Buggy and crashes upon db rebuild

L

lex

Version: 2008
Operating System: Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard)
Processor: Intel
Email Client: pop

Started about a month ago (right after the MS ofc update). It began w/ the inability to view Tasks. Then later the Calendar. Now the My Day function. Will report a damage to db and request a restart and/or rebuild. I've tried many times over these 4 wks to rebuild the db. It always (ALWAYS) freezes up right at the very end of step 5. I've tried multiple levels:
--deleting every Ent 08 file anywhere in cache, prefs, et al
--deleting the db and it's related files
--rebuilding permissions and optimizing
--resetting PRAM
--and then trying to reinstall w/ a backed up version of the db

Nothing works. It will report damaged db and request a rebuild only to freeze at the end of said rebuild. I've sent dozens of the ubiquitous crash reports. I've been using ENT for 7-8 yrs. I've learned to compact the db and back it up twice a week to keep it optimal, replacing the old backed up db files w/ the newest ones. This has served me well until recently.

Are there known issues w/ the June 9th update? Have others experienced anything similar? What recourse do have to rescue my db? Needless to say, 8 yrs worth of email / contacts / events / notes / tasks are in danger of disapparating....
 
D

Diane Ross

I've learned to compact the db and back it up twice a week to keep it optimal,
replacing the old backed up db files w/ the newest ones.
Click to expand...

There's a lot to respond to in your message. The first is the frequent
compacts of the database. Here's what Jud Spencer [one of Entourage¹s
developers] said on the issue:

<quote>
There is a small benefit to compacting regularly. Entourage maintains
internal sort tables. Those sort tables are optimized on a compact.

However, you should only choose the rebuild option if your database is
damaged. Many people believe that rebuilding your database will protect you
from future corruption. That just isn¹t the case.</quote>

The next issue that I want to address is the inability of the rebuild to
complete. Sometimes with a bigger drive you can successfully rebuild. I keep
a 500GB free drive for recovering my clients databases. See this article for
more on this issue:

<http://tinyurl.com/4s6qv3>

If you have an Identity that will open, you can salvage the data without
using rebuild. How to manually move your data.

Are there known issues w/ the June 9th update?
Click to expand...

We have had several reports, but there is nothing concrete that points to an
exact cause of problems.

If you have a copy of your Identity BEFORE you started rebuilding and BEFORE
you installed the updaters, there is a good chance you can salvage your data
and create a new Identity. A lot will depend on your patience, knowledge and
physical drive space. It generally takes me two + days to recover when there
is a lot of damage.

Hope this helps!
 
L

lex

Just crashed again. The lengthy error message below the line....

--------------------------

Microsoft Error Reporting log version: 2.0

Error Signature:
Exception: EXC_BAD_ACCESS
Date/Time: 2009-07-08 10:59:09 -0400
Application Name: Microsoft Entourage
Application Bundle ID: com.microsoft.Entourage
Application Signature: OPIM
Application Version: 12.1.9.090515
Crashed Module Name: EntourageLegacy
Crashed Module Version: unknown
Crashed Module Offset: 0x00173b1f
Blame Module Name: EntourageLegacy
Blame Module Version: unknown
Blame Module Offset: 0x00173b1f
Application LCID: 1033
Extra app info: Reg=en Loc=0x0409

Thread 0 crashed:

