Trying to rebuild my Mail Index

[dalesladx]

Hi, I'm running Ventura on my Mac mini M1 and I just noticed that my Inbox has suddenly got hundreds of old emails that I had deleted ages ago. I've tried rebuilding the Inbox and restarting the computer but that didn't work. I googled it and found a fix that required me to "Go to Home/Library/Mail and delete the Envelope Index file". The trouble with that is that I can't find the Envelope Index file in the Mail folder. I'm hoping that someone can help me figure out why there is no Envelope Index file or where I might find it.
Thanks

 

[HDFan]

Which mail server?

 

[BrianBaughn]

What to do could depend on what type of email accounts that Mail is syncing with (IMAP, Exchange or POP) and whether or not you have email messages stored under "On My Mac".

What is that situation?

 

[dalesladx]

Hi guys, thanks for helping. I have a Gmail Account set up as IMAP, not sure how to answer if the email messages are stored under On My Mac.

 

[Fishrrman]

Go to home/library/mail

There will be a folder named "V6" (or it will be a "V" with another number, depends on which version of the OS you're using).

Open this folder.

You will see a folder named "MailData". Open it.

Now, manually delete EVERY file within that begins with "Envelope Index".

There will be more than one file, delete each of them.

If you have more than one "Vx" folder, repeat for each of these.

Now -- SHUT DOWN -- all the way off.

Then -- RE-boot from the "cold shutdown".

Now, open Mail, and these indexes (and mailboxes) should be rebuilt automatically.

BUT WAIT !
THERE'S MORE !

I've never used Gmail, but hear that it's not the best with the Mac.
(that's all I can say about that)

One other thing...

If you have "hundreds of old emails" that you [thought you] deleted "ages ago" -- well somethin' tells me you never really deleted them.

This might require going to Gmail (using a WEB BROWSER instead of Mail), and deleting them directly in Gmail.

 

[Ruggy]

I've come across this before and it's a Gmail problem.
That is, it's a setting in gmail to do with forwarding. From memory, you have to go into settings and limit the number that it forwards otherwise it forwards everything.
I guess you've updated the OS and so it sees it as new or something so it's downloading everything again?
If it's imap then everything stays on the server and I presume these are emails you've deleted off the mac but which have remained on the server. I suggest you go on the server and clean out everything you don't need there and check the settings.
Sorry I can't be more specific as it's been a while and I don't remember exactly. I hope it puts you in the right direction though. As I say, I've seen it before and it was at the Gmail end.

 

[dalesladx]

Hi Fishrrman, I did as you suggested and deleted 3 Envelope Index files from my V10 folder. I shut down my mini and didn't know how to do a cold re-boot so I just started up the Mac the usual way. Unfortunately I still have the problem it didn't change anything. I appreciate the help though. I've been using Gmail with my mac for the last 20 years and never had this problem come up.

I've come across this before and it's a Gmail problem.
That is, it's a setting in gmail to do with forwarding. From memory, you have to go into settings and limit the number that it forwards otherwise it forwards everything.
I guess you've updated the OS and so it sees it as new or something so it's downloading everything again?
If it's imap then everything stays on the server and I presume these are emails you've deleted off the mac but which have remained on the server. I suggest you go on the server and clean out everything you don't need there and check the settings.
Sorry I can't be more specific as it's been a while and I don't remember exactly. I hope it puts you in the right direction though. As I say, I've seen it before and it was at the Gmail end.

Hi Ruggy, thanks for the suggestion. I just logged into my gmail account and I'm not finding the set up for limiting the number emails forwarded it. That's not to say it isn't there it's just that I'm having trouble finding my way around. It's ages since I've logged in to my Gmail account for anything and it doesn't look a bit like it did back then. I did notice though that when I counted the emails in my In Box on the Gmail website it only had about 50 which looks pretty normal to me. So it doesn't look as if will need to purge any from my Gmail In Box . I guess I will just try deleting about 300 emails from my mac mail inbox and see if they come back. Thanks for your help.

 

[eldho]

I guess I will just try deleting about 300 emails from my mac mail inbox and see if they come back. Thanks for your help.

That shifts them into the mail bin box - if you then delete them from there as well they should be gone for good

 

[dalesladx]

That shifts them into the mail bin box - if you then delete them from there as well they should be gone for good

Thanks for the reminder I sometimes forget to check that.