An error occurred while attempting to rebuild your database

[lewsmind]

This was after running the latest Office update on a MacBook Pro
running 10.5.5

My Entourage 2008 database will no longer open. First it told me
"Entourage cannot access your data. To attempt to fix the problem,
rebuild your database."

I copied my identity to the desktop and then ran the Database Utility.

When trying to rebuild my database it said "An error occurred while
attempting to rebuild your database" on step 4/5 Copying Records to
New Database.

I found a comment on an earlier post that suggested trying to rebuild
on a large drive. I tried that (just Leopard and Office 2008 on a
500GB drive), but with the same result.

I also read that switching from another identity into the damaged one
could work. But that also failed with the error "Entourage cannot
access your data…"

Any other suggestions?

 

[Diane Ross]

When trying to rebuild my database it said "An error occurred while
attempting to rebuild your database" on step 4/5 Copying Records to
New Database.

Verify the physical drive. In Disk Utility, use Repair Disk. You cannot be
booted from the drive to run Repair Disk.

I found a comment on an earlier post that suggested trying to rebuild
on a large drive. I tried that (just Leopard and Office 2008 on a
500GB drive), but with the same result.

I also read that switching from another identity into the damaged one
could work. But that also failed with the error "Entourage cannot
access your dataŠ"

Any other suggestions?

Some Identities fail at rebuilding, but as long as you can open your
Identity, you can salvage your data.

It was a good step in copying your Identity before working on it. Always
work from a copy. See this page for help manually moving out of your
Identity. The Entourage archive (.rge) methods is the quickest. You can try
exporting as Entourage archive (.rge) then delete and re-import. Sometimes
this works and you don't have to enter accounts etc. If not, you have
exported data that can be used in a new Identity.

How to manually move your data. (when import fails and/or you need to move
to a new Identity same version or revert to an older version)

<http://www.entourage.mvps.org/install/manual_install.html>

 

[lewsmind]

Verify the physical drive. In Disk Utility, use Repair Disk. You cannot be
booted from the drive to run Repair Disk.

I tried rebuilding from another drive (the 500GB drive) and had the
same result, so it is not the physical drive.

Some Identities fail at rebuilding, but as long as you can open your
Identity, you can salvage your data.

I am not able to open my identity. When I try to switch to it I
receive the "Entourage cannot access your data…" error. Unless there
is another way that I am unaware of.

It was a good step in copying your Identity before working on it. Always
work from a copy. See this page for help manually moving out of your
Identity. The Entourage archive (.rge) methods is the quickest. You can try
exporting as Entourage archive (.rge) then delete and re-import. Sometimes
this works and you don't have to enter accounts etc. If not, you have
exported data that can be used in a new Identity.

How to manually move your data. (when import fails and/or you need to move
to a new Identity same version or revert to an older version)

<http://www.entourage.mvps.org/install/manual_install.html>

Thanks for your help. I hope you might have some further suggestions.

-Lewis

 

[Diane Ross]

Thanks for your help. I hope you might have some further suggestions.

Unless you have a backup, your data is lost.

 

[Kerry]

Unless you have a backup, your data is lost.

Yes I had the same problem where my identity was identified as damaged
so I ran rebuild. After that, it wouldn't open Entourage. Microsoft
indicated they are aware of the problem but can't figure out what is
going wrong (with this and sync services). I reverted to a previous
identity about 1 hour old and Entourage would open in that. I found
though, if it corrupts running rebuild just causes Entourage not to
open so I have to go to Time Machine and restore my most recent
identity.

When I spoke to Microsoft about all the problems around sync services
and how I'm constantly having to run resets etc due to data getting
messed up (dups) etc, they are fully aware of these two problems and
felt a fix was a ways off (no time frame due to complexity) so I've
had two people at Microsoft suggest using something else (e.g. Apple
apps) and as soon as the fix happens they will contact me so I can
return to Entourage. Its a royal pain as I worked in Outlook for 5
years and 5.5 years in Entourage and I am so used to this environment
plus its power. I've been testing other potential solutions
(Contactizer, Daylight) but they require a complete re-learning and
although they work there are some limitations (e.g. Missing Sync
support of Notes sync is their product, Yojimbo and Entourage). Ah
well..... Life sometimes doesn't get better with time.