Feed
 

Mail not saving as a draft

Avatar Roy Rainford
Mail v9.3 with OS 10.11.6 isn't saving draft messages. After cmd-s keys or using the drop-down menu, File - Save, I can't save as a draft. Any thoughts?

Re: Mail not saving as a draft

Avatar Mick Burrell
I've never pressed any keys - it automatically saves from time to time and if you close the window of that email without sending, it asks if you want to save it as a draft.

Re: Mail not saving as a draft

Avatar Roy Rainford
Thanks Mick. Occasionally in the past that is how a draft worked but no longer. I have stopped closing the window because I lose the drafts when I do that and have to start a new message. Have just tried it again but copied the message first so I didn't have to start new.

Re: Mail not saving as a draft

Avatar Mick Burrell
Are you using POP or IMAP?

Re: Mail not saving as a draft

Avatar Roy Rainford
Under Mail Accounts there is a POP Account, a Main Account (whatever that is), iCloud Drive and AOL Messages. IMAP is not mentioned. However today, I started a new message in Mail and was surprised (and pleased) to see a draft had been generated automatically, as you described above. I closed Mail then reopened it and the draft is still there, amazing! How do I ensure this happens for every message?

Re: Mail not saving as a draft

Avatar Mick Burrell
The accounts can be called whatever you like so the names you say above must be what they were called when you set them up. (I don't think it's iCloud Drive, just iCloud).

iCloud will be IMAP and POP is obviously POP. AOL is probably IMAP too. With accounts that we think are IMAP, see what's set under the Mailbox Behaviours tab. It probably says that drafts are to be saved on the server. With a POP account, drafts will always be saved on your Mac. It's therefore relevant which account you're trying to send from. I would be surprised if the POP account were not to be saving drafts but it may be that one IMAP account works but the other doesn't. However, don't forget that most IMAP accounts will set up their own set of folders lower down the mailbox list so it may be that there's a draft folder there which has your "lost" messages whereas you've only checked the one near the top by the Inbox. But I'm guessing.

Re: Mail not saving as a draft

Avatar Roy Rainford
I see under Mailbox Behaviours that the Main Account is IMAP and the box for Drafts is ticked for 'Store draft messages on the server. The same applies to the iCloud which is IMAP. However, for the POP Account there is no mention of drafts.This morning I started a new message in each of the accounts and a draft was started for each!! The original problem is a mystery, as is how it corrected itself. I didn't change any settings. I have however learned things about the accounts and mailbox behaviors which I didn't know before receiving your comments Mick - many thanks.

Re: Mail not saving as a draft

Avatar Mick Burrell
The POP account would not mention drafts as there is no option to store them anywhere other than on your Mac.

My point of asking all those questions is that you'll almost certainly find that it's an IMAP account which is set to save on the server that is misbehaving i.e. not talking to your Mac properly. You'll probably find it's always the same account if it happens again.

Did you check to see if you have other Drafts mailboxes showing in the list?

Re: Mail not saving as a draft

Avatar Roy Rainford
"Did you check to see if you have other Drafts mailboxes showing in the list?"
Yes, but I can't see another Drafts mailbox with 'lost' messages.

Re: Mail not saving as a draft

Avatar Mick Burrell
Then I suggest we can't get any further until it happens again and you're able to say with certainty which account you were sending from when the draft disappeared.

Re: Mail not saving as a draft

Avatar Roy Rainford
It did happen again but I couldn't be certain from which account so had to 'phone a (helpful) friend' and it was soon solved. Many thanks Mick.
 
Feed