# 1 0x01a82b1f in CTaskMgr::Edit(CSharablePtr<CTaskRecord>, CSelection*) + 0x00000013 (EntourageLegacy + 0x00173b1f)
# 2 0x01a7ff63 in CTaskTableMgr::ObeyCommand(long, void*) + 0x000005BD (EntourageLegacy + 0x00170f63)
# 3 0x012b6133 in LCommander::processCommand(long, void*) + 0x00000047 (PowerPlant + 0x00071133)
# 4 0x012b6168 in LCommander::ObeyCommand(long, void*) + 0x0000002A (PowerPlant + 0x00071168)
# 5 0x01a68f6c in CTable::ObeyCommand(long, void*) + 0x00000042 (EntourageLegacy + 0x00159f6c)
# 6 0x012b6133 in LCommander::processCommand(long, void*) + 0x00000047 (PowerPlant + 0x00071133)
# 7 0x012c7b46 in UCarbonEvents::DoProcessCommand(OpaqueEventHandlerCallRef*, OpaqueEventRef*) + 0x00000160 (PowerPlant + 0x00082b46)
# 8 0x012c273a in LEventHandler::EventHandlerCallback(OpaqueEventHandlerCallRef*, OpaqueEventRef*, void*) + 0x00000020 (PowerPlant + 0x0007d73a)
# 9 0x9698511d in .objc_class_name_IPMDFontRange + 0x9665A4DD (HIToolbox + 0x0000811d)
# 10 0x9698455b in .objc_class_name_IPMDFontRange + 0x9665991B (HIToolbox + 0x0000755b)
# 11 0x969a0eac in .objc_class_name_IPMDFontRange + 0x9667626C (HIToolbox + 0x00023eac)
# 12 0x969d51c7 in .objc_class_name_IPMDFontRange + 0x966AA587 (HIToolbox + 0x000581c7)
# 13 0x969fb939 in .objc_class_name_IPMDFontRange + 0x966D0CF9 (HIToolbox + 0x0007e939)
# 14 0x969fb8f4 in .objc_class_name_IPMDFontRange + 0x966D0CB4 (HIToolbox + 0x0007e8f4)
# 15 0x96a7fb23 in .objc_class_name_IPMDFontRange + 0x96754EE3 (HIToolbox + 0x00102b23)
# 16 0x96985629 in .objc_class_name_IPMDFontRange + 0x9665A9E9 (HIToolbox + 0x00008629)
# 17 0x9698511d in .objc_class_name_IPMDFontRange + 0x9665A4DD (HIToolbox + 0x0000811d)
# 18 0x9698455b in .objc_class_name_IPMDFontRange + 0x9665991B (HIToolbox + 0x0000755b)
# 19 0x969843c0 in .objc_class_name_IPMDFontRange + 0x96659780 (HIToolbox + 0x000073c0)
# 20 0x969b32e7 in .objc_class_name_IPMDFontRange + 0x966886A7 (HIToolbox + 0x000362e7)
# 21 0x969854d6 in .objc_class_name_IPMDFontRange + 0x9665A896 (HIToolbox + 0x000084d6)
# 22 0x9698455b in .objc_class_name_IPMDFontRange + 0x9665991B (HIToolbox + 0x0000755b)
# 23 0x969a0eac in .objc_class_name_IPMDFontRange + 0x9667626C (HIToolbox + 0x00023eac)
# 24 0x96a0da4c in .objc_class_name_IPMDFontRange + 0x966E2E0C (HIToolbox + 0x00090a4c)
# 25 0x96a0a2a2 in .objc_class_name_IPMDFontRange + 0x966DF662 (HIToolbox + 0x0008d2a2)
# 26 0x012b46c1 in LApplication::processEvents() + 0x000000FF (PowerPlant + 0x0006f6c1)
# 27 0x012b474f in LApplication::Run() + 0x0000006D (PowerPlant + 0x0006f74f)
# 28 0x0001a32d in __mh_execute_header + 0x0001932D (Microsoft Entourage + 0x0001932d)
# 29 0x00002eee in __mh_execute_header + 0x00001EEE (Microsoft Entourage + 0x00001eee)
# 30 0x00002e15 in __mh_execute_header + 0x00001E15 (Microsoft Entourage + 0x00001e15)

X86 Thread State:
eax: 0x00000000 ebx: 0x01a82b1a ecx: 0x02a9f408 edx:0xbfffe8ec
edi: 0x20d543a8 esi: 0xbfffe8ec ebp: 0xbfffe558 esp:0xbfffe500
ss: 0x0000001f eip: 0x01a82b1f cs: 0x00000017 ds:0x0000001f
es: 0x0000001f fs: 0x00000000 gs: 0x00000037 eflags:0x00010286

Thread 1:

# 1 0x9435e3a6 in _signgam + 0x941B7482 (libSystem.B.dylib + 0x000013a6)
# 2 0x943e5eab in _signgam + 0x9423EF87 (libSystem.B.dy
 
L

lex

Well, i had it the lengthy error message all pasted in, but it obviously was too long.

Thx, Dianne for your quick response. i'll read those helpful links you have provided. Here is a bit more info based on issues you noted:
--I compact/backup regularly, but never rebuild unless prompted w/ a note saying my db is damaged and needs it.
--RE hard drive capacity, i have 186GB w/ 102GB free and a ENT db that is only 2.6GB. Looks like plenty of room to handle a rebuild.
--In terms of identities, mine still opens. But i don't have one that pre-dates crashes and failures to rebuild.

Ran across 2 interesting posts last night in my efforts to identify the issue(s) at hand. One involves possible disk error. The second has to do w/ ENT 08 and Safari 4 beta not interacting well.

