Mac OS X Mail shows twice the number of new messages for subfolders?

Matt Stevens · 12 Sep 2006, 10:23 AM

I'm running into a puzzling issue with the Mail app in Mac OS X Tiger that I'm hoping someone here might have an answer for.

In my Fastmail account (on the server, not in the client) I have some rules set up to move new messages into my various folders. Whenever a new message is delivered to a folder in this way Mail reports twice the number of unread messages for that folder. So if I have 1 new message it will show an unread count of 2, if I have 3 new messages it shows an unread count of 6, etc. Clicking on the folder in Mail will cause it to refresh and it will then display the correct unread count along with the messages. Performing a manual synchronize through Mail will also cause the unread counts to update to their correct values.

Any ideas on what could be causing this and how to correct it? I have the account prefix set to "INBOX" and "Automatically synchronize changed mailboxes" checked. I tried unchecking the automatic sync option but it appears to make no difference.

mingus · 12 Sep 2006, 12:15 PM

Hmmm, I can't offer any help but have observed similar mysterious behaviour...

registered_user · 13 Sep 2006, 07:37 AM

It's a bug in Mail. Mail does the same thing with all IMAP accounts except for .Mac addresses. It didn't do that in Panther (in my experience) but it does in Tiger. Search in MacOSXHints or other OS X specific boards and you'll see plenty of mention of this flaw (HawkWings is a good source for OS X mail info including a lengthy multi-interview series on Mail's strengths and weaknesses).

What also baffles me is that I remember IDLE support working better in Panther too, even notifying me when new mail arrived in folders other than the inbox (since I do a lot of filtering on the server). But this is something that Tiger's Mail application is 100% incapable of. It could be that my memory of Panther Mail's support for this is mistaken though, brought on by the overall crapiness of Tiger Mail compared to it's predecessor.

I used to use Mail exclusively, but I got so fed up with the Tiger "upgrades" that I switched to Thunderbird and have never looked back. The coming "enhancements" in Leopard are a total turn off for me too. Why couldn't they have integrated useful features like those found in the GPGMail, MailTags and MailActOn plugins for Mail? Instead they integrate sticky notes and some truly regrettable HTML stationery (templates were an obvious missing feature for a long time, but Apple's gone from no template support at all to "whoa crazy wild images and nonstandard fonts in every message just to ensure your mail is always flagged as spam"). The only thing I really miss is Mail's far more powerful mail filtering (and maybe MailActOn just a little bit), but I've learned to do without since it's far more useful to have an IMAP client that actually supports the best features of IMAP.

I'm also disappointed with Apple's decision to drop mbox as the storage format for Mail. Their use of this long-standing standard format was one of the huge selling points of their Mail application and has provided people with truly fantastic opportunities to dramatically improve both their workflow and their ability to restore mail files in the event of catastrophe. Now that's all gone to serve Spotlight integration which could've been accomplished without dumping the format (probably pretty easily).

I'm really annoyed with what Apple has done (and is doing) with Mail.

Matt Stevens · 13 Sep 2006, 08:11 AM

I was afraid of that, but thanks for clearing it up and the useful links!

I was also unimpressed by the previewed Mail additions, but then again they're more targeted at general users. If they update Mail in Leopard to resolve the IMAP issues that would be enough for me. In the meantime it looks like I may have to give Thunderbird a shot myself.

registered_user · 13 Sep 2006, 09:28 AM

Tbird has its quirks too. It's just a matter of whose quirks are more annoying to you. The IMAP bugs in Mail just finally got the better of me. If Apple would just fix IMAP folder support in Mail, I'd go back to it in a heartbeat in spite of it's other flaws.

placebo · 13 Sep 2006, 09:35 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by registered_user
What also baffles me is that I remember IDLE support working better in Panther too, even notifying me when new mail arrived in folders other than the inbox (since I do a lot of filtering on the server). But this is something that Tiger's Mail application is 100% incapable of. It could be that my memory of Panther Mail's support for this is mistaken though, brought on by the overall crapiness of Tiger Mail compared to it's predecessor.

