Mail keeps making new, duplicate folders

[Thomas S. England]

I'm using Mail 6.2 on a couple of machines. I have created a number of custom folders, where messages are sent according to Rules which I've set up.

Recently I've seen that a new version of some of these folders are being created with the same name as the existing ones, and my Rules send my selected messages there.

If I empty that new folder & delete and folder, it will come back.

Now, I'm a newbie to iCloud so my speculation is that my folder structure doesn't quite match between the machines, so iCloud is trying to do it for me. Or maybe it's not iCloud at all.

Googling has produced nothing useful, so I thought I would ask here. Anybody seen this before?

[Xairbusdriver]

Double check your rules to be sure you haven't inadvertently asked to have a new folder created.

It may be best to have the rules set only on one machine. At least for the iCloud account. I don't have more than one actual computer accessing my Mac account, so I've no experience doing what you are. I DO have an iPad and an iPhone which also access that account, but that's not exactly the same scheme. And, of course, those mobile machines don't have the rules functions.

The only other thing I can think of is that the Rules are slightly different on the Macs, or that the Rules may be. OTOH, it may just be the way the two Macs are Syncing.

Boy, with 'help' like this, who needs Windows?! I'll see if another searcher (me) can find anything on the webs...

[Xairbusdriver]

This may explain what's happening, but it's not exactly short nor is it very new! It has to do with how IMAP servers and Mail, in particular do things "behind your back."

<Achieving Email Bliss with IMAP, Gmail, and Apple Mail, TidBITS, Joe Kissell>

Anyway, it may explain what's happening, if not, you'll at least know more about IMAP and Mail than you ever wanted to!

[krissel]

Can you take a screen shot of the folder listing in the Mail left panel on each machine?  See if some are listed in a different location in the hierarchy.  Post them here if you wish and we can take a look.

[Thomas S. England]

QUOTE(krissel @ Feb 14 2013, 10:45 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Can you take a screen shot of the folder listing in the Mail left panel on each machine?  See if some are listed in a different location in the hierarchy.  Post them here if you wish and we can take a look.

Here's how they're set up on the 2 computers. I know there are differences, but what should I do about it?

[Xairbusdriver]

I believe this is what was pointed out in the TidBITS article (although it seemed to dwell on GMail); if the mail boxes on the server are not the same as the mailboxes on you computer, one named as it is on the server may be created on your machine. For example, on the MacBook, there is a folder called "WPNA" with one subfolder. But on the iMac, it is a separate Folder with that hierarchy. I don't know which way it is 'seen' on whatever servers you have at the various ISPs (I see mindspring.com, englandphoto.com and, I assume, iCloud). When a message comes to one of those servers and it has a different folder arrangement than you have on either computer, it may cause a new folder to be created there. Which computer checks and downloads the message can mean that the folder will not appear on the other one. I'm grasping at straws and what I think I understood about that article, also.

Secondly, the hierarchy is just the same on the two machines, thus the items I mentioned above. More importantly may be the different spellings of at least two mailboxes; the "Teaching" folder is under two different main folders, there is a difference in the spelling of the sub-folder in that Teaching folder: "my notes" is not the same as "My notes".

I would suggest first arranging all the folders in the same order on both computers, I think it would just make it easier to find things. Naturally, it would help to see differences in spellings as well as missing folders/mailboxes. Then, compare the rules in both computers. Unfortunately, I don't know of a way to print those out or export as text files that could then be compared digitally. If you do have an iCloud account, you can upload/store your rules there (iCloud Documents & Data) and at least have the same ones be applied with both computers. As an aside, I might select a font or font size that allowed the displaying of descenders of the folder/mailbox labels; right now the descender of a "y" is cut off and sure looks like a "v"! Or just use only uppercase characters? Or just ignore my whining!

Frankly, I just don't think Apple planned on having more than one computer connected for each person. "Multiple devices" seems to mean A computer and An iPad and/or An iPhone, but not two of anything! And I often see a message on my iPad or iPhone that shows up as UNread, but I have already read on my iMac. This may also have something to do with how I have Syncing set up, however.

[Thomas S. England]

QUOTE(Xairbusdriver @ Feb 15 2013, 02:33 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I believe this is what was pointed out in the TidBITS article  "my notes" is not the same as "My notes".

I would suggest first arranging all the folders in the same order on both computers If you do have an iCloud account, you can upload/store your rules there (iCloud Documents & Data) and at least have the same ones be applied with both computers.

That's exactly what I suspect most of all, that since the folders are arranged a bit differently, iCloud is forcing the issue. Hadn't noticed the difference in "My Notes" vs "my notes."

I still find iCloud confusing--especially knowing which computer is the dominant one.

Thanks for your thoughts, I'll play with it & see what happens...