Mail will not leave a copy on the server

An On My Mac mailbox is the same as any Folder you would create in any other email client, where the location of the folder is on the computer and not on an IMAP (or Exchange) server. If a stupid idea, then likewise for anyother email client. But clearly they are useful.

You apparently have not bothered to sign into Gmail via a browser and look under Forwarding and POP/IMAP settings. There if POP is temporarily enabled, you can see the choice available for the dispostion of any message you have downloaded. That setting will Rule regardless of any command in any email client, whether Thunderbird, Mail, Outlook or other. Depending upon the choice made, the next computer or device may not have POP access to the message that has already been downloaded. This is the way it has worked for years, and I have been studying the behavior for years.

Ernie

Shootist007 wrote:

blah

Your assumption that if you download the complete emails to your computer from Gmail using IMAP that it removes them from the server is incorrect also. At least with Thunderbird.

I just did a test and disabled my Ethernet connection, No WiFi on the computer I am using right now, and could still read all the emails in all my Gmail folder on my computer. Then nwent to my mac and opened Thunderbird and it download all the same I had recieved this morning on my other computer.

That is because the mail is cached locally, so that you can see it when not connected to the internet! Your test methodology is flawed.

Shootist007 wrote:

That is not my experience. And that link says nothing about it only allowing access to any email by one client.

In the mail program, other then Mac Mail it seems, if you check Leave Mail on Server and select a number of days that email stays on the server for that number of days.

Have no idea how the Mac Mail "On my Mac" works but it sound like a very stupid option. To my knowledge all other email programs do not delete emails from the server when they are downloaded using IMAP. That is the whole point about IMAP.

We seem to have different opinions. That is fine. Have a good day

Mac Mail with a POP server = 'On My Mac'. Any and all local folders (archives etc) are 'On My Mac', your lack of understanding coupled with your inability to get Mail to work says far more about you than Mail!

anrklein wrote:

Disco_Ian,

I am having a similar problem. With apologies for the long reply, I'm hoping this might help you, but also identify others who can resolve the problem.

I have used Mozilla Thunderbird as my desktop mail client for years, reading Yahoo mail and Gmail. I use "rules" to direct messags to offline files. But all of my email also stays on the servers so I can access them when away from my home computer.

This week, I read that Mozilla was essentially planning to stop support of Thunderbird. So I decided to try Apple Mail. Everything set up fine, including the import of my offline archives. But when I established filtering rules, every message that was moved from the Apple Mail inbox to an "on my Mac" folder was deleted from the Gmail and Yahoo servers. Before I realized what was happening, I lost a *ton* of mail that I would have liked to remain on the servers.

The accounts were set up as Imap by default. I experimented by re-setting them up as POP accounts. But, oddly, I had the same problem, at least with Gmail -- even when I used the specific setting that says to keep mail on the server.

So ... bottom line:

1. Disco_Ian: You might try Thunderbird. Even if it's no longer supported, it works!

2. Anyone else: Can you give suggestion on how to set up Apple Mail so that I can file messages on my home computer, but keep them on the server?

Thanks,

-Andy

Set the accounts as iMap, Export the wanted mail folders to a local archive ('On My Mac'), now the mail is on the server and locally.

Thanks for the insult. I expected it, as usual.

Shootist007 wrote:

Thanks for the insult. I expected it, as usual.

Mail is not difficult, drop the prejudice and try for yourself, my comment was accurate, millions of people can setup Mail, you can not?

I set it up just fine. Where did I ever say I couldn't set it up? I didn't.

I did and did not care for it.

Why don't you drop the condescending and insulting comments and deal with the questions at hand.

Or is that asking to much of you.

Shootist007 wrote:

I set it up just fine. Where did I ever say I couldn't set it up? I didn't.

I did and did not care for it.

Why don't you drop the condescending and insulting comments and deal with the questions at hand.

Or is that asking to much of you.

Oh that's already done.

Csound1 wrote:

Set the accounts as iMap, Export the wanted mail folders to a local archive ('On My Mac'), now the mail is on the server and locally.

However, comments like this show a fundamental misunderstanding of Mail, and iMap protocols.

Shootist007 wrote:

Have no idea how the Mac Mail "On my Mac" works but it sound like a very stupid option. To my knowledge all other email programs do not delete emails from the server when they are downloaded using IMAP. That is the whole point about IMAP.

😕 Neither does Mail

Now, now kids, play nice.

BTW, been using Mail since OSX 10.0 and always had

recieved mail remaining on my servers, at least up

to the ISP's storage limits.

Who is this ISP, and where can I do some reading about their recommended settings?

Ernie