Problems with read/unread mail on IMAP server

I want to chime in as well. I have had this problem ever since I got my Powerbook last fall. I have never had this problem with any other mail application, just Mail.app.

I love Mail.app in every other way... otherwise I would have started using something else long ago. I'm glad to see other people bringing this up... maybe some action will come of it.

Taylor

Powerbook G4 Mac OS X (10.4.5)

I will chime in and say I am having this problem as well. I have a MacBook Pro 2Ghz--(which totally rocks by the way!), with a fresh install of Tiger patched to 10.4.5. My mail server is a Apple Xserve DP 2GHZ running Tiger 10.4.3. We are using the default mail server (cyrus/postfix).

I had this issue since I started using the MacBook. Specifically, I have noticed that Mail.app does not seem to mark messages as read on the server. I will read a message in Mail.app and then later in will appear as unread. Also, when I move a "read" message to another folder it appears as unread again. I tried the following experiment:
-In Mail.app I opened up an unread message (for 2 minutes)
-I closed the message, it appeared as read.
-I opened up Webmail (squirrelmail), the message was listed as unread
-I selected all the messages in Mail.app, marked them as unread, then marked them as read.
-I refreshed Webmail, and now the message was listed as read.
-I then marked the message as unread in Mail.app, opened it, and quit Mail.app.
-I opened Mail.app and the message was marked as unread

This replicates EVERY time.

Lastly, I did notice in the activity window that when you open a message you get the "Getting message" message, but not the "Changing flags" message.
I suspect that when the message is opened, a call is being made to mark the message as read in the viewer window, but NOT sending that change flag request to the server. I would assume the two calls are encapsulated into a set read method, but maybe one of the calls is failing.

I have had this exact problem since getting my MacBook, but in the spirit of full disclosure, I would like to add I recently installed GPGMail.

I did not have this issue with my PowerBook (1GHZ - Tiger 10.4.5). It did on occasion unmark messages marked as read when I moved them to other folders, but I never had the issue I am having with the inbox.

Hope this helps!


MacBook Pro Mac OS X (10.4.5)

I ran some more tests and found some more information that might be helpful. I turned on Mail.app logging (See this article: http://www.macosxhints.com/article.php?story=2004101603285984&query=debug+mail) and found out the following:
When I open a mail message I get two debug lines as follows:
[LogFlagChangeTimes] Changing flags (MessageHasBeenViewed) on 1 IMAP messages took 0.00010 seconds (0.0000980s/msg).
[LogFlagChangeTimes] Changing flags (MessageHasBeenViewed) on 1 Library messages took 0.00272 seconds (0.0027160s/msg).

When I select a message and chose Mark as Read from the contextual menu I get the following three debug lines:
[LogFlagChangeTimes] Changing flags (MessageIsRead) on 1 IMAP messages took 0.05444 seconds (0.0544420s/msg).
[LogFlagChangeTimes] Changing flags (MessageIsRead) on 1 Library messages took 0.05617 seconds (0.0561730s/msg).
[LogIMAPFetchTimes] {mymailserver}:INBOX: Total synchronization time was 0.001604s.

I tried the same thing on my iMac (800mhz) running Tiger 10.4.5 and I received the three debug lines when I opened a message and when I marked it as read.

So--I think it's a bug with Mail.app.
I did notice that both machines say they are up-to-date, but each has a different build of Mail.app

iMac: 2.07 (746.2/746.3)
MacBook: Version 2.0.8 (749.3)

Hope this helps!


MacBook Pro Mac OS X (10.4.5)

I have the same problem. I use two IMAP servers. One is webmail.us, the other express.cites.uiuc.edu. The problem occurs connecting to either one. IT is the only annoying thing abot Mail. I am not a big Safari fan, but I love Mail for the most part and really want to fix this issue. I notice it usually happens when I move a read message from one IMAP folder to a subfolder. That usually marks it as unread again.

This is a fresh Tiger install, not an upgrade from Panther.

Also have this problem. Had both a dual G5 with Tiger 10.4.X and 12" PowerBook G4 with 10.4.X for over a year with no problems. I just switched to the MacBook Pro w/ Tiger 10.4.6 and now it happens on a UW IMAPD server, Courier IMAP server and an Exchange server.

It is EXTREMELY annoying. Anyone from Apple care to fess up to it and fix this bug?

MacBook Pro Mac OS X (10.4.6)

MacBook Pro Mac OS X (10.4.6)

I finally gave up and switched to Thunderbird, and these problems went
away.

Same problem here. (Mail.app Version 2.0.7 (746.2/749.3)). However, explicitly marking a message as read (ctrl-click -> mark) seems to help.

Anyway, I would be happy if this problem would be fixed soon. It occurs with every IMAP-server I use.

PowerMac 2x2.3GHz, 3GB RAM. Mac OS X (10.4.6)

I posted this problem using Apple's Bug tracker and received the following:
"After further investigation it has been determined that this is a known issue, which is currently being investigated by engineering. "

So, hopefully the next update will have a fix.

MacBook Pro Mac OS X (10.4.5)

I have the same problem and I am on 10.4.6 clean install.

Sadly looks like this will drag on.

Paul

Thanks for the reply, and sorry about my delayed response.

Since I have last posted, I have completely removed Mail.appertizer (replacing it with Growl), and switched one of the imap servers to a different program (Courier from QMail, IIRC); the problems are still happening.

Something that was not clear in my original post, is that these problems persisted through a complete re-install of Tiger (a couple of times, actually; when I first got it, I did a fresh install, and when my HDD died, I did it again, and finally one more time). The exact same problems were repeated. During these reinstalls, I did not keep the mail settings, instead setting them up from scratch each time. In fact, I have also tried deleting all mail configuration and starting over again, with no luck.

Same problem here and it appears this has been ongoing for months. Unfortunately I have switched to another mail application because this apparently is not on ANY priority list to be fixed. But hey, we got Fox added to ITunes this week. Where do the priorities stand with Apple these days? Are the rumors true about OS X now being the lowest of all priorities?

Imagine my excitement when I saw a Security Update had been released. Now I know this isn't a security problem, but since it has to be one of the most annoying bugs I have ever experienced, I thought Apple may have fixed it and slipped it in. Well, after applying it, rebooting (***, are we back in Windows world where every update requires a reboot), guess what? The problem is still there. Bravo Apple! What a joke...

MacBook Pro Mac OS X (10.4.6)

MacBook Pro Mac OS X (10.4.6)

I had this problem when I migrated to Macbook Pro. I was not having this problem with the same version of Tiger on my Powerbook 17". My imap server infrastructure has not changed. All my mail.app config came over from Migration....

rberfer--could you check and see what the version number is for Mail.app on your 17"? My Mail.app version on my 15" (Tiger 10.4.6) is 2.0.8 (749.3).



MacBook Pro Mac OS X (10.4.5)

rberfer--could you check and see what the version
number is for Mail.app on your 17"? My Mail.app
version on my 15" (Tiger 10.4.6) is 2.0.8 (749.3).



MacBook Pro Mac
OS X (10.4.5)

Version 2.0.8 (749.3/750)

Macbook pro 17" Mac OS X (10.4.6)