for time machine backups. You can manually turn it off while using your email, and turn it back on again in the system preferences, or add it to the menubar to change its activation. It also offers a checkmark on backup automatically in system preferences, if unchecked lets you just manage it from System Preferences or the menubar.

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Answer 3

Feb 20, 2023 7:16 AM in response to coxorange

OUCH!!!! Why oh why do you have 69K messages in your INBOX? Don't you file things? That is a self inflicted wound.

It is like leaving all snail mail in the little table near your door...

How can you even find anything like that?

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Answer 4

coxorange Author

Level 2

151 points

Feb 22, 2023 10:10 AM in response to a brody

Thanks brody!

I already had DriveDX, and the Fusion Drive (SSD and HDD) are fine.

Not over 85% full? You think 450GB should be free? Why would my 250GB not be enough?

I don't sync with iCloud or OneDrive at all.

Time Machine backs up all my mails.

I don't use POP3 and IMAP for the same accounts.

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Answer 5

coxorange Author

Level 2

151 points

Feb 22, 2023 10:11 AM in response to Luis Sequeira1

Thanks Luis!

The 69K messages are spread over 24 email accounts, so it would be 2.88K per account on average. Is this really too much to handle for Mail? (I like to manage them all together in "All Inboxes" view to have them all sorted by date.)

And yes I do file emails which are older and/or dealt with. I store those under "On My Mac" (about another 40K spread over 22 folders).

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Answer 6

coxorange Author

Level 2

151 points

Feb 26, 2023 10:45 AM in response to a brody

Thanks again! TM can't be the reason, because "Back Up Automatically" is always turned off. I only run backups manually in the night via "Back Up Now".

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Mail (macOS Monterey 12.6.3) - emails opening delay

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