email content disappearing

[plimmerton]

May already be a thread to this one........some of my older emails have lost their content.
I tried REBUILD and now have lost all the emails that wouldnt display the contents!!

Any help would be appreciated.

 

[Kaveman]

What OS? What mail account type?

 

[plimmerton]

MAC OS X
SNOW LEOPARD

Account type POP.

 

[Kaveman]

Start by ensuring you have a backup of your Library/Mail folder.

 

[plimmerton]

Done

 

[plimmerton]

Backed up....what now?

 

[Kaveman]

Do you have a backup from before you ran Rebuild, TimeCapsule perhaps?

 

[plimmerton]

Unfortunately no.

 

[Kaveman]

Option Drag that Mail Folder, making a copy onto the Desktop, sort through looking for the missing emails.

or use a File Recovery App, such as Data Rescue to see if you can recover the emails.

 

[plimmerton]

Thanks. I already have a copy, however its not the missing emails that worry me but the recurrence of received emails that somehow lose their content and what I can do to prevent this and/or why is it happening?

 

[Kaveman]

The only time I've seen this type of thing its a sign the HD is dying, I'd ensure you have a full backup, ASAP!

Then in Disk Utility check its SMART status.

 

[plimmerton]

Thanks for your help Kaveman. I got help from Apple Support. A software problem POSSIBLY caused (though not proven) by a recent Apple Software update / conflict?
Files restored through Time Machine except email files 'lost' during rebuild - lesson learnt...Never Rebuild before backing up then Restoring!