Entourage Data Lost Program Auto Reinstalled

V

Vic

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

I installed Office 2008 3 weeks ago on my Imac and my Macbook, Entourage has been working well without any problems. Yesterday (19 Mar) when I opened Entourage it came up like a new installation and all my previous data was missing. I found some data in my identities and tried to import it but could not.
I then opened my macbook to copy data from Entourage there and it also opened in the same way as a new installation without any data. The two computers are not connected to each other so the problem appears to be time based somehow. Can anyone help me with this? How can I get my data back? Thanks Vic
 
B

Barry Wainwright

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

I installed Office 2008 3 weeks ago on my Imac and my Macbook, Entourage has
been working well without any problems. Yesterday (19 Mar) when I opened
Entourage it came up like a new installation and all my previous data was
missing. I found some data in my identities and tried to import it but could
not.
I then opened my macbook to copy data from Entourage there and it also opened
Click to expand...
in the same way as a new installation without any data. The two computers are
Click to expand...
not connected to each other so the problem appears to be time based somehow.
Can anyone help me with this? How can I get my data back? Thanks Vic
Click to expand...

I suspect that someone or something has been doing a little housework!

All the data is stored inside the 'Microsoft User Data' folder (the 'MUD
folder') that Office creates in your main Documents folder. If office can't
find this folder when it starts up (or one of the subfiles /folders) it will
create a new one, giving you an apparent fresh start.

If you haven't moved or deleted this folder yourself in an effort to 'tidy
up' then the most likely culprit is an anti-virus programme (this is made moe
likely by the fact it happened on two machines at the same time).

If a piece of junk mail arrives containing a windows virus (there are no
credible threats against mac OS X in the wild), then some anti-virus
programmes will quarantine the file in which it is found. In Entourage's
case, this will be the whole Database file, which contains all your entourage
data. this would result in the symptoms you describe. You should be able to
restore the database from the AV quarantine box and all should be well after
a restart. DO NOT LET THE AV PROGRAMME ATTEMPT TO REPAIR THE DATABASE FILE.

If this is indeed the case, then you need to exclude the MUD folder from the
AV scans - any email viruses it finds can't affect your system and the
programme cannot remove them without damaging the database, so the scan is
not only a waste of resources, but can be positively harmful, as you may have
discovered,

Please report back if this resolves your problem.
 
V

Vic

Thanks for the information Barry. I haven't been doing any clean up lately so not sure what happened but after searching my system today using Spotlight I eventually found the original Data Base.
The current new data base is in - user/name/documents/MS User Data/ OFF 2008 Identities/Main Identity.
I found the original data in - user/name/documents/computer info/MS User Data/OFF 2008 Identities/Main Identity.
I have moved the data base into the new location and Entourage is functioning normally now in both computers.
The part that interests me is how the data base moved in two machines independently and Entourage auto loaded a new installation. This all happened the same time. My laptop has not been connected to any networks or the internet for 2 weeks so I guess a virus is certainly a possibility. Unfortunately I don't have a virus protection program installed as yet. If it is a virus then I expect that it may reoccur.
Thanks for your reply. Vic
 
V

Vic

Barry,

I posted a reply and said that I hadn't done any clean up, I was thinking within the last couple of days but I did do some clean up and sync between my two computers just after I installed Office 2008 3 weeks ago. It is certainly possible that I moved the files (a little knowledge is dangerous). If this is the case do you have any idea why it would take a couple of weeks before the program re installed and on both computers at the same time. The computers have been turned on and off a few times in that period.
So it looks like you were spot on! Thanks again and I will be more mindful next time I try to do any housekeeing.

Regards Vic
 
S

Steve_M

So Barry --

In reading this I think I have insight as to a problem i am having -- similar but only on one machine. of two....

I would love your opinion...I am testing SugarSync (www.sugarsync.com) to mirror & back up data. Since it is syncing my documents folder, I'm guessing that is why I am having this issue.

Is there any way to sync documents files without causing this problem (i.e. can the Database reside somewhere other than the documents file?)
 
S

Steve_M

Now I have answered my own question...syncing my Documents folder WAS the issue. In SugarSync, I can turn off the MUD subfolder from synchronization, and, seemingly, problem solved....thanks for the post!
 
D

Diane Ross

Now I have answered my own question...syncing my Documents folder WAS the
issue. In SugarSync, I can turn off the MUD subfolder from synchronization,
and, seemingly, problem solved....thanks for the post!
Click to expand...

Just to clarify syncing the Entourage database.

There is no way to sync a database file. One change indicates to sync
programs that the file has changed and the entire database will be
rewritten.

See this page for options:

<http://www.entourage.mvps.org/database/sync.html>
 
M

Mike Evans

I have just had a similar experience on Sunday March 23 at 8.54 am I received an Email welcoming me to Entourage on the Mac and dumping all my previuos settings address book and some unreplaceable files that had recemtly come in on Email. I have tried to follow your advice but my MUD folder doesn't have any AV quarantine box. I'm running Entourage Version: 10.1.6 Last Modified: 13/09/2004 12:00 on a Powerbook G4 on OS10.3.9 and have not done any cleaning up - I had however lost my wireless connection to my Brother HL8250 laser printer and had been trying to reinstall the software without any success at that point which might have had someting to do with it.

I'm not running any anti virus program either.

If any one can help me retrieve my data I would be very grateful!
 
Top