OK, I got the issue sorted out and fixed. I sent a note to Microsoft support yesterday and got the following reply today. In a nutshell, the Entourage database was corrupted and had to be rebuilt.
Thanks to everyone who replied - it is much appreciated. (Diane - I got MS's response before yours so never tried it. Although I should've mentioned that I couldn't export to create a backup - the process wouldn't complete. In retrospect, I guess that was a pretty good hint there was a problem with the database.)
Here's the fix for those who are interested:
I think there is corruption in the Entourage address book and this is probably causing this issue.
First of all back up the database, here are the steps:
1. Close all Microsoft Programs
2. Double click on the "Hard Disk"
3. Double click on "Users"
4. Double click on the "Home User"
5. Double click on "Documents"
6. Double click on "Microsoft User Data"
7. Double click on "Office 2008 identities"
8. Hold down the "Control" key on the keyboard and click on "Main Identity" (or your identity name) with your mouse
9. Select "copy Main Identity" (or your identity name)
10. Close out of these windows
11. Hold down the "control" key on the keyboard and click on "desktop" and select "paste item"
You also wanted to know where the data is for Address Book, all Entourage data including Entourages Address Book is in the file called Database in Main Identity. When you are referring to the Address Book on the Mac then you have to contact Apple, they know where the data is for the Apple Address Book and they should be able to recover your data for the Address Book from Time Machine.
Time Machine could possibly corrupt the Entourage data, here are some links to websites that discuss this issue:
<
http://blog.entourage.mvps.org/2008/01/alternative_method_to_use_entourage_and_time_machine.html>
<
http://www.entourage.mvps.org/faq_topic/leopard.html>
We are going to reset the Microsoft Sync Services first, do a rebuild and then sync iCal with Entourage; here are the steps:
1. Click on the Hard Disk
2. Click on "Users"
3. Click on the folder with your user name
4. Click on "Library"
5. Click on "Preferences"
6. Drag "com.microsoft.entourage.syncservices.plist" (when it is there) and "com.microsoft.entourage.syncservices12.plist" to the trash
7. Drag "OfficeSync Prefs" to the trash when it is there
8. Click on the "Microsoft" folder in preferences
9. Click on the "Office 2008" folder
10. Drag "OfficeSync Prefs" to the trash
11. Restart the Mac
Now rebuild the Entourage Database:
1. Ensure the Microsoft Entourage is still closed
2. Hold down the "option/alt" key on the keyboard and click on the Entourage icon in the dock
* *this will bring up a "Database Utility" window 3. Ensure it is the "Main identity" (or if you renamed your identity pick the name that you have chosen) selected and put the dot in rebuild database and click continue
4. It will go through a 5 step process and when it is done you click "done" and "quit"
5. Launch Entourage normally
Turn Sync Services back on, trashing of the preferences turned them off:
1. Open Entourage and go to Entourage in the menu and choose Preferences
2. Click on Sync Services on the left and turn on the sync between Entourage and iCal when you click OK it should prompt you if you want to combine or overwrite files, you choose combine information
You can find more information about Sync Services on the following pages:
<
http://www.entourage.mvps.org/faq_topic/sync_services_basics.html>
<
http://blog.entourage.mvps.org/2007/07/why_does_the_syncing_play_goss.html>
It could be possible that the Apple Sync Services for Address Book and iCal needs to be reset, Apple would need to help you with this; this page has more information about resetting Sync Services:
<
http://www.entourage.mvps.org/troubleshoot/syncservices.html#ss2>
When you need assistance, then you need to contact Apple, they need to w
