Mail messages that keep coming back

I was using a public wi-fi last week and checked my mail. Ever since then, I have 5 messages in my inbox, and it doesn't matter how many times I delete them, they come back! They don't come back when my computer checks mail, they are somehow embedded in my system, because they come back when I'm reading my mail, or doing something else. They have no subject line (although they did initially) and most of them have no content (2 of them do, and are recognizably messages I received last week). I have gone into webmail and deleted them there, but that makes no difference, because they are not coming in when my computer checks for mail. Any ideas how to get rid of these recurring zombie messages???

Make sure you have quit mail completely, but before hand Delete them yet again.

Then go into Finder then in the Menubar click on Go and hold the Option key down which will show you the hidden Library Folder. Click on that then Mail>V2>Mail Data and look for the Accounts.plist Drag it to the Trash DO NOT EMPTY THE TRASH
In the same Folder look for SyncedFilesInfo.plist and drag that to Trash DO NOT EMPTY THE TRASH

Now open Disk Utility via Applications>Utilities Folder and click on Macintosh HD in the Left column. Click the First Aid tab, then Repair Permissions down the bottom. Once thats all done, log out, then back in. (Don't worry about all the errors in the log window of Disk Utility. Its just doing its thing)

Once you have logged back in, open Mail and see if they are still there.

Now if they are gone then all good, but if its the same go into the trash and Control+Click or Right click on the .plist's you put in there and in the Contextual Menu Put Back and then if it ask's Replace them.

Then come back and we can look at something else

HTH

Can't find hidden Library folder

Thanks, HTH. I tried clicking on Go while holding down Alt (which I guess is the equivalent of Option), and tried holding the key down after clicking on Go, but can't find a Library folder. Any other way to access it? Thanks!

TattooedMac is a seasoned expert on these things and you should follow his advice.

One thing which is dead easy to do and might just sort the problem before you go down that line:

Open Mail. Highlight your Inbox. Now go to the menu bar; click on Mailbox and from the drop down list, select "Rebuild".

This manoeuvre has worked for me in the past when items refused to delete from a mailbox.

It may not do the trick, but is harmless and easy to do.

Ian

clivechafer said:

Thanks, HTH. I tried clicking on Go while holding down Alt (which I guess is the equivalent of Option), and tried holding the key down after clicking on Go, but can't find a Library folder. Any other way to access it? Thanks!

Click to expand...

Ahh i suppose i should of asked what Mac and OS you are running.

Try this to get to that folder do the Shift+Command+G Keyboard shortcut (Which is goto Folder) and it brings up a drop down, then put ~/Library/ into it and it will take you to Your Home Folder Library where is where we want to go to.

But do try IWT advice as well