Manual Mail Migration

You did great job. Thank you!

I had the same issue. And tried everything written here... it didn't work... But i solved it in another way, maybe it will be helpful.

So my goal was to move all my mail from old MBP 2011 Mavericks to new MBP El Capitan. I have 5 mail accounts(boxes).

after several attemts to move some library files and folder (Mail, mail download etc) it didnt't work.

0 So i just opened a brand new mail app, and added (logged in) all my accounts manually. Fortunately google and some other accounts automatically downloaded all my mail history including sent files (it took me couple of hours).

But unfortunately one account didn't want to download it's history and sent files.

I did the following:

1 On old MBP Mavericks, at mail app, i right clicked on this account incoming mail box icon -> exported mail box to usb drive

2 Then i did the same to the sent files of this account mail box (on the left side of a sent mail icon (paper plane) there is an arrow sign. Click on it and you will see divided boxes with sent mail for each of your account. Chose the one you need, then right click and export to your usb/external drive.

3 Then i plugged usb drive to the new MBP El Capitan. There i opened mail app, then -> File -> import mail box -> picked 1st file with incoming mail (you will need to wait plenty of time (10k mails took me about 1,5 hours)

4 Then you do the same with the sent mail on your usb drive... wait patiently.

5 Once all boxes are imported to your Mail app, you can see them in the bottom in a import folder.

6 Pick the 1st imported mail box (that one with incoming mail), you see all your messages. Pick all of them - cmd+a or holding the shift key pick first and the last message -> right click -> move to -> chose the mail box account where you want to move them. (you will have to wait....)

7 the same for sent files. Choose them all, then right click and move them to the sent mail folder of your account.

This is very boring and time consuming method (especially if you have a long mail history) but it worked for me.

All income and sent messages are in place including attached files. Search bar works.

The only bad thing - no flags/tags for email were transferred, no vip contacts... you'll need to do it again manually.

Hope this will help you. Good luck!

PS

Hope apple will fix this issue in the future and make mail migration easier.

Thanks so much for this apple_mikey - it worked a treat! Shame on Apple for not providing this information. It's not unusual for Mac users to have to manually migrate their data, especially when there is some corruption or conflict that is difficult to track down (therefore Migration Assistant isn't an option).

Hi

Just to let you know that I am in the same sort of position- trying to import all my mail from 10.8.5 Mountain Lion to 10.11.5 El Capitan.

iain@meek.demon.co.uk- yet to get this one working

iaintsmeek@gmail.com- this one seems to be working

Hi Ignatzmouse:

Same issue over here. Mid-2012 Macbook Pro running (perfectly, I might add) Mountain Lion 10.8.5 to new Macbook Air 11 inch (new out of the box) running El Capitan 10.11.5. No one at Apple seems to be be able to understand their own program! First answer was "Well, you have to upgrade your OSX on the Macbook Pro first to El Capitan." Why is that always the first answer? That is not the answer. Second answer was "Migration Assistant" which moves over everything and then there are problems on the new Macbook Air, to which Apple says "Well, there may have been something bad on the source computer that you moved over." But Migration Assistant doesn't let you choose specific programs like Apple Mail to move. Shouldn't that be a top priority with Apple, if only to avoid unnecessary tech calls? 2 simple buttons on Migration assistant: 1 that says "Migrate only Apple Mail, mail accounts and folders" and 1 that says "Migrate only iTunes and Playlists". Seriously. I just need my Apple Mail (and all of my created work mail folders and emails within) to exist on 2 computers. In any case, any step by step instructions come your way? I followed something I found on the web but that turned out to be a bust. Nice new Macbook Air just sitting here...

i just tried this in El Capitan 10.11.6, the only file i could not find was /Preferences/com.apple.MailMigratorService.plist (file)

if you can edit your location instructions for

/Mail Downloads (folder)

it is located in

/Users/your user account/library/containers/com.apple.mail/data/library (at least this was the case for me)

one more thing in order for changes to take effect you must log out of your account.

thank you you have saved us a great deal of time. a 6 pack for you.

