Entourage data lost

T

thenotoriousrich

I'm running a two day old MacBook with newly installed Office 2008.
After a lot of messing around I managed to get emails from my old
Outlook into Entourage. I've used it all day and had no problems.

After leaving the room for an hour I returned, there was a message
saying there was a problem with Firefox closing. I opened Entourage
(having not previously closed it) and it asked me to set up a new
account and had none of my previous information or emails.

I have checked the Microsoft User Data is in Documents but don't know
what else I can do to try to recover the data. I could just put the
emails back in as I did yesterday but I realy need the emails that I
recieved and sent today.

Any ideas?
 
D

Diane Ross

After leaving the room for an hour I returned, there was a message
saying there was a problem with Firefox closing. I opened Entourage
(having not previously closed it) and it asked me to set up a new
account and had none of my previous information or emails.
Click to expand...

Are you saying that Entourage had quit even though you had not closed it?
When you got the message from Firefox, how did you quit the program? Did you
have to restart your computer. If yes, what steps did you take to restart?
Are you new to Macs?

Normally, when Entourage opens in a new blank Identity, it's user error. If
you have moved the Microsoft User Data folder or the Identity folder located
in the MUD folder, Entourage will automatically open in a new one.

If your system crashed, it's possible your data is in an invisible folder
called 'lost & found', but it could be your data is lost in the ether.

To find your old database, search for "Microsoft User Data" (without the
quotes) or "Main Identity".

If you have not used a new identity in Entourage, then move the file back.

See this link for help finding 'lost' files.

<http://www.entourage.mvps.org/troubleshoot/crashes.html#crash15>

Sorry you are having such a bad experience.
 
T

thenotoriousrich

Are you saying that Entourage had quit even though you had not closed it?
When you got the message from Firefox, how did you quit the program? Did you
have to restart your computer. If yes, what steps did you take to restart?
Are you new to Macs?

Normally, when Entourage opens in a new blank Identity, it's user error. If
you have moved the Microsoft User Data folder or the Identity folder located
in the MUD folder, Entourage will automatically open in a new one.

If your system crashed, it's possible your data is in an invisible folder
called 'lost & found', but it could be your data is lost in the ether.

To find your old database, search for "Microsoft User Data" (without the
quotes) or "Main Identity".

If you have not used a new identity in Entourage, then move the file back..

See this link for help finding 'lost' files.

<http://www.entourage.mvps.org/troubleshoot/crashes.html#crash15>

Sorry you are having such a bad experience.
Click to expand...

So I think perhaps I moved the Microsoft User Data into the trash
thinking I was just removing it from the "stacks".

I have retrieved it from the trash, any advice as to getting this back
into Entourage?
 
E

Ed Kimball

So I think perhaps I moved the Microsoft User Data into the trash
thinking I was just removing it from the "stacks".

I have retrieved it from the trash, any advice as to getting this back
into Entourage?
Click to expand...

The following should work:
Quit Entourage.
In the Office 2008 Identities folder
(~/Documents/Microsoft User Data/Office 2008 Identities), drag the Main
Identity Folder to the Desktop (or to the Documents folder if you dragged
the original Main Identity folder to the Desktop -- you DON'T want to
replace the one you rescued from the Trash!!).
Drag the original Main Identity folder into the Office 2008 Identities
folder.
Launch Entourage. If everything seems to be working fine for a day or two,
drag the second Main Identities folder from the Desktop (or Documents) into
the Trash.

Good work.
 
D

Diane Ross

So I think perhaps I moved the Microsoft User Data into the trash
thinking I was just removing it from the "stacks".
Click to expand...

This is a very common newbie mistake.
I have retrieved it from the trash, any advice as to getting this back
into Entourage?
Click to expand...

Fix if you have more than one Microsoft User Data Folder...

Move the entire identity folder you want to use to the Office Identities
folder that Entourage is recognizing. Your identity is named "Main" by
default. Be sure to rename one so you do not overwrite. Your identity folder
can contain more than one identity. Switch Identities to view your old mail.

If you have not used the new identity, delete it. If you have used it and
want to combine the new mail with your original database, there are two
options:

1) export as Entourage archive (.rge) file
2) export as MBOX files

How to backup individual items

<http://blog.entourage.mvps.org/2009/02/backup_individual_items.html>

You can delete the old Identity folder after you are satisfied with the
transfer.
 
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