One of my users has a POP account with something like 6000 messages in the INBOX. Monday morning when she opened Mail she could see the list of downloaded messages but could not open them - she got a message that said something like the message hadn't been downloaded. But I checked in ~user/Library/Mail and the POP account was there with the giant inbox mbox. So I suspected that the table_of_contents file was corrupted. I was able to fix it by using a backup copy and re-downloading the new messages (she leaves her messages on the server). However, it happened again twice today, and the first time by quitting and restarting Mail she could get it to work, but then I had to manually rebuild it again. Does anyone have any ideas about why this is suddenly happening (she's running 10.3.8 on a G4 dual processor desktop)?
--jenny
I’d backup the mbox folder and then remove all files inside EXCEPT the mbox file itself. Then start Mail and see what happens. If it happens again, the mbox file is corrupt. I’d then copy the messages out into a new mailbox on the computer. You may lose some messages, but you should get most of them.
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cp
First, listening to her account setup, I think she should be on an IMAP account. I say this because even though she is on a POP account, her settings are such that she is leaving those 9000 emails in her inbox. When a person has the settting “leave a copy of the message on the server” when using a POP account, they are either doing it by accident, or if intentional they are trying to mimic the functionality of an IMAP account, so she can look at her email after she has downloaded it at work, when she goes to a different computer, or from home for example. I have seen servers hiccup and redownload every message, and while I dont know the exact reason technically, I know that the only reason an email in POP that has been looked at doesnt redownload is that it is marked by the server. Perhaps this server setting gets reset, I only have experience with my own POP accounts over time where I have since this happen to me, and so I am guessing.
Since she has it set to leave a copy, if the server has a problem (I take it your email is hosted offsite by someone other than you?) you might call their tech, get to know him/her and ask them why. Also, just as an “I feel your pain” I think the toughest part of administration is when it comes down to resources. If your user wants to keep 9000 emails on hand, its usually because she needs the paper trail. So try to put yourself in her shoes. Explain (in brief brief terms) the differences in POP and IMAP, the pluses and drawbacks of each, explain that sometimes POP will redownload, and let her make the decision and accept the consequences of each, so that when her POP is redownloading, or her IMAP is slow with the 9000 emails refreshing, she knows its not you. Forgive me if I got too basic, I dont mean to talk down to you, just trying to be helpful.