I found an Apple Tech person who searched for the answer. From Mountain Lion to El Capitan it's really very simple. With Apple Mail open on the source computer, select the mail folder(s) you want copied and press on track pad with 2 fingers and you'll get a pop up menu. Choose "Export Mailbox" and export it to a USB flash drive. Place USB flash drive in destination computer. Open Apple Mail on designation computer and go to "File" > "Import Mailboxes…" A window will pop up. You'll have about 5 different options of what kind of file you'd like to import. Choose the first one titled "Apple Mail". It will be important and will slowly populate. Note: during the exporting/importing process you won't see a typical "blue" transfer time-bar indicating at what stage the transfer is at. It's fast but give it a few minutes anyway. If on your source computer you don't know if it's complete try to eject the USB flash drive. If you get an error message saying it's in use, then wait -- it's still writing. Do the same thing with your sent mail folders. Then, on destination computer, add your mail accounts (Preferences>add account) and with your source computer Preferences >Accounts open, simply type in the information from the source computer into the correct fields on the source computer. Special thanks for Janet Murray from Apple who took the time to trouble shoot this and turned a complicated issue into a simple solution!

Thanks, apple_mikey. I have done as you said to move Apple Mail from one external SSD previously used as iMac booting Mac disk with El Capitan (broken, allowing to read only, not allowing to boot now) to a new external iMac SSD booting disk also with Mac El Capitan. I had to log as root to access the library directories of the broken SSD and copy them into the new SSD.

Yet, after rebooting from the new SSD, Apple Mail does not show any mailboxes or messages. It is empty. How to see all mailboxes and messages in such new booting SSD? Thanks again.

apple_mikey, further to my previous message, do you know if is it also required to replace “Users/~/Library/Preferences/MobileMeAccounts.plist” as explained by dianeoforegon in the link below?

“Apple Mail in El Capitan - where is data that used to be in Accounts.pilst?”

http://apple.stackexchange.com/questions/231543/apple-mail-in-el-capitan-where-i s-data-that-used-to-be-in-accounts-pilst

Just an FYI this worked for me too - but I needed to reboot before it all took effect and worked properly.

Hello apple_mikey,

I am planning a clean installation for MAC OS Sierra and I wonder whether your suggested procedure to move Apple mail data and accounts to a now system would also work for MAC OS Sierra. Do you have any experience with this? Thanks

Peter

Hello, Thanks to apple_mikey, this does indeed work! A couple things to add.... when you copy the folders and files from older user library to the new library, make sure you "get info" on each folder/file and change permissions to the new user and also apply to all enclosed items (click on action box). Restart your mac and launch mail, all accounts and in my case 16k emails (pop3, imap, local) all import.

If someone with more time writes an automator script and keeps it updated, I'll pay $5 for it.

Was trying to move same version Mail from old El Capitan HD to new El Capitan install (same version number).

Thanks very much for your post. I was pulling my hair out & tried several other methods, before finding your solution.

Worked like a charm after restart. Didn't find the 3 files though:

.../Preferences/com.apple.MailMigratorService.plist (file)

.../SyncedPreferences/com.apple.mail-com.apple.mail.vipsenders.plist (file)

.../SyncedPreferences/com.apple.mail.plist (file)

The answer is in this thread if you combine all tips that were given

Starting with

for Internet Accounts

.../Accounts (folder) (DO NOT FORGET THIS ONE)

for Mail

.../Mail (folder)

.../Mail Downloads (folder)

.../Containers/com.apple.mail (folder)

.../Preferences/com.apple.accounts.plist (file)

.../Preferences/com.apple.accountsd.plist (file)

.../Preferences/com.apple.mail-shared.plist (file)

.../Preferences/com.apple.MailMigratorService.plist (file)

.../SyncedPreferences/com.apple.mail-com.apple.mail.vipsenders.plist (file)

.../SyncedPreferences/com.apple.mail.plist (file)

for Keychain

.../Keychains (folder)

Furthermore change all permissions of the above from read only (ore worse like forbidden) to read and write

I migrated the files via thunderbolt from a macbook pro to another macbook pro Updated Sierra to new Sierra.

Several days and lots of failed attempts

Finally I did a fresh install and changed the username and account name of the new macbook pro to excactly the same as the old one in the hope that I would not have to check permissions on all the files

Still it didn't work until I transfered ../Accounts (folder)

Transfering in the sense of replacing.

bets of luck. It can be done (no idea about different OS transfers

Awesome! Your solution worked!

Had I client with 4GB mail across 5 pop accounts, 4 were domain email providers with odd settings. This guy had a very corrupted system generally, Library folders filled with remnants of old apps.

I used carbon copy cloner selecting only those folders to an external drive. From 10.11.6.

Wiped and fresh installed Sierra, created temp account then dragged his user folder back (only containing those items) created a new user account of the same name and password, logged in, all accounts working and getting new mail. Brilliant.

So it works from 10.11.6 to 10.12.1 in my testing.