Can I remove IMAP account from Mac Mail without losing my mail?

Joined
Sep 12, 2015
Messages
5
Reaction score
0
I added an IMAP mail account from my Web host to Mac Mail, and the account does not appear in System Preferences/Internet Accounts, in the list that shows all my IMAP accounts.

However, the account does display when I select Mail/Preferences/Accounts. The mail for this account is showing up in Mac Mail, although its folders are displaying in the Inbox section at the top of the mailbox list, and not at the bottom where the folders for IMAP mail accounts normally display.

I'd like to remove the account and add it again in hope that everything will display consistently and correctly.

Here's my question: Can I safely remove this one account from Mail/Preferences/Accounts without knocking all my mail from the server?

Thanks!
 

Cory Cooper

Moderator
Joined
May 19, 2004
Messages
11,102
Reaction score
492
Hello and welcome.

Since it is an IMAP account, if you delete it from Apple Mail it won't delete anything that is on the server itself.

-Which version of OS X?
-Does the web host have webmail access? If so, do the folders show as subfolders of the inbox in the webmail view?

C
 
Joined
Sep 12, 2015
Messages
5
Reaction score
0
Hello and welcome.

Since it is an IMAP account, if you delete it from Apple Mail it won't delete anything that is on the server itself.

-Which version of OS X?
-Does the web host have webmail access? If so, do the folders show as subfolders of the inbox in the webmail view?

C

Cory, I have Yosemite (10.10.5). The web host does have Webmail access, and the folders are not displayed as subfolders of the inbox.

I've submitted tickets to my webhost over the past couple of days, and they've "tweaked" (their word) the "cloud firewall", and now my folders are displaying where they should in Mac Mail. Before that, issues with the server firewall continually took down my web accounts.

However, one problem remains. The mail account in question appears in Mail/Preferences/Accounts but not in System Preferences/Internet Accounts.

I'm not sure if I want to go through the hassle at this point, but now if I even try to remove the email account from Mail/Preferences/Accounts, I get a message telling me to remove it from System Preferences/Internet Accounts. And since the account is not listed there, I can't remove it.

Mac Mail is a massive headache!
 

Cory Cooper

Moderator
Joined
May 19, 2004
Messages
11,102
Reaction score
492
Well, if the folders are showing as they should, then I wouldn't worry about the account not showing in Internet Accounts. It isn't showing there, probably because it was added directly in Mail > Preferences > Accounts. Did you add it recently, or in a previous version of OS X?

If you are worried about the mailboxes/email, make sure you have a current Time Machine or other backup, as well as verifying that the folders/emails are visible on the webmail portal. When those are all set, you could try to add the account in the Internet Accounts pref pane. You could then remove it, and it should delete it from Apple Mail as well.

C
 

Ask a Question

Want to reply to this thread or ask your own question?

You'll need to choose a username for the site, which only take a couple of moments. After that, you can post your question and our members will help you out.

Ask a Question

Top