Michael Graubart

Q: Sent mail does not always show in 'Sent' folder

I use the Apple Mail app. and have three mail accounts: BT Internet (IMAP), gmail (IMAP) and my college (Morley College) account (Exchange). When I send a message from my BT account, it sometimes happens that the progress bar shows that it is being sent, then the 'Whoosh' sound indicates that it has been sent, but when I check in the BT 'Sent' folder it is not there (and is still not there after hours or days). I have now checked with one of my contacts to whom I sent mail that failed to show up in 'Sent', and it actually did arrive, but it is still not confidence-inducing when sent mail does not show in the 'Sent' folder.

 

This does not happen with my gmail and college accounts, which suggests that the problem lies with BT and not with Mail, but I should be very grateful for any information and/or advice about this problem.

Mac mini, OS X Mountain Lion (10.8.5)

Posted on Oct 8, 2014 8:30 AM

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Q: Sent mail does not always show in 'Sent' folder

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  • by Michael Graubart,

    Michael Graubart Michael Graubart Oct 15, 2014 12:13 PM in response to Csound1
    Level 2 (275 points)
    Mac OS X
    Oct 15, 2014 12:13 PM in response to Csound1

    I apologise, Csound1, if I seemed not to have read your instructions carefully enough. But you said: 'select the mailbox on [y}our Mac that contains the sent mail', and I had already said that both the 'Sent' folders contained some of the sent mail, including recent messages. How was I to know which one to select?

     

    I have now followed your further instructions, disabled the non-BT accounts, selected the lower 'Sent' folder to use for the 'Use for…' operation and re-activated the disabled accounts. This has, I am glad to say, removed the lower 'Sent messages' folder from the BT part of the sidebar, and the upper one shows a lot of old messages and one I just now sent to check what was happening. It does seem, however, that the messages I sent this morning (apart from the solitary one sent at 8:40 am) have gone for ever.

     

    Another thing is that when I earlier on could not get the 'Use for…' operation to work properly (presumably because I had selected the wrong folder) and flailed around trying various other things, I accidentally acquired 'Drafts' folders for each of my accounts. They are currently empty, but cannot be removed either from the Mailboxes menu or by closing and reopening Mail. I don't mind them being there, and they work, but it is odd that they cannot be removed.

  • by Csound1,

    Csound1 Csound1 Oct 15, 2014 12:29 PM in response to Michael Graubart
    Level 9 (50,245 points)
    Desktops
    Oct 15, 2014 12:29 PM in response to Michael Graubart

    Good we are getting somewhere.

     

    The draft boxes are provided by the respective email providers, if you delete them they either won't, or will but will return shortly. I don't know where the earlier sent mails went, but if they are not on the server, and not in the trash they may just be gone.

     

    We did not in fact change anything on the server, we simply informed Mail which folder contained the sent mail and directed it to display it under the main Sent heading at the top (it's not really a folder it just looks that way)

     

    Post back if there is more.

  • by Michael Graubart,

    Michael Graubart Michael Graubart Oct 15, 2014 12:41 PM in response to Csound1
    Level 2 (275 points)
    Mac OS X
    Oct 15, 2014 12:41 PM in response to Csound1

    Thanks for your patience, Csound1. All seems well now — except that now a new/old problem has returned: I can send from all my accounts and receive in two of my accounts, but I cannot receive mail in my BT account in the Mail app! It is received in BT webmail and my phone. Unlike on previous occasions, Mail does not indicate that it cannot access the BT server or send my password, though, so maybe the mail is just delayed. In any case I presume this is another BT problem, not a problem at my end.

  • by Csound1,

    Csound1 Csound1 Oct 15, 2014 12:46 PM in response to Michael Graubart
    Level 9 (50,245 points)
    Desktops
    Oct 15, 2014 12:46 PM in response to Michael Graubart

    I don't see Mail as any part of the problem. The BT account regularly appears to cause many and varied issues that change or vanish at will.

     

    My initial advice to get away from the tyranny of ISP provided email accounts stands, sorry.

  • by Michael Graubart,

    Michael Graubart Michael Graubart Oct 15, 2014 12:53 PM in response to Csound1
    Level 2 (275 points)
    Mac OS X
    Oct 15, 2014 12:53 PM in response to Csound1

    Yes. I take the point. Actually that last problem has now resolved itself: mail is arriving again in the BT inbox in Mail.

     

    As I said before, I cannot at present face changing my e-mail supplier, but I will keep your advice in mind for sometime in the future.

  • by Csound1,

    Csound1 Csound1 Oct 15, 2014 1:12 PM in response to Michael Graubart
    Level 9 (50,245 points)
    Desktops
    Oct 15, 2014 1:12 PM in response to Michael Graubart

    You can make a start now, simply.

     

    Set your BT account to forward to another (Gmail etc). Reply to the emails from the account you chose to receive them, replies will go to the new address. Over time many will simply adjust to the new address. When the time comes for a complete break it will be far simpler.

     

    If you want a reliable, standards compliant system, choose iCloud (it comes with far more security and privacy than all other free accounts.