1. I don't think it's a disk error. Not getting the I/O error report (e.g., "An error occurred while attempting to compact [or rebuild] your database. An I/O error occurred.") that is noted in #11 at this URL <http://www.entourage.mvps.org/troubleshoot/crashes.html#crash11&gt <http://www.entourage.mvps.org/troubleshoot/crashes.html#crash11&gt>;. What I get is freeze up in db rebuild. I have to force quit the ENT utility because it gives me a "not responding" message.

2. As for Safari/Ent clash, the URL i found notes discussion between you and other users <http://blog.entourage.mvps.org/2009/03/entourage_and_safari_4_beta_woes.html#more&gt <http://blog.entourage.mvps.org/2009/03/entourage_and_safari_4_beta_woes.html#more&gt>;. i don't think this is the culprit. i'm out of beta and into Safari 4.0.1, but have no idea if the webkit updating issue has been solved. My Blame Module Name is not WebCore, but EntourageLegacy (whatever that is).
 
C

Corentin Cras-Méneur

# 9 0x9698511d in .objc_class_name_IPMDFontRange + 0x9665A4DD (HIToolbox
+ 0x0000811d)
Click to expand...

I'm not an expert at reading these logs, but seeing the many references
to fonts makes me wonder whether they could be involved...

For good measures, you should use an application like Onyx to trash
system and user cache (then reboot and manually trash the Office font
cache file found in ~/Library/Preferences/Microsoft to let them all be
properly rebuilt,

Corentin
 
L

lex

I use OnyX to clear caches/logs, but i haven't tried trashing the Ofc font cache. Worth a shot. Thx!
 
L

lex

Update and a question....

Update.... Used Onyx to check HD structure and got 2 messages. (1) it said my startup vol was almost maxed and i needed to delete files (even though i had/have 99 of 186GB free). (2) i needed to repair my startup disk from disk utilities on my install CD. So, I booted from CD, repaired, and got the message that the vol was okay. I restarted, used Onyx to check HD structure again, and got 2d verification that the vol was okay. Tried to rebuild ENT, but still freezes up. Back to square one.

Question.... My next course is to manually move my data to a new identity. But will it even matter? If my ENT db has reached that troublesome 2GB plateau, won't i face again the inability to rebuild ENT if db gets damaged again? Should i manually move my data and split it into 2 identities? (One w/ archival stuff i'd store on an external, one for all i want ready access to that i'd use day-to-day.)
 
D

Diane Ross

If my ENT db has reached that troublesome 2GB plateau,
Click to expand...

Entourage 2008 does not have a 2GB limit. That was Entourage X before an
updater allowed it to go to 4GB. Are you using Entourage 2008 or Entourage
X?
 
L

lex

ENT 2008. It was 2.78GB and now 2.44GB w/ mucho attachment trimming. Since it was smaller, i tried to rebuild but still get the freeze at end of stage 5. My HD now has 102GB free on a 186GB disk. Shouldn't ENT rebuild just fine w/ that much space?
 
D

Diane Ross

ENT 2008. It was 2.78GB and now 2.44GB w/ mucho attachment trimming. Since it
was smaller, i tried to rebuild but still get the freeze at end of stage 5. My
HD now has 102GB free on a 186GB disk. Shouldn't ENT rebuild just fine w/ that
much space?
Click to expand...

Yes, unless you have an Identity that will open, it sounds like your
database is toast.
 
L

lex

Great news! I'm fixed and working. Have read elsewhere that ENT in any iteration doesn't like it when db is beyond 2GB. So kept trimming, compacting db, and checking to see if i could finish a rebuild. (Never had a situation where identity wouldn't open. Just would crash when i'd try to view cal or certain categories of tasks. DB was damaged and needed rebuilding, but i never could get the rebuild to finish w/o freezing.)

Thx for hints and tips. I'll continue compacting/backing up regularly, rebuilding only when prompted, and trimming unnecessary attachments as I run across them in order to keep the db slim as possible.

Still, should i go ahead and manually move my info to create a new identity? Is there any value in doing that? Or should i just count my blessings and leave well enough alone?
 
D

Diane Ross

Great news! I'm fixed and working. Have read elsewhere that ENT in any
iteration doesn't like it when db is beyond 2GB.
Click to expand...

This only applies to Entourage X that was not updated.
Still, should i go ahead and manually move my info to create a new identity?
Is there any value in doing that? Or should i just count my blessings and
leave well enough alone?
Click to expand...

I would create a new Identity. YMMV
 
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