Recovering Apple Mail emails from a backup file on a new MacBook Pro

Question

Recovering Apple Mail emails from a backup file on a new MacBook Pro

Hi. I had a series of disasters. The email server company I was using had a server failure and I lost all the IMAP emails stored there. Fortunately they were all stored on my MacBook Pro 1708 Apple email. Also fortunately I had made a backup copy of the inbox.mbox folder. I have no Time Machine backup. Then I accidentally dropped that computer and broke the display. I was unable to get an external monitor to work. I tried the headless Mac trick but could not get that to work either. The one good thing is long ago I had to install a removable NVMe SSD. So I removed it, bought an external NVMe SSD external drive adapter, bought another MacBook Pro A1708 and I can now read the old SSD and I retrieved the old inbox.mbox file which I assume contains all may old emails. But on my new computer with fresh install of macOS (Ventura) there are no Apple Mail accounts set up and therefore The FILE-IMPORT option is greyed out. All FILE options are greyed out. I can't add the original email account because that account no longer exists. How can I get my old emails back?

[Re-Titled by Moderator]

Original Title: Transferring apple mail

Posted on Oct 15, 2025 9:30 AM

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Answer 1

AlWeir

Level 5

4,880 points

Oct 26, 2025 8:04 AM in response to Harvey_Mushman

Transfer the File: Copy the .mbox file(s) from your backup to a location on your new MacBook Pro (like your Documents or Desktop folder).

Open Mail: Launch the Mail app on your new MacBook Pro.

Import: Go to File in the menu bar and select Import Mailboxes...

Select Format: Choose Files in mbox format and click Continue.

Choose File: Navigate to where you saved the .mbox file, select it, and click Choose.

Locate Emails: The imported emails will appear in a new mailbox named Import in the Mail sidebar. You can then drag and drop the folders and messages to any other mailbox you like.

Importing the Complete Mail Folder

If your backup is a copy of your old Mac's system files, such as a Time Machine backup or a clone, you can import the entire Mail folder.

Step 1: Locate the Mail Folder in Your Backup

The Mail data is stored in a hidden folder within your user's Library.

Connect your external backup drive to your new MacBook Pro.

In Finder, click the Go menu in the top menu bar, and hold down the Option key. The Library folder will appear in the list—select it.

Navigate to the Mail folder, which is inside the Library folder.

Inside the Mail folder, you'll see folders like V10, V9, etc. The highest-numbered folder usually contains the most recent mail data. Copy this entire numbered folder (e.g., V10) from your backup to your new Mac's Desktop or Documents folder.

Step 2: Import the Mail Folder

Open the Mail app on your new MacBook Pro.

Go to File in the menu bar and select Import Mailboxes...

Select Format: Choose Apple Mail and click Continue.

Choose Location: Navigate to the folder you copied (e.g., V10) and select it. Click Choose.

Locate Emails: The imported mailboxes will appear in a new folder named Import in the Mail sidebar. You can then move the mailboxes to your desired location within the Mail app.

Here's the process:

Open the location where the hidden folder resides in a standard Finder window (e.g., your Home folder if you're looking for the hidden Library folder).
Click the Time Machine icon $\text{}$ in the menu bar and select Browse Time Machine Backups.
Once the Time Machine interface is open, press the keyboard shortcut: Command-Shift-Period

The hidden files and folders, which are typically dimmed or semi-transparent, should now be visible. Press the shortcut again to hide them.

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Answer 2

Oct 26, 2025 8:57 AM in response to AlWeir

As I said, all of the options in the FILE menu, including Import Mailboxes, are greyed out, I assume because I have no email accounts added. As the old address is no longer accessible, I can't use that one. I have tried over and over to add my new address which is through Titan/Hosting.com but have not had any success. I have also tried to add my secondary email address which is through Proton.com and have not had any success there either. I was hoping there is a way to do it without already having an existing account recognized by Apple Mail. Is there? Thank you for taking the time to help.

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Answer 3

AlWeir

Level 5

4,880 points

Oct 26, 2025 9:42 AM in response to Harvey_Mushman

You should go to Titan/Hosting and get directions from them on how to add your account to Mail as well as Proton.

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