Blank Message Appears in Entourage 2008

[RTroxel]

On a seemingly random and occasional basis, when I double-click on a new email, it will open as a completely blank message. I can then close and reopen Entourage and the message will open as usual. A number of calls to MSFT has had me trash my preferences, rebuild the data base, and create a new user but none of their ideas work This did not happen in 2004. Any ideas?

 

[Diane Ross]

On a seemingly random and occasional basis, when I double-click on a new
email, it will open as a completely blank message. I can then close and reopen
Entourage and the message will open as usual. A number of calls to MSFT has
had me trash my preferences, rebuild the data base, and create a new user but
none of their ideas work This did not happen in 2004. Any ideas?

This has been reported and they are looking into it. If you can "forward as
attachment" an example, it will help them track it down.

diane at invalid dot entourage.mvps dot org <-- fix before replying.

Prefix your subject with: newsgroup response

 

[Creative]

Any message being sent to me since this afternoon appears blank.
Even an email that I sent to myself from Entourage appears fine in the
sent-mail folder but when it comes to the inbox, it appears blank.
However, view source shows that the contents are there. Older
messages are appearing fine but only the new ones are blank,
regardless of the source. I have rebuilt the database but no luck.
Restarting the computer did not help either.

I am on Mac OS X Tiger 10.4.11 and Entourage Version 10.0.0.

Does anyone know whether it is possible to take the Entourage 2008
database and downgrade to 2004 version? I tried archiving everything
but when I import it in version 2004, the folder structure (I have
messages categorized in about 50 folders) is not maintained and the
messages all appear in the same folder.

Any help would be appreciated.

Sarabjot

 

[Creative]

One correction, my Entourage version is 12.0.0.

Any message being sent to me since this afternoon appearsblank.
Even an email that I sent to myself fromEntourageappears fine in the
sent-mail folder but when it comes to the inbox, it appearsblank.
However, view source shows that the contents are there. Oldermessagesare appearing fine but only the new ones areblank,
regardless of the source. I have rebuilt the database but no luck.
Restarting the computer did not help either.

I am on Mac OS X Tiger 10.4.11 andEntourageVersion 10.0.0.

Does anyone know whether it is possible to take theEntourage2008
database and downgrade to 2004 version? I tried archiving everything
but when I import it in version 2004, the folder structure (I havemessagescategorized in about 50 folders) is not maintained and themessagesallappearin the same folder.

Any help would be appreciated.

Sarabjot

This has been reported and they are looking into it. If you can "forward as
attachment" an example, it will help them track it down.

diane at invalid dotentourage.mvps dot org <-- fix before replying.

Prefix your subject with: newsgroup response

 

[RTroxel]

To Diane: I can't send the blank edition of the email as i can't move it with a mouse. It is just that – a blank glob that goes away only when I close Entourage.

Pursuant to Sarabjot's query, are there any problems if I simply dump Office 2008 and go back to 2004? I have seen nothing in 2008 that is an improvement in my life.

 

[Diane Ross]

To Diane: I can't send the blank edition of the email as i can't move it with
a mouse. It is just that – a blank glob that goes away only when I close
Entourage.

Pursuant to Sarabjot's query, are there any problems if I simply dump Office
2008 and go back to 2004? I have seen nothing in 2008 that is an improvement
in my life.

Working with sarabjot offline we determined that the message worked in a new
User account. Further testing indicates the problem is in the database.

To test in your situation, try this:

Try dragging the attachment to your desktop and then to the Shared folder.
Next Go to System Preferences --> Create a New User in Accounts. Switch to
the New User by logging out/in or use Fast User Switching. Open Entourage.
(no need to enter account info just cancel out) Drag the message from shared
to the desktop and double click to open it in Entourage. Do you see the same
thing?

Sarabjot replied:

Yes, that solves the problem and I am able to see the message when open in a
new profile.  However, when I copy the database over to the new profile and
change its ownership to the new profile, I am again unable to read HTML
messages (new ones) when I open them under the new profile.

A bit later.....

Problem solved! I created a new profile and imported the old database. The
few messages that I received yesterday are still invisible but all new HTML
messages are visible.

Hope this helps.

 

[RTroxel]

Diane: I am not sure I understand exactly the process you suggest but I will experiment further tomorrow with your suggestion regarding a new User Account. With the Microsoft technical person directing things, I did try a different user account but the same thing happened. I just had another email that opened blank and pursuant to (at least part of) your suggestion, I did drag the original email to the desktop, where it opened just fine. That was a surprise and may indicate something, although I don't know what. Many thanks for your interest.

 

[Diane Ross]

Diane: I am not sure I understand exactly the process you suggest but I will
experiment further tomorrow with your suggestion regarding a new User Account.
With the Microsoft technical person directing things, I did try a different
user account but the same thing happened. I just had another email that opened
blank and pursuant to (at least part of) your suggestion, I did drag the
original email to the desktop, where it opened just fine. That was a surprise
and may indicate something, although I don't know what. Many thanks for your
interest.

The terminology gets a bit confusing. So when you are saying new User
account, are you saying you created a new User in Entourage, or did you go
to System Preferences and create a new User?

Entourage creates new Identities.
The OS creates new Users.

Testing in a new User will eliminate any problem in your User's default
account. It's quick and helps identify where the problem is located.

It the problem is in your User's account, you next eliminate your Identity
by creating a new Identity in Entourage. If a new blank Identity works, then
you need to troubleshoot your User's folder. See directions here:

Directions for testing your User account:

<http://www.entourage.mvps.org/troubleshoot/test_user.html>

 

[RTroxel]

Diane Ross: Your suggestion sounds like it is the way to go. I have scheduled my Mac guru to be here next Monday and he will follow your suggestions. I do not trust myself to do the right thing (and I don't have time to undo the mess I usually cause when I undertake something like this). I will let you know how it turns out. Thanks very much for your help.

