Why can't I remove attachments from mail in Apple Mail 5

Apparently this is a known issue at Apple, so I was disappointed to see that after applying 10.7.4 combo updater the bug remains.

Or in my case, why does a mailbox rebuild not solve the issue?

I accidentally found a trick to delete attachments from stubborn emails. Find an email with an attachment which CAN be deleted, and select it along with emails with attachments that CANNOT be deleted. The Remove Attachments options becomes available, and the attachments are removed as expected from ALL emails.

Thanks Tom, it worked for me!

The other suggestions: move to another mailbox, rebuild, etc did not work for me.

I just ran Software Update and got some new version of iWork, printer, Remote Desktop, iPhoto, RAW, iMovie, Safari - but not Mail (still on 5.2). Suddenly I can remove attachments from sent messages. At least I could just now.

Noteworthy: I also updated MailTags to 3.1.2. Might earlier versions of MT have been my problem?

Nope, false alarm. Still doesn't work. Must have been a stroke of luck.

I found that this happens on messages that are not downloaded to my computer "for offline viewing."

I used to have "keep copies of messages for offline viewing" set to "don't keep copies of any messages" (this is under Preferences -> Accounts -> (your account) -> Advanced. In other words, no messages were being downloaded to my computer. I was viewing them directly from the server (Exchange).

Today I changed the offline viewing setting to "only messages I've read." Guess what? The "remove attachments" command now works on messages I've read. But it's still grayed out on unread messages.

Tom Cassel wrote:

I accidentally found a trick to delete attachments from stubborn emails. Find an email with an attachment which CAN be deleted, and select it along with emails with attachments that CANNOT be deleted. The Remove Attachments options becomes available, and the attachments are removed as expected from ALL emails.

This worked for me (Mail 6 with Mountain Lion). But what an awkward workaround!

Apple, please fix this!!

This weird workaround works for me (Mail 5.3 / 10.7.5) thanks--but it's just inexcusable that this annoying bug has been left to fester untreated for this long!!!

This solution did not work for me. :-(

Indeed, this workaround always works.

Just to enphasize:

1. Send (yourself) a (short) message with any (small) attachment to it. In my case a GMAIL account will usually (not always) generate the right sent email with a clip icon and ability to remove the attachment.

2. Check if you got an "uncorrupted" message.

2a. if NO, then try later. So far I find an erratic behaviour of this bug.

3.If message is ok, the SELECT MULTIPLE messages you want to remove attachments to.

4. Click Remove Attachments.

That's it. If ONE message is not afected with this bug, then all others can be "de-attached".

And still remains with 10.8.4. APPLE, PLEASE FIX!!

And only hope that Mail 6 in Mountain Lion resolves all this.

It didn't. We are at 6.4 and still waiting.

Apple, please do someting.

Instead of changing Advanced Account setting for "keep copies of messages for offline viewing" to "only messages I've read", I set it to "All messages but omit attachments." The former option was telling me I wouldn't be able to view other messages offline. But just changing it to the latter let me remove the attachments on the emails that were previously not showing that option.