IMAP email accounts gone in Mail after Sierra upgrade

Question

IMAP email accounts gone in Mail after Sierra upgrade

I have three main email accounts I use, all set up as IMAP accounts on my companies server. I access them with four devices - 2013 iMac, iPhone 6, iPad (3d gen) and a 2010 MacBook Pro. I did the Sierra upgrade on the MacBook Pro and while my email seems to be functioning normally (Inboxes and messages are still there - if I delete something from a box on the MBP, it shows up in the trash on the other devices, mail received as normal, etc), when you go into preferences->accounts the IMAP accounts are no longer showing up, although I do see them as POP (which they were originally set up as, but those have been deactivated when I switched everything over to IMAP and I just haven't deleted them. They are still showing as inactive). I also have an iCloud IMAP account and that shows up like normal.

Any thoughts?

MacBook Pro, OS X El Capitan (10.11.4), 2012 Model

Posted on Sep 20, 2016 1:00 PM

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Answer 1

fabiorep

Level 1

4 points

Jan 7, 2017 4:28 AM in response to dianeoforegon

Dear Dianeoforegon

thanks in advance for your assistance

i need to restore my old mail and accounts data from my old HD to the new SSD

i have the completely library from old user in Time Machine backup and both hd work on Sierra osx

now i ask you please the exactly procedure to restore my data, which folder and which files i need to move from old library to the new library (and in which mode for not have a problem with acl permits )

sorry for my not perfect english

kind regards

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Answer 2

Sep 20, 2016 1:22 PM in response to Hugo Stiglitz

Check in your User's Library > Mail folder. Do you see a V3 folder? If yes, do you still see your IMAP accounts listed? You should only have a V4 folder now with your data.

In Mail > Preferences > Account, you can click on - to remove the accounts. This will take you to System Preferences > Internet Accounts. Remove the account and add it back as IMAP.

Note: When removing a POP account it also deletes any data in the POP Inbox, Drafts, Sent, Trash and Junk. You might want to backup this data just in case it also deletes from server when the account is removed.

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Answer 3

Sep 20, 2016 1:31 PM in response to dianeoforegon

"Do you see a V3 folder? I"

No. Only a V2 and V4. V2 folder has an accounts plist, and that is dated Sept 2015 - well before I went IMAP.

Not worried about removing the POP accounts. The MPB is basically my guinnea pig for these updates - nothing I can lose on it. But I do use it when I travel so I need to keep it in working order

There are a bunch of folders in V4 with mailboxes but the folders all have cryptic names so I don't know what is what.

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Answer 4

Sep 20, 2016 1:45 PM in response to Hugo Stiglitz

Also, I don't see my IMAP accounts (other than iCloud) showing up in interest accounts under system settings on either machine - is that normal?

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Answer 5

Sep 20, 2016 1:47 PM in response to Hugo Stiglitz

It sounds like Sierra Mail pulled your data from the old V2 folder. If you have no V2, it completely removes V3 and moves everything into V4.

If you look inside the folders with the cryptic names, you should be able to tell what account it is by the folders. You can also drill down in the Inbox and view a message to see which account it was sent too.

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Answer 6

Sep 20, 2016 1:52 PM in response to dianeoforegon

What I don't understand, though is why is everything 'acting' normal, but I'm not seeing the accounts under Mail Preferences? (BTW, I accidentally marked your previous message as solved).

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Answer 7

Sep 20, 2016 2:03 PM in response to Hugo Stiglitz

Prior to El Capitan, Mail was stored in V2 folder. So Lion, Mountain Lion, Mavericks and Yosemite all used V2 folder. The upgrade to V3 was problematic for many users. In El Capitan, it left the V2 folder with Mail Data and moved accounts int V3 with a new Mail Data folder.

Along comes Sierra with another change. Not only is mail moved into V4 it completely deletes the V3 folder. Can't provide a why you had a bad experience, but I advise that you start clean.

In System Preferences > Internet Accounts, uncheck Mail for each account.

Rename the current Mail folder in your User's Library to MailXXX.

Delete the com.apple.mail folder in User's Library/Containers

Restart

Add back one account in System Preferences > Internet Accounts

Open Mail and let it sync.

Check in your User's Library to see that correct folders are being created. Check to see if you accounts show correctly in Mail > Preferences > Accounts.

BTW, have you noticed that Accounts now has an improved interface for SMTP info?

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Answer 8

Sep 20, 2016 2:04 PM in response to Hugo Stiglitz

No, you should see all accounts.

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Answer 9

Sep 20, 2016 2:12 PM in response to dianeoforegon

"No, you should see all accounts."

hmm..

In system settings I see the accounts for "Notes", but not IMAP. If I try to set up manually it tells me the account already exists.

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Answer 10

Sep 20, 2016 2:20 PM in response to Hugo Stiglitz

Also, when I look at the account in preferences in mail, it shows my outgoing server as being 'offline' but again, everything is working.

Keep in mind, this is on my iMac which I did NOT upgrade to Sierra.

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Answer 11

Sep 20, 2016 2:58 PM in response to Hugo Stiglitz

I deleted one of the accounts and reset it up and now it is showing in the accounts in Mail and System settings on the MacBook Pro

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Answer 12

Sep 20, 2016 4:55 PM in response to Hugo Stiglitz

It's strange the problem occurred on the Mac that was not updated to Sierra. The recent Security update could have played a part in the problem, but most likely you'll never know for sure.

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Answer 13

Sep 20, 2016 10:54 PM in response to dianeoforegon

So, do I even need the V2 folder? I deleted in on the MBP and everything seems fine. Seems like the accounts plist file only mentions the old POP versions of the email accounts.

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Answer 14

Sep 21, 2016 11:16 AM in response to Hugo Stiglitz

The V2 folder is no longer needed. OK to delete.

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