Where is account information stored for Mail (v10)

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Level 2

231 points

Where is account information stored for Mail (v10)

I am importing my mail accounts by hand as I want to have an absolute clean install. I found the mail boxes etc but can not find where mail has stored the information of my ISP accounts.

Meaning everything that normally shows up here:

I have imported the keychain files and the work fine everywhere else. So that part is covered. The mailboxes are not important as all accounts are empty (do not store mail on the computer). As you see they are POP accounts in case it matters.

I am Importing Mail from a MBP running 10.12 (Sierra) to the new one also running 10.12. There is a V4 and a V2 file in the mail folder (/Users/x/Library/Mail), and the V2 file has an Accounts.plist in the MailData folder, but is otherwise empty (previously moved direct from 10.9 to 10.12 so skipped the V3 bit).

Does anybody know how to do this, what file to move? Where does it hide this information?

Posted on Nov 19, 2016 1:12 AM

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Answer 1

Barney-15E

Level 10

112,914 points

Nov 19, 2016 6:32 AM in response to ChangeAgent

You don't need the V2 folder. It is a leftover from the others. If you set up accounts from scratch, it is not created.

Best I can determine, the account information is stored in the sanboxed Container for Mail, but it is in no way similar to the old plist. Each account is now given a unique ID instead of the old pop@emai.address format.

You should just create the accounts from scratch and import the locally stored messages from your backup.

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Answer 2

Lexiepex

Level 6

14,102 points

Nov 19, 2016 6:55 AM in response to ChangeAgent

it is all in the complete Mail folder, afaik: Homefolder-Library-Mail. Use the complete folder.

Note: V4 is the Sierra format, V3 is the ElCapitan format (should be empty now, because Sierra converts the mails), V2 is even older.

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Answer 3

Barney-15E

Level 10

112,914 points

Nov 19, 2016 7:24 AM in response to Lexiepex

Lexiepex wrote:

it is all in the complete Mail folder, afaik: Homefolder-Library-Mail.

It's not. I cannot find a single document in ~/Library/Mail that contains any account information short of mappings of the account UniqueID to a folder.

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Answer 4

ChangeAgent Author

Level 2

231 points

Nov 19, 2016 8:04 AM in response to Barney-15E

I moved that folder as well and it is not there as it does not show up in the account as in the picture above. That is empty and wants me to set up new accounts.

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Answer 5

John Galt

Level 10

141,460 points

Nov 19, 2016 8:23 AM in response to ChangeAgent

Thanks for the additional explanation. What you need to do is to also copy the ~/Library/Accounts folder.

Like Mail's V4 format and its predecessors, it also contains sqlite "accounts4" files and its predecessors. If yours contains accounts2.sqlite files they can probably be deleted after eventually transferring your Mail account information and all your messages.

That, and the additional information in your other Discussion should at least help accomplish what you seek. There may be an additional Mail Preferences file that would also need to be moved. As you know Mail performs a lot of conversion activity when upgrading macOS.

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Answer 6

Lexiepex

Level 6

14,102 points

Nov 20, 2016 6:20 AM in response to Barney-15E

owww, right.

I read this article only partly:

https://www.techwalla.com/articles/how-to-move-apple-mail-settings-and-email-on- a-mac

sorry about that

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Answer 7

ChangeAgent Author

Level 2

231 points

Nov 20, 2016 8:51 AM in response to Lexiepex

Not to worry.

anybody know the answer???? after all I can not be the first one to encounter this, or?

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Answer 8

Lexiepex

Level 6

14,102 points

Nov 21, 2016 12:15 AM in response to ChangeAgent

is the rest of the article not enough (com.apple.mail.plist) ?

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Answer 9

ChangeAgent Author

Level 2

231 points

Nov 21, 2016 12:32 AM in response to Lexiepex

nope does not hold the info. try removing it and open mail and you see all accounts are still there.

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Answer 10

Lexiepex

Level 6

14,102 points

Nov 21, 2016 1:14 AM in response to ChangeAgent

right, the article should be updated for newer OS.

sorry about the confusion.

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Answer 11

Lexiepex

Level 6

14,102 points

Nov 21, 2016 1:37 AM in response to Lexiepex

In the homefolder/library/mail folder there was/is a file where the email accounts are: "PersistenceInfo.plist" but it is only the accounts, not completed settings now.

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Answer 12

ChangeAgent Author

Level 2

231 points

Nov 21, 2016 2:27 AM in response to Lexiepex

Not to worry, thanks for thinking with me.

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Answer 13

ChangeAgent Author

Level 2

231 points

Nov 21, 2016 2:28 AM in response to Lexiepex

Removing "PersistenceInfo.plist" does not effect the accounts Mail creates a new one.

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Answer 14

ChangeAgent Author

Level 2

231 points

Nov 21, 2016 2:33 AM in response to John Galt

Hi John,

The Mail folder in the ~/Library/Accounts folder was moved and did not do the trick. Mail had run under 10.12 before moving it and all accounts where there. After the move they are not. I do have a V4 folder in the Mail folder but moving the original Mail folder across did not do it.

Eric

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Answer 15

Lexiepex

Level 6

14,102 points

Nov 21, 2016 2:41 AM in response to ChangeAgent

AppleMail/Sierra is converting the V3 mails to V4, so bringing over the V3 folder is enough, Mail in Sierra will create and populate the mails into the V4 folder. Your question however is not solved "where are the account settings".

it may be that they are in iCloud....

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