deleted messages remain in ~/Library/Messages/Archive folder

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da capo Author

Level 1

9 points

deleted messages remain in ~/Library/Messages/Archive folder

Hi,

sorry for may bad english.

I need some help for really deleting messages in Message app (Sierra, High Sierra).

I can select a message, right-click on it and delete it : it disappear from Messages window.

But, the message remain in ~/Library/Message/Archive !!!

You can even find it using Spotlight !

If something has to be really deleted, you must delete it from Message then find it (using Spotlight) and delete the file.

If you only want to delete a part of a conversation you can't : each file is linked to a specific date !

Is there a way to really delete messages from Messages app ?

Is-it a bug ?

Thanks.

Adriano.

MacBook Pro (15-inch, Late 2016), macOS High Sierra (10.13.4)

Posted on May 5, 2018 5:00 AM

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Answer 1

da capo Author

Level 1

9 points

May 5, 2018 9:25 PM in response to Ralph-Johns-UK

Hi,

thanks for your answer.

But you notice that the Folder in your reply is exactly the same i use !

See :

Open Terminal and type

cd Library/Containers/com.apple.iChat/Data/Library/Messages/

then type

ls -l and you will get 4 lines

The line concerning Archive is :

lrwxr-xr-x 1 adriano staff 31 3 mar 2017 Archive -> ../../../../../Messages/Archive

~/Library/Containers/com.apple.iChat/Data/Library/Messages/Archive is not a "real" folder : it is a link to the folder where are kept the messages.

You can also use the Finder to Go To the folder (cmd-shift-G). Then select one of the subfolders (those with dates) and you'll clearly see that they are not saved in Containers…

(I think it is a way to keep compatibility between iChat and Messages)

Well, in the end, the question remain the same : why, if i delete a message, it is not deleted in archive and keeps being seen by Spotlight ?

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Answer 2

May 5, 2018 11:50 AM in response to da capo

Hi,

If you are Saving Chats then you have the address/Path wrong.

It is:-

~/Library/Containers/com.apple.iChat/Data/Library/Messages/Archive (the is a long part to the beginning (4 extra folders) and the App name ends with an s that I have bolded in the Path.

7:50 pm Saturday; May 5, 2018

 iMac 2.5Ghz i5 2011 (Sierra)
 G4/1GhzDual MDD (Leopard 10.5.8)
 MacBookPro 2Gb (Snow Leopard 10.6.8)
 Mac OS X (10.6.8),
 iPhone 6 iOS 11.x and an iPad (2)

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Answer 3

May 7, 2018 1:57 PM in response to da capo

Hi,

I did actually say in between the first two pictures

However I have seen some people post that their's is an Alias and the Folder is indeed in ~/Library/Messages

The above is in Sierra but High Sierra is exactly the same apart for list an Alias for the PluginPayload.

From that point I ignore the location part of where the stored messages are.

I went on to say that in Sierra I seems to show more in the Archive Folder than show in a Search.

And that in High Sierra when the more certain Delete rather than Dismiss it was broadly the same except that I also seem to have an issue with the chat.db items updating and therefore providing correct Summaries.

All in all I agree with you that something odd is going on here.

I can see that Save Chats might and I stress the Might still be saved even if it is deleted from the chat.db record.

That is to say the app automatically stored a history I the chat.db item and at the same time has the separate function of Saving Chats.

What you and I are seeing may be a result of that.

7:48 pm Monday; May 7, 2018

 iMac 2.5Ghz i5 2011 (Sierra)
 G4/1GhzDual MDD (Leopard 10.5.8)
 MacBookPro 2Gb (Snow Leopard 10.6.8)
 Mac OS X (10.6.8),
 iPhone 6 iOS 11.x and an iPad (2)

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Answer 4

May 8, 2018 12:00 PM in response to Ralph-Johns-UK

Hi,

for the Points

8:00 pm Tuesday; May 8, 2018

 iMac 2.5Ghz i5 2011 (Sierra)
 G4/1GhzDual MDD (Leopard 10.5.8)
 MacBookPro 2Gb (Snow Leopard 10.6.8)
 Mac OS X (10.6.8),
 iPhone 6 iOS 11.x and an iPad (2)

Reply

Answer 5

May 6, 2018 12:45 PM in response to da capo

Hi,

See Path Bar.

Mine as a "real" folder - not an Alias.

However I have seen some people post that their's is an Alias and the Folder is indeed in ~/Library/Messages

The above in in Sierra but High Sierra is exactly the same apart for list an Alias for the PluginPayload.

Or

If you prefer.

The Archive folder item clearly does not point anywhere.

I also looked for items that I thought might have been Deleted.

As you can see Spotlight only sees 5 items from my iPhone Carriers service (SMS adverts basically)

However in the Archive Folder and then Search for "From EE" I get a load more that obviously are not deleted and are in the Archive Folder.

I have always used the Mouse Over Side Bar then use the X to Dismiss.

This does seem to have changed to Delete but I am normally Asked.

In bringing these to the Front I can only dismiss them in Sierra.

In High Sierra I can use the Selection from the Spotlight list to bring the Chat to the fore and then I can delete it - If I use the main Chat window and I get asked to Confirm deletion.

The Spotlight Search does not list those items received in High Sierra - only those that were received in Sierra and moved during Migration to my MacBook Pro.

However the Archive Folder does show them from later dates.

For me that is more likely due to this issue with the Chat.db items

The Chat.db items are supposed to Summaries

The Chat.db items are supposed to summaries the Archive Folder.

8:45 pm Sunday; May 6, 2018

 iMac 2.5Ghz i5 2011 (Sierra)
 G4/1GhzDual MDD (Leopard 10.5.8)
 MacBookPro 2Gb (Snow Leopard 10.6.8)
 Mac OS X (10.6.8),
 iPhone 6 iOS 11.x and an iPad (2)

Reply

Answer 6

da capo Author

Level 1

9 points

May 6, 2018 11:41 PM in response to Ralph-Johns-UK

Hi and thank you for the answer.

Look at two windows showing the path to the same file :

Upper windows uses your path till we access 01-04-2017 folder : it is clear that this folder is located in ~/library/Messages/Archive

But if you limit the path to the path to the path you tell, you still are located in ~/Library/Containers....

You can see that in ~/Library/Containers... the Archive Folder has a little arrow... alias.

You can also Get Informations from any transcription : they all give the same path → ~/Library/Messages…

In fact, discussing about the location is not the most important question !

The question is how can I really delete messages ?

In what concerns the way i delete messages :

i tried all possible ways :

- using the X → the discussions remains

- using Edit/Delete transcription → it remains

- deleting selected parts of the discussion → all remains.

In the Message app windows, the deleted discussions or parts do not appear : chat.db is updated.

But, spotlight still the discussion (though it doesn't show the path because it is in Library which is hidden)

For example, months ago i sent a message to Miss Bauwin.

A few days after, i deleted the discussion. But, i can still find it with Spotlight :

I can also open it within Messages… Any app using Spotlight can find it… To me, it is a real problem !

I hope iCloud sync for Messages will solve this problem…

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deleted messages remain in ~/Library/Messages/Archive folder

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