  • by Michael Graubart,

    Michael Graubart Michael Graubart Oct 15, 2014 2:18 PM in response to Csound1
    Level 2 (275 points)
    Mac OS X
    Oct 15, 2014 2:18 PM in response to Csound1

    Very good and useful advice. But forgive me if I say, first of all, that it will not help with the many, many organizations, commercial, charitable, political, including even these Apple Discussions, where my e-address is registered. It would be a long process of changing all these. And secondly, as far as iCloud is concerned, my iPhone is too old — a 3G — to work with iCloud; and I am afraid I am not about to, and cannot afford to, upgrade the phone.

     

    I will think about all of this, but for the moment I shall have to carry on as I am.

  • by Csound1,

    Csound1 Csound1 Oct 15, 2014 2:22 PM in response to Michael Graubart
    Level 9 (50,245 points)
    Desktops
    Oct 15, 2014 2:22 PM in response to Michael Graubart

    Well, no.

     

    iPhone 3G is compatible with iCloud and why on earth would you go to the trouble of all that change when you do not have to. The BT account will work as long as you have BT as your ISP, so the email sent to BT will continue to arrive wherever you want them to.

     

    You may not want to do this but don't do unless it's for genuine reasons.

  • by Michael Graubart,

    Michael Graubart Michael Graubart Oct 15, 2014 3:56 PM in response to Csound1
    Level 2 (275 points)
    Mac OS X
    Oct 15, 2014 3:56 PM in response to Csound1

    That's interesting. I was told some time ago (can't remember who by) that the 3G would not work with iCloud. But I don't use iCloud anyway; my only device apart from my desktop computer is my iPhone, and I find syncing with iTunes works very well.

     

    I'll think about all this, wait to see if I get a sensible answer from BT about when the divorce from Yahoo! is going to be applied to my account, if and when it does I'll see if BT Internet gets any more reliable, and then decide.

  • by Csound1,

    Csound1 Csound1 Oct 15, 2014 4:00 PM in response to Michael Graubart
    Level 9 (50,245 points)
    Desktops
    Oct 15, 2014 4:00 PM in response to Michael Graubart

     

     

    Good luck.

  • by Michael Graubart,

    Michael Graubart Michael Graubart Oct 16, 2014 2:28 AM in response to Csound1
    Level 2 (275 points)
    Mac OS X
    Oct 16, 2014 2:28 AM in response to Csound1

    Thanks, Csound1. Please don't think that because I am not at once going to switch to iCloud I am not very grateful for the amount of time you have spent on my problems or for the quality of your advice. I shall take my time over my decisions, but I shall take your recommendations very seriously. Best of luck to you, too.

  • by Csound1,

    Csound1 Csound1 Oct 16, 2014 2:34 AM in response to Michael Graubart
    Level 9 (50,245 points)
    Desktops
    Oct 16, 2014 2:34 AM in response to Michael Graubart

    I don't think that, I just think that your problems won't end until you do (and may I ask what if Sky or Virgin pop up with a much better Internet deal, will you pass it by because you will lose your BT email address?)

     

    And you don't have to use iCloud mail, it's just an example of a proper IMAP system that works as expected, there are others (Zimbra is also excellent)

  • by Michael Graubart,

    Michael Graubart Michael Graubart Oct 16, 2014 3:01 AM in response to Csound1
    Level 2 (275 points)
    Mac OS X
    Oct 16, 2014 3:01 AM in response to Csound1

    No, not because of that (or not primarily because of that), but because here at home we have had experience of other telephone + broadband providers, have settled with BT and (apart from the email problems) have found it reliable during many years' use. That experience, together with a shared reluctance to engage in the hassle of changing our telephone company once more (even if we were able to retain our telephone number, which would be vital for my wife, a psychotherapist who, though mainly working for the NHS, does see private clients at home), means that we are prepared to pay a little more for reliability and for continuity even if a 'better deal' were on offer. Put it all down to laziness if you like. I drive a 14-year-old car; similarly,despite being a musician — mainly an academic one — who relishes good sound, I use a cassette deck and a CD player that are so old that I cannot remember when I acquired them, though it was at least 20 years ago.


    Nevertheless, as I have said, I will consider your recommendations seriously. Thank you again.

  • by Csound1,

    Csound1 Csound1 Oct 16, 2014 3:09 AM in response to Michael Graubart
    Level 9 (50,245 points)
    Desktops
    Oct 16, 2014 3:09 AM in response to Michael Graubart

    Actually I had BT for a while,that is why I don't now. Sky are awful, far better than BT, but awful all the same (mind you I have a house near Chicago, so can tell you that this is a worldwide phenomena)

     

    Post back with any questions or comments, I am usually around.

  • by apple-pip,

    apple-pip apple-pip Nov 26, 2014 9:06 AM in response to Csound1
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Nov 26, 2014 9:06 AM in response to Csound1

    Csound1 and Michael Graubart - I have just read your exchange of messages last month with much interest as I experience exactly the same problem with lost BTInternet sent messages as Michael - but only rarely, perhaps every couple of months or so. It happened again today as I replied to an incoming message (the sender was on gmail) which triggered me to trawl Apple Support Communities and find your posts.

     

    Some great ideas Csound1, and like Michael, I will think about the best way forward, and will watch this space and contribute to it if anything is worth saying. I don't seem to have moved away from Yahoo! yet either - I'd hoped this might have sorted the problem out. Meanwhile I will go back to bcc-ing myself, as my recipients seem to get my messages even if they are nowhere on my Mac or on webmail - so if they get them, so should I!

     

    Cheers from a wet Gloucestershire, UK.

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