Entourage database frustrations

[cathiecush]

I'm running Entourage 2004 v. 11.3.6 on an iMac running OSX 10.5.4

In the past couple of months, I started getting blank lines when I
have message lists displayed in the main window. It usually happens
after I've deleted a bunch of Sent messages.

The Utility tells me there's a problem with the database, and I do a
rebuild.

For some reason, the rebuild restores a whole bunch of deleted
messages -- not just from the Sent Folder, but also messages that I
have deleted from the Inbox. After the rebuild, the formerly deleted
Inbox messages appear as Unread. (I thought that the messages were
deleted from the Comcast server after I downloaded them, so I don't
know where they're coming from.)

This is very frustrating. Any suggestions?

--Cathie

 

[Barry Wainwright]

I'm running Entourage 2004 v. 11.3.6 on an iMac running OSX 10.5.4

In the past couple of months, I started getting blank lines when I
have message lists displayed in the main window. It usually happens
after I've deleted a bunch of Sent messages.

The Utility tells me there's a problem with the database, and I do a
rebuild.

For some reason, the rebuild restores a whole bunch of deleted
messages -- not just from the Sent Folder, but also messages that I
have deleted from the Inbox. After the rebuild, the formerly deleted
Inbox messages appear as Unread. (I thought that the messages were
deleted from the Comcast server after I downloaded them, so I don't
know where they're coming from.)

This is very frustrating. Any suggestions?

--Cathie

the 'restored' messages were recovered from inside the database rather
than downloaded again. The rebuild process obviously found some orphaned
messages that were actually previously deleted, but damage in the index
must have meant that the utility couldn't positively identify them as
deleted, so it will have restored them to be safest.

Deleted messages, even those that are deleted from the deleted items
folders, aren't overwritten in the database, but remain 'orphaned' in
there, until the space is needed once again. The old stuff will be
overwritten only at that time.

 

[cathiecush]

the 'restored' messages were recovered from inside the database rather
than downloaded again. The rebuild process obviously found some orphaned
messages that were actually previously deleted, but damage in the index
must have meant that the utility couldn't positively identify them as
deleted, so it will have restored them to be safest.

Deleted messages, even those that are deleted from the deleted items
folders, aren't overwritten in the database, but remain 'orphaned' in
there, until the space is needed once again. The old stuff will be
overwritten only at that time.

Interesting. The blank lines usually start showing up after I've done
major housekeeping, particularly after I've deleted a screenful of old
Sent messages. Should I just let messages accumulate?

--Cathie