crabpaws
Level 1 (14 points)
Mac OS X

Q: How to manually backup Mac Mail in Yosemite?

Which files and folders need to be backed up if you're not using Time Machine? Thanks.

Mac mini, OS X Yosemite (10.10.1)

Posted on Dec 12, 2014 6:24 PM

by crabpaws,Solvedanswer
crabpaws crabpaws
Level 1 (14 points)
Mac OS X
A:

This is the current location of com.apple.mail.plist

 

~/Library/Containers/com.apple.mail/Data/Library/Preferences

Posted on Apr 21, 2016 3:44 PM

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crabpaws

Q: How to manually backup Mac Mail in Yosemite?

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  • Helpful answers

  • by Kappy,

    Kappy Kappy Dec 12, 2014 6:40 PM in response to crabpaws
    Level 10 (270,418 points)
    Desktops
    Dec 12, 2014 6:40 PM in response to crabpaws

    Backup /Home/Library/Mail/ folder. Also backup /Home/Library/Preferences/com.apple.mail.plist.

  • by Kappy,

    Kappy Kappy Dec 12, 2014 6:41 PM in response to crabpaws
    Level 10 (270,418 points)
    Desktops
    Dec 12, 2014 6:41 PM in response to crabpaws

    Exposing the /Home/Library/ Folder

     

    Pick one of the following methods:

     

    A. This method will make the folder visible permanently. Open the Terminal application in your Utilities folder and paste the following at the command prompt:

     

    chflags nohidden ~/Library

     

    Press RETURN.

     

    B. Click on the Desktop, press the OPTION (⌥) button, select Library from the Finder's Go menu.

     

    C. Select Go To Folder from the Finder's Go menu. Paste the following in the path field:

     

    ~/Library

     

    Press the Go button.

  • by crabpaws,

    crabpaws crabpaws Dec 12, 2014 7:10 PM in response to Kappy
    Level 1 (14 points)
    Mac OS X
    Dec 12, 2014 7:10 PM in response to Kappy

    Will that back up all of Mail? Is plist backup included? How about Mail Downloads?

  • by Kappy,

    Kappy Kappy Dec 12, 2014 7:19 PM in response to crabpaws
    Level 10 (270,418 points)
    Desktops
    Dec 12, 2014 7:19 PM in response to crabpaws

    Yes, that backs up all of Mail. The  .plist is separate but also needed. Not sure about attachments because the user can change the location to anyplace.

  • by sg1oneill,

    sg1oneill sg1oneill Dec 25, 2014 1:45 AM in response to Kappy
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Dec 25, 2014 1:45 AM in response to Kappy

    Kappy wrote:

     

    Backup /Home/Library/Mail/ folder. Also backup /Home/Library/Preferences/com.apple.mail.plist.

    Under Yosemite /com.apple.mail.plist. does not exist!  Only this: com.apple.mail-shared.plist  !  Is it same or can include same data?

    To be honest I am only worrying about my filter list. (I took screenshots from every settings but I don't want manually set them up again.)

    Thank you.

  • by crabpaws,

    crabpaws crabpaws Jan 3, 2015 12:39 PM in response to crabpaws
    Level 1 (14 points)
    Mac OS X
    Jan 3, 2015 12:39 PM in response to crabpaws

    I ran into the same situation as sg1oneill. I'm manually reconstituting my filters because my back up is com.apple.mail.plist from Snow Leopard and there is no such file in Yosemite.

     

    Can anyone confirm that one would back up com.apple.mail-shared.plist in a manual backup of Apple Mail in Yosemite?

  • by sg1oneill,

    sg1oneill sg1oneill Jan 3, 2015 1:54 PM in response to crabpaws
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jan 3, 2015 1:54 PM in response to crabpaws

    Because no one answered me I had to try it out. That's worked!!!  

    1. I restored the Mail folder (that I backed up manually before I wiped out the OSX)  Actually the Library/Mail/V2 folder.

    2. Restored the com.apple.mail-shared.plist  what looks like same than the previous com.apple.mail.plist.


    All my filters, folders, email address, emails were good after I started the Mail.

    Hope that's helped.

  • by crabpaws,

    crabpaws crabpaws Jan 3, 2015 2:05 PM in response to sg1oneill
    Level 1 (14 points)
    Mac OS X
    Jan 3, 2015 2:05 PM in response to sg1oneill

    Thanks, sg.

     

    However, what I have is com.apple.mail.plist from Snow Leopard. Should I rename it to com.apple.mail-shared.plist and replace the Yosemite file?

  • by sg1oneill,

    sg1oneill sg1oneill Jan 3, 2015 2:42 PM in response to crabpaws
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jan 3, 2015 2:42 PM in response to crabpaws

    I am not a programmer and I don't know if the file it's self same or different. It could be different as the Mail it's self different in Yosemite.

    However you do not have nothing to loose, don't you? I suggest you before your overwrite the original com.apple.mail-shared.plist rename it to com.apple.mail-shared.plist.bak (if you have this file in the Preferences folder at all...)  after rename your com.apple.mail.plist to com.apple.mail-shared.plist and copy into the Preferences. Start the Mail and see the magic or not .

  • by Countdown,

    Countdown Countdown Apr 13, 2015 10:27 AM in response to sg1oneill
    Level 1 (19 points)
    Mac OS X
    Apr 13, 2015 10:27 AM in response to sg1oneill

    Trying to transfer from Mt. Lion 10.8.5, but there is not a com.apple.mail.plist file in the user library preference folder in Mt. Lion either.  I've copied the entire mail folder, but every time I launch Mail, it asks me to choose an account to add from the list on the splash screen.  I need a clean install without migrating the user folder.  So how do I migrate all my mailboxes, smart mailboxes, mail, mail downloads, etc. from one computer to another?

  • by crabpaws,Solvedanswer

    crabpaws crabpaws Apr 21, 2016 3:44 PM in response to Countdown
    Level 1 (14 points)
    Mac OS X
    Apr 21, 2016 3:44 PM in response to Countdown

    This is the current location of com.apple.mail.plist

     

    ~/Library/Containers/com.apple.mail/Data/Library/Preferences