11,909 messages in Inbox but Smart mailboxes and On My Mac all empty

The fact it worked under safe mode, says you probably have some memory resident program that is affecting caches.

The worst of these are products of Zeobit and Macpaw. Advanced Mac Cleaner, and MacKeeper. Some of them managed to get posted on the App Store, but never get negative reviews people as Apple will not let non-purchasers add commentary to the store. We have learned these products are as bad as malware.

If you suspect you might have one of these programs, look in your applications folder, and use

http://www.reggieashworth.com/appdelete.html to delete them by dragging their applications over its window.

if you have deleted the application, but still have memory resident content from launchdaemons safe mode can be used to locate and delete them using Devon Technologies EasyFind

https://www.devontechnologies.com/apps/freeware

Look for files by macpaw and zeobit and browse in Finder to their destination before trashing them in the Finder. Admin permissions are needed.

IMAP and Exchange mailboxes are by default stored on the server.

Smart Mailboxes need a working Spotlight index.

Rebuild the Spotlight index on your Mac - Apple Support

Check also that your mail filters aren't selected. When this icon is filled with blue it is selected:

When filtered not the entire content is shown.

If you still have nothing in the smart mailboxes, it is possible their search parameters are corrupted in some regards. Try creating new smart mailboxes for the parameters you need.

We need to see what all is running, a report from this will not display any personal info...

EtreCheck is a FREE simple little diagnostic tool to display the important details of your system configuration and allow you to copy that information to the Clipboard. It is meant to be used with Apple Support Communities to help people help you with your Mac. It will not display any personal info.

https://www.etrecheck.com/

Thanks for Old Toad’s etrecheck instructions…

Slow iMac 2017 - Apple Community

Use the Note tool on the bottom of this editor's toolbar, as shown in the image, to copy and paste the output from EtreCheck. In a Reply before you click post, look for this to add longer texts...

I'm not sure what this is...

Orphan system extension - A system extension has not been properly uninstalled.

But maybe...

Clean up:

[Not Loaded] URLDownloader - version 5.6 (Objective Development Software GmbH - 2023-04-18)


Application: Not found!

[Not Loaded] at.obdev.littlesnitch.daemon - version 5.6 (Objective Development Software GmbH - 2023-04-18)


Application: Not found!

Delete these files & restart...

~/Library/LaunchAgents/com.dropbox.DropboxMacUpdate.agent.plist

~/Library/LaunchAgents/com.perceptiveautomation.IndigoServer2.plist

~ tilde indicates your user library folder

Apple hid the Users' Library folders...

Method 1:

1 From the Finder, select the Go menu at top of the screen, and choose Go to Folder.

2 In the window that opens, enter ~/Library, and click Go.

Also if you chose to backup your email to iCloud, it will no longer be on your Mac, but rather synchronized with your iCloud account.

Great to hear Patricia... what was the cure?

Thanks. :)