# Strange message in my Mac Mail **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 23, 2005, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-message-in-my-mac-mail/295824 "2005-03-23T02:18:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Spacegirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e47774/32.png) [@Spacegirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spacegirl)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2005, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-message-in-my-mac-mail/295824/1 "2005-03-23T02:18:35Z")
I recieved this in my mailbox today: > [@](#): > > From: MAILER-DAEMON@(deleted) > Subject: DON’T DELETE THIS MESSAGE – FOLDER INTERNAL DATA > Date: March 22, 2005 4:24:30 PM CST > > This text is part of the internal format of your mail folder, and is not > a real message. It is created automatically by the mail system software. > If deleted, important folder data will be lost, and it will be re-created > with the data reset to initial values. Is this for real? Can I really not delete this, or did someone send me something fishy? I have had this account for quite a while, and I have never gotten anything like this before. For the record, I use Mac’s Mail program, and use OsX ---
**Author:** ![Cartooniverse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cartooniverse/32/3084_2.png) [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2005, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-message-in-my-mac-mail/295824/2 "2005-03-23T02:24:25Z")
Sounds like b.s. to me. I use two diferent Mac machines, both using the Mac mail software. I’ve never seen such a thing. If there was a hyperlink involved in that email, then I’m guessing someone was trying to download a bug to your Mac. Odd as that sounds. Cartooniverse ---
**Author:** ![Spacegirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e47774/32.png) [@Spacegirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spacegirl)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2005, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-message-in-my-mac-mail/295824/3 "2005-03-23T02:32:36Z")
Thanks for your quick response **Cartooniverse**. There was no hyperlink in the email. I got the strange email, and then I read [this](http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=569&e=2&u=/nm/tech_apple_dc) article about Mac hackers. Way to make someone paranoid! I hope it’s nothing I should worry about. ---
**Author:** ![PatriotX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c4cdca/32.png) [@PatriotX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatriotX)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2005, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-message-in-my-mac-mail/295824/4 "2005-03-23T02:46:25Z")
[http://www.google.com/search?as\_q=+DELETE+THIS+MESSAGE+FOLDER+INTERNAL+DATA&num=100&hl=en&btnG=Google+Search&as\_epq=DON+T+&as\_oq=&as\_eq=&lr=lang\_en&as\_ft=i&as\_filetype=&as\_qdr=all&as\_occt=any&as\_dt=i&as\_sitesearch=&safe=off](http://www.google.com/search?as_q=+DELETE+THIS+MESSAGE+FOLDER+INTERNAL+DATA&num=100&hl=en&btnG=Google+Search&as_epq=DON+T+&as_oq=&as_eq=&lr=lang_en&as_ft=i&as_filetype=&as_qdr=all&as_occt=any&as_dt=i&as_sitesearch=&safe=off) 229,000 English pages ---
**Author:** ![Spacegirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e47774/32.png) [@Spacegirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spacegirl)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2005, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-message-in-my-mac-mail/295824/5 "2005-03-23T03:02:40Z")
> [@PatriotX](#): > > [http://www.google.com/search?as\_q=+DELETE+THIS+MESSAGE+FOLDER+INTERNAL+DATA&num=100&hl=en&btnG=Google+Search&as\_epq=DON+T+&as\_oq=&as\_eq=&lr=lang\_en&as\_ft=i&as\_filetype=&as\_qdr=all&as\_occt=any&as\_dt=i&as\_sitesearch=&safe=off](http://www.google.com/search?as_q=+DELETE+THIS+MESSAGE+FOLDER+INTERNAL+DATA&num=100&hl=en&btnG=Google+Search&as_epq=DON+T+&as_oq=&as_eq=&lr=lang_en&as_ft=i&as_filetype=&as_qdr=all&as_occt=any&as_dt=i&as_sitesearch=&safe=off) > > 229,000 English pages That’s really fabulous that there are 229,000 english pages about this email, but it none of it really makes any sense to me. Does it make sense to you? If so…please translate. ---
**Author:** ![Spacegirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e47774/32.png) [@Spacegirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spacegirl)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2005, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-message-in-my-mac-mail/295824/6 "2005-03-23T03:07:18Z")
> [@](#): > > Anyway, you can delete that message; there is no effect. Ha! Found something, let’s hope it’s right :). Thanks for your help guys/gals (??). ---
**Author:** ![spinky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@spinky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spinky)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2005, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-message-in-my-mac-mail/295824/7 "2005-03-23T04:18:47Z")
It’s a placeholder. Don’t worry about it. You probably access your mail through POP, and when the POP client retrieves the messages on the server, it leaves this message to indicate how many messages you’ve already seen in the mailbox. Next time it goes and gets mail, it only gets messages that are newer than that one. (those may not be the exact semantics, but it’s something along those lines – it’s a piece of data that the POP client leaves in the mailbox because it has no other central place to store data) (Note: it’s also safe to delete it) ---
**Author:** ![Spacegirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e47774/32.png) [@Spacegirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spacegirl)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2005, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-message-in-my-mac-mail/295824/8 "2005-03-24T01:17:56Z")
Thanks **ntucker**. You sure are swell! ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2005, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-message-in-my-mac-mail/295824/9 "2005-03-24T01:57:46Z")
[A better Google search with actual information](http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&q=what+does+this+mean+%22DON%27T+DELETE+THIS+MESSAGE+--+FOLDER+INTERNAL+DATA%22) Seems like it’s innocuous.