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Hi - Though I have had OS X 10.2 for awhile, I could never receive my mail when I tried to use it, so I have run old classic 9.2 forever, using Outlook Express 5.02. Anyway, I expreienced a MAJOR crash last week, so - since I lost EVERYTHING - I figured it was a good time to BEGIN using the 10.2 version.

I got everything set up (with help from my internet provider) but no longer have Outlook Express. Instead, I have "Mail". It works fine - with one exception - If I don't go into "webmail" at my provider's website and MANUALLY delete all received email, I just KEEP RECEIVING them - OVER & OVER!! Outlook didn't do that. It would dump the mail off the main server once I downloaded it to my home computer.

When I called my provider for tech support, they told me it wasn't a setting that they controlled, but rather a setting on MY program/computer that I needed to change. They said it would be called "Delete File on Server" or something similar - I can't FIND it!

When I called Apple support, they said that they would be happy to tell me how to change the setting - for $49.99! Can SOMEBODY out there help this ole' computer illiterate figure out what should be a simple problem?

Any assistance would be most appreciated - Thanks! Birdpatch

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Dani AI

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This is a common POP-client issue: Mail.app on Jaguar can leave copies on the server by default, so messages seen in webmail or another client get downloaded again and again. As discovered, the setting that controls this lives in Mail's account preferences — a concise how‑to and a few troubleshooting notes follow.

Where the option lives: open Mail, choose Mail > Preferences, go to Accounts, select the affected account and open the Advanced tab. That area contains the control for leaving a copy on the server (or removing it after retrieval). Change the setting so Mail removes the server copy (or select a short delay such as “after one day”) and close Preferences to save.

Troubleshooting tips and context: confirm the account type is POP (not IMAP) — IMAP behaves differently because it syncs folders with the server. If multiple devices or webmail are used, either switch to IMAP for true server-side sync or keep a short “leave on server” interval so other devices can fetch mail before it’s deleted. To verify the change, send a test message and check webmail after Mail downloads it. If Mail still redownloads the same items, try Mailbox > Rebuild for that mailbox, or remove and re-add the account (backup local mailboxes first).

Cautions: enabling immediate removal will permanently delete the server copy, so avoid that if other devices need access. Some ISPs also have server-side retention settings; if Mail’s preference doesn’t take effect, check the provider’s webmail/account options. The behavior described by matches the difference between Outlook Express’ typical POP defaults and Mail.app’s defaults — adjusting the Advanced preference restores the “download-and-delete” behavior.

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