 

[RTroxel]

Diane Ross: First, I have uninstalled and reinstalled Office 2008. Next, I have created a new user profile and set up an Entourage account in the new profile. All the mail that is received there opens with no problem. However, the blank message continues to appear in my existing user profile. Presumably this indicates some corruption somewhere in my system. Do you have any suggestions as to what I can do next? Many thanks for your help to date.

 

[RTroxel]

In addition to the new user creation (described in my previous e-mail), I have again talked to Microsoft and, at the technician's recommendation, trashed the com.microsoft.browserfont.cache and Tasman Browser.cache from the Home/Library/Caches. I still have the blank email problem.

 

[Diane Ross]

Diane Ross: First, I have uninstalled and reinstalled Office 2008. Next, I
have created a new user profile and set up an Entourage account in the new
profile. All the mail that is received there opens with no problem. However,
the blank message continues to appear in my existing user profile. Presumably
this indicates some corruption somewhere in my system. Do you have any
suggestions as to what I can do next? Many thanks for your help to date.

When the problem is in your User's folder, first check to see if it's your
Identity. Create a new Identity under Entourage in the Menu bar. If it's
your Identity, then rebuild your database. If it's not your Identity.

1. eliminate third party products by log out/in with shift key down so that
no start up items load. If the problem still exists, go to 2.

2. Test all of your preferences. Use the steps here:
<http://www.entourage.mvps.org/troubleshoot/test_user.html>

Have fun. It's a bit time consuming, but should lead to a solution.

FWIW, I was having problems with SnapzProX making movies. I knew the problem
was in my User's folder and was testing my preferences. I added them back a
few at a time and tested SnapzProX. When I got to the last group, I was
thinking it had to be in the last group, but low and behold, after adding
them back it was still working. Somehow moving them out/in fixed the
problems. This was after months of dealing with not being able to maove
movies. Strange things happen. <sigh>

 

[fieldmouse]

Having just upgraded from Office 04 to Office 2008, I was really surprised to experience the blank message syndrome.
My experience is that only some messages are blank, whilst others are displayed as normal, and there seems to be no logic as to which ones.
I presume Microsoft will have to issue a fix for this?
I'm beginning to wish I'd saved my money until later; meantime, I think I'll try Mail, instead.

 

[RTroxel]

Having just upgraded from Office 04 to Office 2008, I was really surprised to experience the blank message syndrome.

My experience is that only some messages are blank, whilst others are displayed as normal, and there seems to be no logic as to which ones.
I presume Microsoft will have to issue a fix for this?
I'm beginning to wish I'd saved my money until later; meantime, I think I'll try Mail, instead.

I am sorry you have the problem but it is comforting that someone else is experiencing the problem. I could eliminate the problem by opening Entourage in a new user account but that meant switching back and forth and was more trouble than it was worth. When I encounter a blank e-mail (and this seems to be happening less frequently than at first), I have to Quit Entourage and Reopen. The problem then goes away. Is that your experience also? I assumed I have some corrupt file or cache and the same problem would occur in Mail. Does Mail work ok for you?

 

[Darren Fleishman]

I have very similar issues, but it is a bit more straightforward to repeat.

Basically, any time I open a mail message on my secondary monitor, it opens as a blank white box--no window interface elements, no text, no fields. I can use the menu bar to act upon it (i.e. forward, reply, etc), and a new window will pop up in the upper left of my primary monitor looking as it is supposed to. Other than that, I can only close it using command-W.

This happens 100% of the time if the main "mail" window is on the secondary monitor, and never happens if it is on the primary monitor.

 

[RTroxel]

Your posting is quite interesting. I, too, use two monitors; I use one just for emails. The "blank white box" occurs on a random basis; maybe one out of ten emails open as blanks.

 

[Darren]

The behavior is very odd. As I mentioned, the emails open correctly on the primary (laptop LCD) monitor, but are completely white on the secondary monitor. I can drag one of these emails from the primary to the secondary, and it will operate correctly.

The blank windows remain blank in Expose as well.

For the record, I have a MBP 2.2 Santa Rosa w/ 4 GB. External monitor is an Acer AL2216W (not that should matter). Leopard 10.5.2 w/ Graphics Update. Office 12.0.1.

This, combined with the Sync Services issues, makes Entourage all but unusable for me. Back to Mail or 2004 for the time being.

Darren

 

[RTroxel]

Ironically, your email opened as a blank. I had to quit Entourage, then reopen it, and could then open your email. Once the blank opens, I cannot move it or close it.

Also for the record, I have MBP 17 with 2GB memory, running 10.5.2. My external monitor is an Apple Cinema Display 30 in.

 

[Darren]

Still have this behavior after installing SP1 for Office 2008.

 

[Diane Ross]

Still have this behavior after installing SP1 for Office 2008.

In Entourage -> Preferences, under General Preferences > Security, make sure
the option to "Display complex HTML in messages" is checked.

It is possible that your Internet Preferences file is corrupt.

Drag Macintosh HD/Users/<Problematic
User>/Library/Preferences/com.apple.internetconfig.plist to the Desktop.
Re-launch Entourage, and see if the messages load. If they do, you can
delete the old preferences file. If not, move it back. Note that if you do
delete it, you will have to reset some of your internet settings.

Blank emails with no text is a sign of database corruption. You will need to
rebuild your database.

If none of that works, I would try uninstalling and reinstalling Office
2004.

Kitchen Sink for blank and garbled messages:

<http://www.entourage.mvps.org/troubleshoot/send_receive/garbled_ blank_me
ssages.html>