You can make a difference in the Apple Support Community!

When you sign up with your Apple Account, you can provide valuable feedback to other community members by upvoting helpful replies and User Tips.

Looks like no one’s replied in a while. To start the conversation again, simply ask a new question.

No mail in Time Machine

I accidentally deleted a mailbox, as I have Time Machine I thought I could just go in and retrieve the previous days folders. However, Time machine would not open in mail. When I selected previous back up dates there was no mail folder in library. I tried selecting USERS - this brought up mail but really old folders none of my current email was listed anywhere.

If I am in MAIL and click on enter time machine - should it not open up previous mail?

Is there something that should be configured in Time Machine to ensure it captures mail, and if so how do I do that. I am using LaCie as an external hard drive for backups.

I am not even sure how to check that the backups it is running are actually backing anything up ??

Help please.

iMac 24″, macOS 12.1

Posted on Mar 23, 2022 9:06 PM

Reply
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Mar 23, 2022 11:52 PM

I think I have it - I have to restore each folder individually and they email show up as IMPORT on MAC mail. I then create a new mailbox and drag them in. A bit time consuming but seems to be doing the trick. THANK YOU.

Similar questions

11 replies

Mar 23, 2022 10:50 PM in response to Ali M

Okay, please do this:


  • Open a Finder Window
  • Go to the Menus - Go - Go to Folder and paste ~/library/mail
  • You will see a folder called V9 please select it.
  • Enter Time Machine, you can do this from the menu in the upper right of the display and select the Time Machine icon and click Enter Time Machine.
  • In Time Machine navigate back to a time when you know the message existed and restore V9.


That should help you restore the e-mail.

Mar 23, 2022 10:27 PM in response to rkaufmann87

I tried the option to go via Finder - then Go - Go to Folder

But it just brings up the options in the attached image. If I try to type Mail in place of Caches nothing happens. There is no option to type anything else ?

Tried opening Finder, then Enter Time Machine as the page suggested however once in Time Machine there is no option to select Go as there is no top menu bar?


Mar 23, 2022 11:04 PM in response to rkaufmann87

Hi - I did that but the missing folder is still missing. In fact the email looks like it did after I made the changes this wrong, it has not restored to the way it was yesterday

I have now found the folder and restored it. It is in the V9 folder - how do I get it from there to mail..

Thanks for this, we may be getting somewhere

No mail in Time Machine

Welcome to Apple Support Community
A forum where Apple customers help each other with their products. Get started with your Apple Account.