Back up Entourage data by copying database?

J

jim.kravets

Is it possible and advisable to back up all my Entourage data by
simply copying the database to a back up drive? I can set Retrospect
Express to do this automatically once a week, and it seems to me that
it's an easy and reliable way to back up all my entourage emails,
email attachments, contacts and calendar info. And then if there is
ever a problem with the original database or my harddrive crashes or
something I can delete it and replace it with the backup copy. Is this
a good plan?
 
M

Michel Bintener

Is it possible and advisable to back up all my Entourage data by
simply copying the database to a back up drive? I can set Retrospect
Express to do this automatically once a week, and it seems to me that
it's an easy and reliable way to back up all my entourage emails,
email attachments, contacts and calendar info. And then if there is
ever a problem with the original database or my harddrive crashes or
something I can delete it and replace it with the backup copy. Is this
a good plan?
Click to expand...


Yes, it is. You might even want to consider performing the backup more often
than just once a week, but apart from that, yes, it's indeed the database
file that's important. Depending on how many rules or signatures you have,
it would be an even better idea to back up the identity folder which
contains the database and these other files I've just mentioned.


--
Michel Bintener
Microsoft MVP
Office:Mac (Entourage & Word)

***Always reply to the newsgroup.***
 
J

jim.kravets

Yes, it is. You might even want to consider performing the backup more often
than just once a week, but apart from that, yes, it's indeed the database
file that's important. Depending on how many rules or signatures you have,
it would be an even better idea to back up the identity folder which
contains the database and these other files I've just mentioned.

--
Michel Bintener
Microsoft MVP
Office:Mac (Entourage & Word)

***Always reply to the newsgroup.***
Click to expand...

Thank you, Michel.
Is there a better or easier or more reliable way? I've looked through
all the suggestions for backing up Entourage data and I have never
seen this simple solution, and I'm wondering why not. Will all the
attachments (photos, documents, pdf's, etc).be preserved with this
method?
 
J

Jolly Roger

Is there a better or easier or more reliable way?
Click to expand...

Better or easier than drag and drop?? ; )

If you want to automated it, there are plenty of solutions available.
Just take a look at any of the popular Mac backup software packages.
 
J

jim.kravets

Yes, it is. You might even want to consider performing the backup more often
than just once a week, but apart from that, yes, it's indeed the database
file that's important. Depending on how many rules or signatures you have,
it would be an even better idea to back up the identity folder which
contains the database and these other files I've just mentioned.

--
Michel Bintener
Microsoft MVP
Office:Mac (Entourage & Word)

***Always reply to the newsgroup.***
Click to expand...

I have retrospect express and I can program that to make regular
copies of the database file (or identity folder) on a regular basis to
an external drive. Is that any less effective or reliable than the mac
backup software packages? I'm not familiar with those.
 
M

Michel Bintener

I have retrospect express and I can program that to make regular
copies of the database file (or identity folder) on a regular basis to
an external drive. Is that any less effective or reliable than the mac
backup software packages? I'm not familiar with those.
Click to expand...


No, the backup method is exactly the same: move your MUD folder to another
computer's Documents folder (after quitting any Microsoft Office
applications that might have been running). That's all there is to it.

--
Michel Bintener
Microsoft MVP
Office:Mac (Entourage & Word)

***Always reply to the newsgroup.***
 
D

Diane Ross

Yes, it is. You might even want to consider performing the backup more often
than just once a week, but apart from that, yes, it's indeed the database
file that's important. Depending on how many rules or signatures you have,
it would be an even better idea to back up the identity folder which
contains the database and these other files I've just mentioned.
Click to expand...

In addition, I would set to leave mail on server for xx days. This is set in
your Accounts under the Options tab. This will cover your received mail
between backups. You would need to Bcc your sent mail to yourself to
maintain backup of your sent mail.

For more details on backing up and creating snapshots of your data see

<http://www.entourage.mvps.org/database/backup.html>

<http://www.entourage.mvps.org/database/archive.html>

A snapshot is an archive of your data. An Archive contains copies of your
files as they appeared at multiple points in time. In your current setup you
are overwriting your database each time you backup. What if that database
has problems that aren't evident? Unless you keep an archive, you could just
be backing up corrupt data. You will need to go back in time before the
corruption started.

I like to use FolderOrgX (freeware). FolderOrg is an AppleScript Folder
Action that organizes files and folders by moving them into dated
subfolders. This is helpful in keeping files and folders organized by the
day they were added, not created or modified.

<http://www.entourage.mvps.org/database/backup.html#folderorg>
 
J

Jolly Roger

I have retrospect express and I can program that to make regular
copies of the database file (or identity folder) on a regular basis to
an external drive. Is that any less effective or reliable than the mac
backup software packages? I'm not familiar with those.
Click to expand...

Actually, Retrospect Express *is* a Mac backup software package.

And yes, Retrospect does a fine job of backing up files, and is very
reliable as well.
 
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