Accessing Old Database

T

Tony

Does anyone know how to tap into an "old database?" I had
to do an advanced rebuild of my database and have appeared
to have lost all of my emails. I can see my old database in
my Identities folder, but every time I open Entourage it
creates a new database and cache (and ignores the old one).
Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
 
M

Mickey Stevens

Delete the files called "Database" and "Database Cache". Rename the "Old
Database" file to "Database". Re-launch Entourage and you should be back
where you were before the rebuild.
 
T

Tony

Mickey:

Thanks for the tip. I see my problem is that my database is
full (4GB). Is there a way to salvage/backup any of these
files at this point? Since the database is too big to open,
I can't get to my messages to delete attachments or anything.
 
D

Diane Ross

Thanks for the tip. I see my problem is that my database is
full (4GB). Is there a way to salvage/backup any of these
files at this point? Since the database is too big to open,
I can't get to my messages to delete attachments or anything.
Click to expand...

Did you apply the 10.1.2 updater? You must use the 10.1.2 updater from
MacTopia to get that 4 GB size plus warnings. The earliest release version
of Entourage X did not have those features.

You should have received the warnings before reaching the drop dead limit.

Are you sure the database does not include both the old and new database
files?
 
T

Tony

Diane:

I used the updater a few months back to get up to my
current database size. I haven't had any warnings since
then, but it got real buggy today and crashed several
times. After which I was unable to open my deleted files or
use my search function on deleted or sent files. I followed
Mickey's tip in this thread, but am now unable to open
Entourage. I know it's my own fault for letting my database
size get so large without backing up, but...Anyway, is
there a way to at least salvage these as text files if not
emails?
 
T

Tony

I tried to do another rebuild (typical) on my 4GB database
today. It saves my sent and deleted messages for the past
week, then a few early months in 2003 and 2002, and ALL of
2001. Is there any way to do a rebuild where the oldest
messages are deleted (if any) first and the newest ones are
kept?

TL
 
D

Diane Ross

I tried to do another rebuild (typical) on my 4GB database
today. It saves my sent and deleted messages for the past
week, then a few early months in 2003 and 2002, and ALL of
2001. Is there any way to do a rebuild where the oldest
messages are deleted (if any) first and the newest ones are
kept?
Click to expand...

I don't quite understand what you are describing. A rebuild does the entire
database not in sections like you are describing.

Have you been able to open Entourage since rebuilding?
 
T

Tony

The rebuild did compress the entire database. It compressed
it by removing a good deal of my messages. It removed all
the messages in by inbox. It kept my sent and deleted
messages for the past week, some for 2003, 2002 and mainly
2001. What's weird is that I just hit 2GB a few months ago
and did the update. Yesterday AM I was at 2.38GB. After I
did the rebuild, it made my "old database" 4GB. How could
it increase it to the max? I just want to be able to open
it and trash the files that I choose...not what the rebuild
process chooses. You would think that a rebuild would trash
the oldest messages first, but it's more a random sample.

TL
 
T

Tony

To make this simple, I dug through my trash and have found my original
database (2.23 GB). I've set my identity up with this database and I'm
in the exact state I was in before I did the rebuild. The problems I
am having (and the reason why I attempted to rebuild) are:
- I have no access to my deleted files (unfotunately I use these like
a file cabinet)
- When I go into my sent files, I cannot view all of my messages
because the window is covered by gray lines (the ones you see on OSX
apps)
- My search function doesn't work in my sent or deleted files.

If I try to do a Typical Rebuild, I get compacting error message. The
last time I tried an Advanced Rebuild, I lost most of my messages. Is
there a fix which will enable my to salvages my database?
 
B

Bernard Rey

Tony wrote :
If I try to do a Typical Rebuild, I get compacting error message. The
last time I tried an Advanced Rebuild, I lost most of my messages. Is
there a fix which will enable my to salvages my database?
Click to expand...

What you can try is to save your messages differently. Try dragging your
folders to the desktop. This will create independent archive files and might
fix the problem for the damaged folder (it did when I faced the problem on
my daughter's Mac recently). Then, Export your Contacts (from the "File"
menu).

Now, from the "Entourage" Menu, change to a new identity where you can
import your Contacts and the saved folders. Make sure you get hands on as
much items as you can and then you can trash the corrupted identity (just
dragging the corresponding folder in the MUD folder should do it.
 
J

JohnWDIII

Tony - it is fairly simple - just rename your data base to say database a
and the remove the old form your old database and it will open the one named
database. I have done it several time without any trouble. John
 
D

Diane Ross

To make this simple, I dug through my trash and have found my original
database (2.23 GB). I've set my identity up with this database and I'm
in the exact state I was in before I did the rebuild. The problems I
am having (and the reason why I attempted to rebuild) are:
- I have no access to my deleted files (unfotunately I use these like
a file cabinet)
- When I go into my sent files, I cannot view all of my messages
because the window is covered by gray lines (the ones you see on OSX
apps)
- My search function doesn't work in my sent or deleted files.

If I try to do a Typical Rebuild, I get compacting error message. The
last time I tried an Advanced Rebuild, I lost most of my messages. Is
there a fix which will enable my to salvages my database?
Click to expand...

I agree with Barry that your database is badly corrupted.

Before you do anything, make a copy of your database that will open. Do not
try a rebuild on this. Keep it as a base to make copies so you can try
options to fix.

Drag each folder to the desktop. This creates an MBOX file. If you have lots
of subfolder get this script:

Export Folders
Author: Barry Wainwright


<http://files.macscripter.net/scriptbuilders/Entourage/Export-Folders.sit>

Now you have two options:

1. use Benard's suggestion to create a new Identity and drag MBOX files to
new identity. Be sure to check out Paul Berkowitz's script Export-Import
Entourage X
to get all your data over.

<http://macscripter.net/scriptbuilders/category.php?search=export-import>



2. delete messages in corrupt identity, rebuild, then import the MBOX files
into identity. This would save your current setup.

Just be thankful you have an identity you can open so you can salvage your
data.
 
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