"Can't open the message file - it's gone!"

[Richard Zeren]

After a torturous upgrade from EX to E2004, with major import problems
and multiple work-arounds, I now get the message "Can't open the message
file - it's gone!" in my Error log for all email accounts. Mail seems to arrive
OK, and is sorted into the right containers by Rules and Mailing List
Manager, but "e" continues to bouncing, and the error log fills up.
Here's the history:
Installing Office 2004
Opened E04. The Wizard prompted to import mail, contacts, etc., but E04
would not recognize my EX identity.
Finally was able to import all but mail using File/Import/Import from a
program/Office 2001. Some of the rules were scrambled, but fixable. All the
mail folders came over, but were empty.
After scouring this list for help, closed E04, launched EX, and dragged all
the email in various EX folders onto the desktop as *.msg files, then closed
EX, started E04 and dragged the mail back into the right folders.
Everything seemed to be working, then the "e" started bouncing, with the
"missing file message.
When I double click the error message, the detail repeats the missing file
message, and the detail says
"Could not retrieve mail.
Account name: "[email protected]"
But I'm getting the mail!

I've rebuilt the database, to no avail.
Any help greatly appreciated.

 

[Diane Ross]

Opened E04. The Wizard prompted to import mail, contacts, etc., but E04
would not recognize my EX identity.

Was your X database on the same computer? Did it see the folder, but the
contents were grayed out?

Finally was able to import all but mail using File/Import/Import from a
program/Office 2001. Some of the rules were scrambled, but fixable. All the
mail folders came over, but were empty.
After scouring this list for help, closed E04, launched EX, and dragged all
the email in various EX folders onto the desktop as *.msg files, then closed
EX, started E04 and dragged the mail back into the right folders.
Everything seemed to be working, then the "e" started bouncing, with the
"missing file message.
When I double click the error message, the detail repeats the missing file
message, and the detail says
"Could not retrieve mail.
Account name: "[email protected]"
But I'm getting the mail!

This sounds like an accounts error. Try deleting that account and create it
from scratch.

You should be able to import from X. Let us know the exact steps so we can
help you troubleshoot.

 

[Guest]

The EX database is (still) on the same computer--I'm reluctant to discard it
untill all this is settled.

Exact steps
1. Loaded Office 2004
2. Opened E$--wizard asked if i wanted to import acount information, etc.
3. Asnwered yes, but wizard could not find an EX identities file. I tried
navigating to it, but it was grayed out.
4. Asked a friend, who suggested using the file-
/import/import from a program utility. Tried to import from EX, but again,
E4 couldn't find the file, and when I navigated to it, it was grayed out.
5. Removed Office 2004 using the uninstall utility, confirmed everything was
working in EX, then re-installed O4. E$ again could not find the Identities
file using either method.
6. Tried the file/import route again, this time importing from Office01
(which I never owned) and successfully moved multiple accounts, contacts,
calendar, rules and mailing list rules (though some were garbled) and Tasks,
and mail folders, but no mail.
7. Went to this list and found this posting:
From: "David Burton" <[email protected]>
Sent: 8/15/2004 9:20:52 PM
Subject: Re: No Microsoft Entourage X identities
and followed his advice, with no better result. But did realize that by
dragging mail to the desktop (actually a folder), I had a large number of
message files that I could then drag back to E4 successfully. (earlier, I
turned off send and receive, then mailed myself the mail from EX, and
downloaded it to E$, ending up with a large number of Forwarded
messages, most of which I was able to replace with the .msg files)
8. Started running on E4. After fixing the mailing list and other rules,
efveryhting seemed to be fine.
9. Then the bobbing e started bouncing! Recognizing that it meant a error, i
went to the log to see a page full of "Can't open the message" messages,
which startled me, since everything seemed to be functioning.
10. When I click on one, I go the message "Can't open the message file - it's
gone!" I got these messages for ech of the four email accounts I use most
frequently.
11. When I go to Entourage/Accounts and click on any of the accounts, I get
the message: "The Action could not be completed. An unknown error (
-30588) occurred." When this first occurred, I completely redid each of the
accounts, but the bahavior continues.
12. If I clear the error log and quit E$ and restart it, I can access all the
account information from either the Entourage or the tools menu.

I'd appreciate any insight you can offer!
Dick