[FlammableYurt]

I tried to click on an email in entourage (version 10.0.0), but it gave me an error (I don't recall what it was, just that it was short), then froze. So I force quit it and then reopened it, but everything was completely reset. It displays no emails, options seem to all be reset, my account is no longer there, calender and contacts all gone. It's as if I just installed it. I had some really important stuff there, and it would be really annoying if I can't get it back

I have no idea if this could possibly have solved anything, but I repaired my permissions, but to no avail. I can't think of any other solution, but I hope there is one!

Thanks

[bbales]

This happened to me last summer. I have no idea what I did to cause it (someone suggested that the folder had been moved out of documnets, but I had not done that.

I'd check for your Microsoft user information, to see if it's still there (the big fat database file, I mean). Back that up ASAP, then try to copy it back into the proper folder to see if it can reset it.

And my next question, pesky as it may seem? Do you have a backup? In my case, I had just backed up the night before and was able to copy the backup into the main folder. (There was some weirdness with making sure office notificaqtions was turned off -- and to figure out how to do everything I did have to do a search, of these very forums, if I recall correctly. I cannot remember the procedures, as this happened last july. You'd have to search as well.

But I hope you have a backup, because that's what I ended up needing.

Good luck. Ever since then I've been leery of Entourage. I still use it but am thinking of switching over to Mail.

[FlammableYurt]

Thanks... I looked in the Main Identity folder, and the database files are still there. I'm not sure if I completely understand your suggestion, though. Do you mean copy the file somewhere else, and then try to copy it back into the folder I took it from (Main Identity)? Or something else?

And no, sadly I do not have a backup. I believe I might start to manually back up those files, though, because this is a big problem

Thanks for your help!

[bbales]

What happens if you try to double click the main database file? does it say the file is busy? Or do you get the pristine, it-looks-like-it-just-got-installed version? I meant to make a copy of the main database file (say, burn a CD) and then try to replace the bad one with the good one.

But you know, you're right. That makes no sense. I guess I was wondering if somehow the main program got corrupted but somehow your database was still there, but just not functioning correctly.

Does anyone else have any suggestions?

By the way, was it over the 4 GB limit? There was a post about that a few days ago?

[tsuki]

I'm assuming that you did find the folders:
users/you/documents/microsoft user data/identities/main identies
was this empty?
I have two other hard drives(one external) that I back up the data on.
I only use entourage now for my mailing lists (I prefer the way they organise the names)& use mail for my daily email now...just works much better for me..hope you get all your data back.

[bbales]

Originally posted by tsuki:
I'm assuming that you did find the folders:
users/you/documents/microsoft user data/identities/main identies
was this empty?
I have two other hard drives(one external) that I back up the data on.
I only use entourage now for my mailing lists (I prefer the way they organise the names)& use mail for my daily email now...just works much better for me..hope you get all your data back.

Flammable -- sorry, as this has NOTHING to do with your problem, but tsuki -- how do you use your mailing lists? I sometimes have to send out information and I've never been able to figure out how to have Entourage work so that each person seems to be getting a personalized e-mail, without sending each person a personalizedd e-mail. I haved looked and looked and looked, and cannot find the way to something that should be so simple and is not.

Any help you can give me?

Thanks.

[TimmyDee51]

How large was your Main Identity database? If it gets larger than 4 GB (2 GB in Office 2001), Entourage will reset itself and your data will be gone. I hope that's not the case.

[tsuki]

Originally posted by bbales:
Flammable -- sorry, as this has NOTHING to do with your problem, but tsuki -- how do you use your mailing lists? I sometimes have to send out information and I've never been able to figure out how to have Entourage work so that each person seems to be getting a personalized e-mail, without sending each person a personalizedd e-mail. I haved looked and looked and looked, and cannot find the way to something that should be so simple and is not.

Any help you can give me?

Thanks.

Hi bb,
this probably isn't exactly what you are after..but this is the way I handle the mailing lists (mine are all opt in of course). You create a group (drag & drop emails into the group)window. Select don't show names when sending to a group. Then when you compose a new letter select just one name (I usually use my own email) for the "to" field. Then put the group in the bcc field. This works for at least not showing all the recipients..as far as the message being addressed indidually to each one & being sent to the group all at once..maybe someone else might know that...I like the way the individual lists can sort alphabetically, which makes it easy to find & remove names...I tried the group feature in mail & it just didn't work as well for me...I'm happy with this compromise tho... hope I helped

[FlammableYurt]

Hmm.... The files are there, the database file is 96.5 MB, so it seems like all my information is still stored, and it's not past that 4 GB limit... Any suggestions? I tried replacing it , i've tried every suggestion I could find (including rebuilding the database, even though it didn't seem like that was related).

[car1son]

Try updating MS Office to at least v10.1.2 (or 10.1.5 if you have the time.) 10.1.2 contained improvements to database rebuild/recovery features. (BTW, with v10.0.0 the databse limit is still 2GB, not that you've hit it. You need at least the 10.1.2 (or older SR-1 that it includes) to expand to 4GB.

Entouraid is the last resort.

[tsuki]

Originally posted by FlammableYurt:
Hmm.... The files are there, the database file is 96.5 MB, so it seems like all my information is still stored, and it's not past that 4 GB limit... Any suggestions? I tried replacing it , i've tried every suggestion I could find (including rebuilding the database, even though it didn't seem like that was related).

I apologise if this is stupid but did you actually click on the database file to open it? It will open entourage again from there. I thought I would suggest it in the off chance you didn't try that.

[car1son]

Originally posted by tsuki:
I apologise if this is stupid but did you actually click on the database file to open it? It will open entourage again from there. I thought I would suggest it in the off chance you didn't try that.

As surprisingly contrary to the Mac convention as this may seem, you will discover that it doesn't matter what Database you click on to open Entourage. Entourage will always open the Database associated with the current identity. (You can easily conduct this experiment for yourself if you have a second Entourage identity.)

The name of the current identity is stored in the "Entourage Preferences" file in your home Library/Preferences/Microsoft folder. (there's actually an excuse for why this is true: the database daemon, which handles Office notifications, may already be running with the current identity's database open. This background application also makes it hard to replace an entourage database with a backups without killing the Database daemon first.)

I assume the user with the problem has only a single identity (i.e., there is only one folder in the home Documents/Microsoft User Data/Office X Identities folder. Otherwise, and it would be worthwhile to try invoking the "Switch identities" feature from the Entourage menu.