Mail Account lost after power outage

Thank you. That helped, and I'm trying to proceed. I verified disk (fine), and repaired permissions. Now, I'm trying to follow either step 2 or 3 of the discussion in the above link. However, I'm a novice and can't find "com.apple.mail.plist." From finder>Computer>Library>Preferences> I see files like com.apple.security.plist, but not mail.plist. Does that mean it was automatically discarded? If so, should I go ahead and re-set my mail accounts like it says in the link?

Step 1 suggested copying file from my back-up. I had been backing up with TM to an external device that failed a few months ago while it was still under warranty. In the process of working with the company to return it and get a replacement device, I was checking for some emails on the failed device and could not find them. So when I got my replacement, I only backed up frequently enough to secure IPhoto and document changes, since I didn't think it was working for Mail. That was my ignorance. Because now I see that there is a MailTimeMachineHelper in package contents of Mail. All that to say: I'd rather restore my messages from my library than from my back-up since my last back-up was 2-3 weeks ago.

This is a copy of step 2 and 3 from the link that I'm trying to follow:

"(2) Set up your mail accounts again (you may want to quit Mail and trash the new com.apple.mail.plist first to start over). If given the option to import existing mailboxes or something like that, don’t. Just enter the account information and Mail will automagically rediscover the data in~/Library/Mail/ when done. You’ll also have to re-configure some of theMail > Preferences settings. For spam-related security reasons, the first thing you should do is go to Preferences > Viewing and disable Display remote images in HTML messages if it’s enabled.

(3) Mail may have renamed the old preferences file tocom.apple.mail.plist.saved. If that’s the case, you may try trashing the newcom.apple.mail.plist and renaming the old com.apple.mail.plist.savedback to com.apple.mail.plist. Again, be sure Mail isn’t running while doing this. Given the circumstances, there exists the possibility thatcom.apple.mail.plist.saved became corrupt, but that often is not the case and the settings can usually be restored by just renaming the file back tocom.apple.mail.plist."

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/1411459 This is the discussion I've been trying to follow because the problem was reportedly fixed. However, this discussion https://discussions.apple.com/thread/2086010?tstart=0 apparently tried something similar, and I don't know final outcome:

Am I on the right track?

Thank you very much.

Thank you, Tony!

I followed your steps, and I still can't find the mail.plist. Trying to proceed, I found another discussion about "missing plist" and tried that solution (can't remember the specifics but Container and Data Folder were involved). I still couldn't find it.

If I go ahead and set up my Mail Account again, will the messages in my Library be restored even though I haven't found the plist? Or is the plist crucial in this process?

Please forgive me for being dense. I really appreciate your help!

(10.6.8 Mac Mini)

Thanks again, Tony! That really helped. I'm 80% successful without re-indexing!

When I set up my main email account, all the inbox messages were restored. There was a prompt stating something to the effect of "sent" messages being "delivered." I remembered in Gost's instructions, there was the notation that the Outbox might be re-named. However, I was thinking that the messages would be restored.

I added my second Mail account info. The Inbox AND sent messages were both restored!

Do you know of a way to restore the sent messages of my primary account without re-indexing?

Thanks so much!

Thank you, Tony! I will get to work on that.

Thank you, Neville! Yes, this is something I need to figure out about my disk space. Could you tell me what you think the problem is in this thread, or should that be another discussion? This is the gist: We have been getting prompts farily recently that start-up disk is almost full. I deleted programs we no longer use, for instance, Parallels and also a VOIP program. But I still sometimes get the prompt if I am online for a period of time without re-booting. So, in this situation, when I got prompt that Mail Library couldn't be copied to desktop, I copied it to a memory stick.

Also, can you clarify re "serious email client corruption?" Do you mean like this incident when my email was lost during the power outage? Or something else?

Thanks so much!