Mail has unfortunately never supported IMAP IDLE.

12 Sep 2006, 10:23 AM	#1
Matt Stevens Junior Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Posts: 11	Mac OS X Mail shows twice the number of new messages for subfolders? I'm running into a puzzling issue with the Mail app in Mac OS X Tiger that I'm hoping someone here might have an answer for. In my Fastmail account (on the server, not in the client) I have some rules set up to move new messages into my various folders. Whenever a new message is delivered to a folder in this way Mail reports twice the number of unread messages for that folder. So if I have 1 new message it will show an unread count of 2, if I have 3 new messages it shows an unread count of 6, etc. Clicking on the folder in Mail will cause it to refresh and it will then display the correct unread count along with the messages. Performing a manual synchronize through Mail will also cause the unread counts to update to their correct values. Any ideas on what could be causing this and how to correct it? I have the account prefix set to "INBOX" and "Automatically synchronize changed mailboxes" checked. I tried unchecking the automatic sync option but it appears to make no difference.

12 Sep 2006, 12:15 PM	#2
mingus Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Australia Posts: 126	Hmmm, I can't offer any help but have observed similar mysterious behaviour...

13 Sep 2006, 07:37 AM	#3
registered_user Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 164	It's a bug in Mail. Mail does the same thing with all IMAP accounts except for .Mac addresses. It didn't do that in Panther (in my experience) but it does in Tiger. Search in MacOSXHints or other OS X specific boards and you'll see plenty of mention of this flaw (HawkWings is a good source for OS X mail info including a lengthy multi-interview series on Mail's strengths and weaknesses). What also baffles me is that I remember IDLE support working better in Panther too, even notifying me when new mail arrived in folders other than the inbox (since I do a lot of filtering on the server). But this is something that Tiger's Mail application is 100% incapable of. It could be that my memory of Panther Mail's support for this is mistaken though, brought on by the overall crapiness of Tiger Mail compared to it's predecessor. I used to use Mail exclusively, but I got so fed up with the Tiger "upgrades" that I switched to Thunderbird and have never looked back. The coming "enhancements" in Leopard are a total turn off for me too. Why couldn't they have integrated useful features like those found in the GPGMail, MailTags and MailActOn plugins for Mail? Instead they integrate sticky notes and some truly regrettable HTML stationery (templates were an obvious missing feature for a long time, but Apple's gone from no template support at all to "whoa crazy wild images and nonstandard fonts in every message just to ensure your mail is always flagged as spam"). The only thing I really miss is Mail's far more powerful mail filtering (and maybe MailActOn just a little bit), but I've learned to do without since it's far more useful to have an IMAP client that actually supports the best features of IMAP. I'm also disappointed with Apple's decision to drop mbox as the storage format for Mail. Their use of this long-standing standard format was one of the huge selling points of their Mail application and has provided people with truly fantastic opportunities to dramatically improve both their workflow and their ability to restore mail files in the event of catastrophe. Now that's all gone to serve Spotlight integration which could've been accomplished without dumping the format (probably pretty easily). I'm really annoyed with what Apple has done (and is doing) with Mail.

13 Sep 2006, 08:11 AM	#4
Matt Stevens Junior Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Posts: 11	I was afraid of that, but thanks for clearing it up and the useful links! I was also unimpressed by the previewed Mail additions, but then again they're more targeted at general users. If they update Mail in Leopard to resolve the IMAP issues that would be enough for me. In the meantime it looks like I may have to give Thunderbird a shot myself.

13 Sep 2006, 09:28 AM	#5
registered_user Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 164	Tbird has its quirks too. It's just a matter of whose quirks are more annoying to you. The IMAP bugs in Mail just finally got the better of me. If Apple would just fix IMAP folder support in Mail, I'd go back to it in a heartbeat in spite of it's other flaws.