Backing up Entourage email files

[BobM]

I currently back up my Home file to an external hard drive, and I want
to make sure that my email folders are being saved as well. Where are
the Entourage email messages kept, and does backing up my Home folder
save them?

I am using OS 10.4.10 and Entourage 11.3.6 from Office 2004 for Mac.

thanks in advance,

Bob

 

[Jolly Roger]

I currently back up my Home file to an external hard drive, and I want
to make sure that my email folders are being saved as well. Where are
the Entourage email messages kept, and does backing up my Home folder
save them?

I am using OS 10.4.10 and Entourage 11.3.6 from Office 2004 for Mac.

Yes, the database is stored in /Users/you/Documents/Microsoft User Data/.

 

[BobM]

Yes, the database is stored in /Users/you/Documents/Microsoft User Data/.

Thanks very much. When I look in that file, I find "Saved
Attachments" and files like "Signatures", etc... but I don't find my
"In Box" or "Sent Files" - ie the specific email messages. Where
would these be?

Bob

 

[Jolly Roger]

Thanks very much. When I look in that file, I find "Saved
Attachments" and files like "Signatures", etc... but I don't find my
"In Box" or "Sent Files" - ie the specific email messages. Where
would these be?

Inside the database file.

 

[BobM]

Inside the database file.

I do not have a file titled "database" and can't find the message
files in any of the folders within Microsoft User Data. Sorry to be
difficult, but could they be anywhere else?

 

[Mickey Stevens]

I do not have a file titled "database" and can't find the message
files in any of the folders within Microsoft User Data. Sorry to be
difficult, but could they be anywhere else?

The "Database" file should be located here
/Users/<Your User>/Documents/Microsoft User Data/Office 2004
Identities/<Your Identity>/

However, when doing a backup, I would recommend simply backing up the entire
"Office 2004 Identities" or "<Your Identity>" folder.

 

[Jolly Roger]

I do not have a file titled "database" and can't find the message
files in any of the folders within Microsoft User Data. Sorry to be
difficult, but could they be anywhere else?

~/Documents/Microsoft User Data/Office 2004 Identities/Your Name/Database

 

[BobM]

~/Documents/Microsoft User Data/Office 2004 Identities/Your Name/Database

Thanks again. I have found the following: /Documents/Microsoft User
Data/Office 2004 Identities/Main Identity/Database

I do not see any individual email messages or email folders. If I
click on Database, Entourage opens. Do I assume that all the messages
are in Database? Should I be able to see my Inbox and such folders,
as well as individual messages?

Bob

 

[Mickey Stevens]

Thanks again. I have found the following: /Documents/Microsoft User
Data/Office 2004 Identities/Main Identity/Database

I do not see any individual email messages or email folders. If I
click on Database, Entourage opens. Do I assume that all the messages
are in Database? Should I be able to see my Inbox and such folders,
as well as individual messages?

The single "Database" file contains virtually all of the data used in
Entourage, including messages, contacts, tasks, calendar events, notes,
accounts, and other information. If you back up the folder containing the
"Database" ("Main Identity" in your case, it sounds like), then you will
have a full backup with all of your messages.

Note that you can export individual folders and messages by dragging them
from Entourage onto the Desktop, where they will appear as .eml (individual
e-mail) and .mbox (mailbox/message folder). However, to backup everything
including your folder structure, it's best to copy the entire identity
folder.

 

[Jolly Roger]

I have found the following: /Documents/Microsoft User
Data/Office 2004 Identities/Main Identity/Database

I do not see any individual email messages or email folders. If I
click on Database, Entourage opens. Do I assume that all the messages
are in Database? Should I be able to see my Inbox and such folders,
as well as individual messages?

No. Entourage uses a monolithic database to store all email, tasks, et
al - ostensibly because this enabled faster built-in searching and
access within the Entourage application. Everything is encapsulated in
this file, but you can open this database file in a plain text editor
to browse its contents.

 

[Diane]

I do not see any individual email messages or email folders. If I
click on Database, Entourage opens. Do I assume that all the messages
are in Database? Should I be able to see my Inbox and such folders,
as well as individual messages?

No, you will not be able to see your messages. The database does not open as
a folder to show contents inside. You can open the database in a text
editor, but it will look nothing like regular files nor will there be any
organization to the contents.

One of the strategies for backing up uses a folder action. Apply the
FolderOrgX folder action to your backup folder. When you drag your Identity
folder to this backup folder, it will be placed in a folder by the date it
was added. This makes it easy to view your backups as organized files.

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