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Drafts multiple copies of message in Mail Drafts

Hi there,


This is an issue that I've noticed for a long time (years), but I wanted to check to see if there were any new ideas.


I often see multiple copies of messages in my drafts box. Sometimes, these are messages that I have already sent, sometimes not.


Typically, I just delete them and don't worry about it. Occasionally, I have to check to see if there a message was, in fact, sent, even though it is still in 'drafts'.


Really, this is more or less just a nusences, rather than a problem.


Any thoughts?

Posted on Feb 25, 2012 11:33 AM

Reply
60 replies

Nov 17, 2013 8:38 PM in response to Little Birds Nest

Same problem here. May have begun earlier, but this issue became serious when I upgraded to Mavericks two weeks back - many copies of a draft em are being created. When the em is Sent these saved drafts show up in Trash. I inspected the drafts and saw that they seem to have been captured every fraction of a minute as I prepared my email; the drafts are not identical but rather show the sequential progress as I prep'd the em .


Trying to get rid of this, I go to Mail Prefs > Accts > Mailbox Behaviors and UNcheck 'Store draft messages on the server' then confirm Save Changes. BUT ... the UNcheck doesn't stick. The checked box returns.


Any suggestions? TXS

Nov 17, 2013 9:15 PM in response to alowin

I fixed it by going to google and AOL and changing the mailbox behaviors there. I googled it and kept reading until I came across the solution with changing the mailbox behaviors from my google account. It worked perfectly and I haven't had the problem since. Sorry, but I don't exactly remember the steps. But it is fixed now.

Nov 18, 2013 12:54 PM in response to Atcold

Txs for ur note, Atcold. Running latest v of 10.9 Mavericks; local client is Apple Mail. This issue (many sequential drafts of an em I am preparing piling up in Trash after em is sent) may have been mildly present with 10.8 but is far more serious w/ 10.9 . Searched my gmail website > settings but could not find where to adjust Mailbox Behaviors.

Nov 18, 2013 12:59 PM in response to alowin

Well, then, since we are in

Mac OS X v10.7 Lion > Discussions

we'd better open a new issue report on the correct section if we'd like someone to actually help us.


I believe you won't find anything in our Gmail settings because this is Apple's fault and the way they manage the drafts. Furthermore, if I want to disable the synchronisation of the drafts and Mail doesn't allow me to do so, well, this is their bug, and only them can fix it, since they have the source code.


Regards

Nov 18, 2013 1:12 PM in response to Atcold

I did find it in gmail settings and I had to change it the IMAP settings. After I did that it worked. and I haven't had the problem since. Go to GMAIL imap settings and change the setting. I had to go to LABELS and UNCHECK the DRAFTS "show in imap" and it worked -- this did the trick. I found the solution again that I did the first time. IT WORKED.

Nov 18, 2013 1:15 PM in response to Atcold

For the issue of syncing drafts to the server, I don't know of any fix for that. It is an issue of Mail and GMail syncing at the same time as you are sending an email. It saves a copy to draft and gets put on the server even though you sent the message. This is a known issue and has been so for several years. I doubt seriously that gmneary13 actually fixed the problem. I believe it just hasn't reoccured yet or he disabled storing drafts on the server.


Mail does allow you to disable draft syncronisation. It is not storing draft messages on the server. Open Mail's preferences, select Accounts tab, select the account in question in the sidebar, and choose the Mailbox Behavior's tab. Uncheck store drafts on the server. This will discontinue having draft messages created when you don't actually save a draft.

The imap draft mailbox will be placed back under the gmail account in the sidebar and a local draft mailbox will be created for that account under the main mailboxes when needed. If you truly wish to start a message on one device and finish it on another, save the draft first, then select the draft and move or copy it to the imap draft folder. Then you will be able to access it on other devices via the same imap folder.


It would be nice if Apple would fix it, but they haven't. It's seems to be an issue on computers and not iOS devices. Everyone just need to send feedback to Apple's feedback site about this issue. Apparantly there hasn't been enough complaints about it for them to do anything about it yet.


BTW: This is not specific to gmail. This also occurs with iCloud accounts. Probably with any IMAP account.

Nov 18, 2013 1:21 PM in response to Glenn Leblanc

I actually did fix the problem. You go to GMAIL settings go to LABELS and UNCHECK the SHOW ON IMAP - I wouldn't have stated I fixed the problem if I didn't fix the problem. It was driving me crazy. So as far as GMAIL goes and saving the drafts (this was the only place I was having the issue since I use GOOGLE for sending mail). If you use other web based mail on your MAC for mail it may or may not work. I have no idea this solution worked for me on my macbook with respect to sending mail since I use google for my mail.

Drafts multiple copies of message in Mail Drafts

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