Mail 11 (High Sierra): mail attachments "downloading" but never actually download

Same problem here. The rule moves the message from the inbox to another folder before it is completely downloaded, and once moved to another folder, it cannot be downloaded. One solution is to turn off the rule, but I think a better solution would be to make a new rule (this way you don't have to turn off the rules) which applies an apple script. This script should delay -for example 10 seconds- the application of the next rules, so that the message is completely downloaded before it is moved.

I am having this problem and I was able to determine that it started when I installed the OSX 10.13.3 supplemental update on 3/10/18. I have been able to stop it by turning off my mail rules that move the emails with attachments to a local folder. For now I am doing this manually, but it is a pain, because I receive many of these on a daily basis that clog up my inbox. I hope Apple will come up with a fix for this very soon.

So it seems that applying rules to messages before their attachments have been downloaded makes the attachments permanently unavailable. One solution is disabling automatic application of rules on incoming messages and applying them manually after all downloads have been finished. It's sad that this bug still has not been corrected in Mail.

I wonder now if it would be possible to add an action into those rules with an AppleScript that either waits for all downloads to finish (if that is possible at all) or – at least – to delay for a constant time so downloads should have been finished. This of course has the potential danger of destroying an unusually longsome download.

Any ideas?

Have same problem re attachments downloading. Try changing the "Download Attachment" to 'None' This can be found in Mail Preference/Accounts/Account Information. That worked for me.

This happened to me too, with an exchange account.

What worked for me, was right clicking the mailbox in the menu to the right, and press "synchronize [name of account]".

I just spoke to Apple and made them aware of this thread. I was told that they are aware of all threads.

I explained what the problem is EXACTLY - that rules to send messages to sub-inboxes were removing attachments from IMAP accounts - and that turning rules off left the messages in the main inbox with attachments.

He said that this should eventually be fixed. Let's hope the next update does that.

Hi,

It's because they are actually downloading (even if your Internet connection isn't presently accessible...).

This is a problem usually created by the IMAP protocol itself: it allows to download only partially the attachments. So you can have on your local email client some (many) attachments partially downloaded (the original motive of this very, very bad idea was to save some bandwith, in the good old times where the Internet was a tad slow).

Try to (take a while...) let time to your email client, connected to the Internet, to download all your attachments. NB: don't do that at hours when all the country tries to do so... otherwise the mail server will inevitably try to "help" you gain some time/bandwith by NOT downloading to your mail client the larger attachments...

Normally, never such problems with POP3. Emails are entirely downloaded one by one, including their attachments. This is slower, this takes room on your local disk, but it's way safer.

Post Scriptum: Somebody explains why (why, why?) all your email provider access are by IMAP, up-there? LOL

Regards.

The restart worked for me, although this seems a pretty extreme measure to get this problem fixed!

Switching Downloading Attachments to None in Mail preferences seems to work. Go figure. I'm using Mojave. Had same problem after upgrading from ElCapitan.

I have the same problem as the others who have posted about this issue. If an email comes to the Apple Mail primary inbox, I can open the attachment. However, if goes to one of my rules designated local mailboxes, the file icon says "downloading" but the file cannot ever be opened. If I turn off the rule and the document is the originator re-sends the email and attachment and it stays in the primary inbox then I can open it. Hopefully, this bug can be corrected soon. I have a lot of rules set up and I receive a lot of attachments, so this is a major issue for me. It did not exist before I installed High Sierra. I have updated to 10.13.1, but the bug still exists.

Yeah, I just updated to 10.13.2 hoping for a fix, but no luck. As soon as I move mail with attachments through Rules, the attachments never make it. If anyone has better luck, please let us know, otherwise it looks like getting rid of Rules is the only fix.

Call Tech Support, Get to a Senior Level Support person.

According to my contact with Senior Tech, they don't read or pay attention to this forum.

He claimed Product Feedback - Apple is a place they do look. 😁

Apparently those of us using Rules and having Attachments is a unique, small part of Apple users.

Hence, this is not something effecting a large enough group for a prompt fix by Apple.

Dears (I have solution).

I have this issue too, And my friend which have MacBook's have it too.

I tries many things to solve this issue and found only one which can solve this issue:

Its depending on if you are using "Rules" to move emails from IMAP-inbox dir to in-mac Folders (Or any rules on that email) .... I found that the issue is showing only with emails that already moved by any Rules.

Finally Solved this when disable the rules ...

So the email attachments download fine when there are in their root IMAP dir (like inbox) which mean I have to disable Rules on that Emails.

Note: When email with attachment just received wait some seconds till downloading done.

And like many email hosts, Keeping emails inside the IMAP will make the limit goes full.

** Hope apple will/can solve this issue as soon as passable. **

Hi, I installed 10.13.4 and I have Mail app version 11.3. I opened Mail app, preferences, rules and disabled "news from apple". After that it has all worked perfectly. I used to get a grey Safari logo appear when I opened an attachment and that has gone now. Don't really know what fixed it all, but to say I am VERY pleased.

I don't use gmail and I am having this issue with mail in my main mailbox. No sub boxes. I do have some rules set up, but not affecting the messages in question.

Interesting that someone posted that they could go to their iPhone and resend the message to themselves and it would come through ok.

As a similar workaround, I was able to download and open the attachments in the original email on the iPad, and then I airdropped them to the Mac.

....

Interesting. After I told the iPad to download the attachments, Mail on the laptop was suddenly able to open the attachments, too.