Mac Mail Constantly Downloading thousands of messages from Gmail IMAP

Question

Level 1

1 points

Mac Mail Constantly Downloading thousands of messages from Gmail IMAP

Hello,

I have seen similar problems posted, but no real solutions. I use Google apps +(and regular gmail) and like to keep copies of my messages saved locally on my Macbook. When I setup an IMAP account in Mac Mail ver 4.6, it downloads the messages fine, but then constantly keeps 'updating' and downloading more messages - the status indicates x number of messages out of 20,000+

This eats up my hard drive space very quickly!

Any solutions?

Much appreciated!

/M

Posted on Sep 28, 2012 1:31 PM

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Answer 1

Roger JK

Level 1

8 points

Sep 6, 2017 9:28 AM in response to MateoV

My Mail programme also periodically says it is downloading xxx of xxx, but I am not convinced it is doing so. The numbers don't change. If I power down the computer and reboot, the problem is solved. Surely this is just a bug in the programme. Apple! Please solve it!

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Answer 2

Sep 28, 2012 1:36 PM in response to MateoV

Are all these Mail old messages really sent to you from different senders ?

It looks like a virus in a Windows machine which has your adress inside.

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Answer 3

MateoV Author

Level 1

1 points

Sep 28, 2012 1:40 PM in response to WALTER-MILANO-ITALY

No, I can't see the new messages - my hunch is there are no messages. Also I am not getting any new messages in my gmail on the web version. The status is always updating and downloading new messages. First it will say 'x of 20,000', then it will keep expanding...eg 'x of 43,000'...I think it is an issue with the synch and imap.

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Answer 4

MateoV Author

Level 1

1 points

Sep 28, 2012 1:52 PM in response to MateoV

Maybe I am not configuring the Imap settings properly?

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Answer 5

Sep 28, 2012 2:18 PM in response to MateoV

Strange.

what happens if you leave the download going on ?

It seems the Mail is downloading messages that are only checked but actually not downloaded because they are not to be downloaded.

I have a similar situation but with very few numbers; if I check the mail with my iPhone download and delete say 6 mails, than I connect with my Mac, it starts to download 6 message but in few seconds the disappear because it is "informed" that they have already been downloaded and deleted. That is because Mac and iPhone are synced by iCloud.

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Answer 6

MateoV Author

Level 1

1 points

Sep 28, 2012 2:51 PM in response to WALTER-MILANO-ITALY

If I let it download, then it will go on and on and on...It doesnt seem like anything is happening, but in Finder I can see my memory slowly 'wither away'...

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Answer 7

Csound1

Level 9

59,973 points

Sep 28, 2012 3:06 PM in response to MateoV

How many emails are in your Gmail account (on the web) (Google is an Imap system, so if you have 50,000 in the account, 50,000 will download to your client) Knowing how many there actually are matters.

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Answer 8

MateoV Author

Level 1

1 points

Sep 28, 2012 3:16 PM in response to Csound1

Ok - maybe I am confusing my 'All Mail' folders with my acutal memory. But here is why I think there is a problem:

My google apps says:

Using 3.7 GB of your 25 GB

and

My gmail says:

Using 7.5 GB of your 10.1 GB

If I set up the IMAP on Mac Mail and let it run its course, it will take at least 35 gb before I remove the accounts.

Does that make sense?

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Answer 9

Csound1

Level 9

59,973 points

Sep 28, 2012 3:18 PM in response to MateoV

Yes but has nothing to do with my question, first, All Mail is not email, it is a view of email already present on the account but stripped of the label (inbox, sent etc) it is not additional email.

How many emails are in your Gmail accounts according to the Google websites? .... Both of them (Apps and Gmail)

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Answer 10

MateoV Author

Level 1

1 points

Sep 28, 2012 3:25 PM in response to Csound1

Thanks for the help Csound!

I have ~29,000 in gmail and 6,834. This is less than the total amount that Mac Mail says it has to download. Plus, I had the accounts on Mac Mail for ~yr, and it was STILL downloading which indicates to me it was never properly synched.

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Answer 11

Csound1

Level 9

59,973 points

Sep 28, 2012 3:26 PM in response to MateoV

So, you have at least 35,834 emails, does this include Junk/Trash/Spam/Sent/VIp etc etc or did you take the number from the All Mail folder on the website?

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Answer 12

MateoV Author

Level 1

1 points

Sep 28, 2012 3:29 PM in response to Csound1

I took it from the 'All Mail' folder. When gmail tells me my memory stats at the bottom of the homepage, does that include sent mail also?

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Answer 13

Csound1

Level 9

59,973 points

Sep 28, 2012 3:31 PM in response to MateoV

All Mail should include Sent items. How many mails have been downloaded?

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Answer 14

Csound1

Level 9

59,973 points

Sep 28, 2012 3:34 PM in response to MateoV

MateoV wrote:

Ok - maybe I am confusing my 'All Mail' folders with my acutal memory. But here is why I think there is a problem:

My google apps says:

Using 3.7 GB of your 25 GB

and

My gmail says:

Using 7.5 GB of your 10.1 GB

The storage referred to is the amount in your Gmail or G.Apps account, not Ram or HD space on your Mac FYI

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Answer 15

MateoV Author

Level 1

1 points

Sep 28, 2012 3:50 PM in response to Csound1

I understand that. I am in the process of downloading my messgaes again and just realized that Mac Mail might duplicate a lot of the messages - eg. Inbox and Sent messages will also be downloaded in the All Mail folders.

But this doesn't explain why it is constantly synching and downloading GB's of messages months after it has been configured!

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