Data Recovery Program—Entourage

[Teknomad]

Version: v.X
Operating System: Mac OS X 10.4 (Tiger)
Processor: Intel
Email Client: pop

Hi Debbie:

I posted this question here in response to your kind assitance: <http://www.officeformac.com/ProductForums/Entourage/6115>

Unfortunately, I can't see it so I am posting a new question because I really, really need help.

I have backed up my folders, as you suggested, downloaded the Entourage 10.1.9 update, installed and "rebuilt" the data base.

Unfortunately, I get the same thing. The DB file folder shows 1.39 GB, however, when Entourage opens absolutely NOTHING is there. It welcomes me as if it were a new set up.

Clearly, I now need to move toward a data recovery program.

Are you familiar with "Stellar Phoenix Macintosh": <http://www.macintosh-data-recovery.com/detail-features.php> ?

I used to use Symantec, but, that was a long time ago. It saved my bacon once just before a business trip abroad when my whole system "disappeared." I merely used the "restore" function to an hour earlier and went happily to my meeting.

Nothing that drastic has ever happened again—until now.

Ideally, I would like another program that can restore my system to just before I did the "advanced rebuild," Since I have done nothing on the system since then except, download the Entourage update and rebuild.

Do you have any suggestions? I am really desperate. This is a business computer. While I can restore from an old back-up, I would still lose many important e-mails, contacts, etc. if I did that.

I have the new Leopard OS but, have not installed it yet primarily because I was waiting for MS Office and a few other programs to work with it.

Any assistance would be very much appreciated.

Thanks!

Tek

 

[Diane Ross]

Version: v.X
Operating System: Mac OS X 10.4 (Tiger)

What version of Tiger?

Hi Debbie:

My name is Diane.

I have backed up my folders, as you suggested, downloaded the Entourage 10.1.9
update, installed and "rebuilt" the data base.

Unfortunately, I get the same thing. The DB file folder shows 1.39 GB,
however, when Entourage opens absolutely NOTHING is there. It welcomes me as
if it were a new set up.

Clearly, I now need to move toward a data recovery program.

Are you familiar with "Stellar Phoenix Macintosh":
<http://www.macintosh-data-recovery.com/detail-features.php> ?

No and we have had no reports of that helping with other users.

I used to use Symantec, but, that was a long time ago. It saved my bacon once
just before a business trip abroad when my whole system "disappeared." I
merely used the "restore" function to an hour earlier and went happily to my
meeting.

Good backups are the key to recovering data. Entourage stores it's info in a
database they are much harder to recover with these types of programs.

Nothing that drastic has ever happened again—until now.

Ideally, I would like another program that can restore my system to just
before I did the "advanced rebuild," Since I have done nothing on the system
since then except, download the Entourage update and rebuild.

That's what Time Machine does or having a good backup using programs like
SuperDuper! or CCC.

Do you have any suggestions? I am really desperate. This is a business
computer. While I can restore from an old back-up, I would still lose many
important e-mails, contacts, etc. if I did that.

This tells me your backup is out of date and if you are running a business
with this kind of practices, you are reaping the results of your bad
choices. You should know better. Sorry if this is harsh, but really....it's
your business and it's important.

On top of that you are using End of Life software. Office X support ended
January 9, 2007. It's not even Daylight Saving Time compliant.

Any assistance would be very much appreciated.

When your did the rebuild, Entourage created backups of your files. They are
named:
Entourage X: "Old Database Cache" and "Old Database"

You need to create a new Identity and then replace the Database Cache and
Database file with the old ones. Remove the word Old. This should open
Entourage in it's previous rebuild state. You can then manually move your
data out.

I always advise making a copy before rebuilding just for this purpose.
Sometimes the rebuild goes bad and the backup copies are corrupted too
leaving you with no way to go back.

If you cannot recover them yourself, I can try to see if I can salvage them.
The cost will determine what I find. Contact me off list if you are unable
to recover your data.

Send me an email off list:
<http://www.entourage.mvps.org/support_options/email.html>

 

[Guest]

Thanks, Diane.

I have for years preached "back-up" to everyone and have always been religious, I mean rabid, about ours.

My "excuses" are these:

I have two new laptops that need repair:

A MB Pro whose logic board has gone bad. This machine will not recognize an external drive.

That means I can only back-up onto DVDs. A real BIG pain for hundreds of gigabytes. Everything has to be split and properly sorted. It will take forever and then I'll have all those DVDs to reload.

The new MB has a bad optical drive. I just returned from a business trip on which the drive failed. I was about to back-up when the problem occurred. I must admit I was so annoyed that I did not think about backing up before I did the advanced rebuild.

I can't believe both of my new Macs have gone bad. It's a first.

I'll see what I can do with your suggestions.

Thanks for your help.

Tek

 

[Guest]

I apologize for getting your name wrong, Diane.

I'm a bit flustered. This issue has destroyed my working weekend.

Tek

 

[Diane Ross]

I apologize for getting your name wrong, Diane.

Apology appreciated.

I'm a bit flustered. This issue has destroyed my working weekend.

That's understandable. Isn't there some kind of rule saying as soon as you
are in a vulnerable situation THAT'S when the trouble happens?

Have you considered IMAP? That would have saved you.