Do mail messages get deleted when an account is deleted?

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Level 1

5 points

Do mail messages get deleted when an account is deleted?

I'm having intermittent trouble my Mac Mail and my comcast account so I wanted to delete my comcast account and add it again to see if that helped. When I clicked the minus button it says "this will delete all the messages on your computer from this account". Since there are MANY messages in my inbox that I can't lose, that was terrifying! I have backups of the system but that's not the point. I also see that when comcast goes "offline" (for reasons yet unknown), the "comcast" box is empty below the Junk and Sent boxes. Do I have to create an "on my mac" box and copy everyting to that??

Mac Air

Posted on Jan 4, 2013 9:45 AM

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Answer 1

CT

Level 7

23,993 points

Jan 4, 2013 10:13 AM in response to BethPNW

I think it would delete the messages.

What I would try is to "deactivate" the account via the checkbox at the top of the Accounts window, Accounts Information, of Mail Preferences. Then I would create a new mail account to see if that works. Deactivating an account should not result in anything being deleted. You can reactivate it with the checkbox and everything should be as before.

You could also copy everything to a mailbox "On My Mac", too. Those messages would then be stored on your mac and not be deleted when you mess with the account.

charlie

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Answer 2

Csound1

Level 9

59,973 points

Jan 4, 2013 10:12 AM in response to BethPNW

Comcast is a POP account so the mails are already 'On Your Mac' and will be deleted if you delete the account.

Export your account to the desktop first or you will have no mail after you delete the account.

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