Entourage Database issue

M

mmccoub

Hi there,

I'm having desperate issues with my Entourage Database. I must have
deleted something important because everytime I start the program, I
get an error saying "Entourage cannot access your data. To attempt to
fix the problem, rebuild your database."

I have no problem doing this; but I cannot even get back into the
program. I've tried uninstalling and reinstalling to no avail. How do
I get Entourage to stop looking for this database!!!!!

Thanks so much!
 
D

Diane Ross

I'm having desperate issues with my Entourage Database. I must have
deleted something important because everytime I start the program, I
get an error saying "Entourage cannot access your data. To attempt to
fix the problem, rebuild your database."

I have no problem doing this; but I cannot even get back into the
program. I've tried uninstalling and reinstalling to no avail. How do
I get Entourage to stop looking for this database!!!!!
Click to expand...

Reinstalling Office does not touch your Entourage data.

Your data is stored in the Microsoft User Data folder (also known as the MUD
folder) in your Documents folder. Inside this folder is your Identity (named
Main by default). All of your mail, contacts, etc are stored here.

It appears that your database is corrupt however, sometimes a corrupt
preference will send out false error reports that the database needs
rebuilding.

It¹s unclear....can you open the database at all? Are you just getting the
error when you try to open Entourage?

What happens if you move the Main database to the desktop and then open
Entourage?

It would help to know some basic info too. What version of the OS do you
have installed. What version of Office? Is this a POP, IMAP, or Exchange
account?
--
Diane Ross, Microsoft Mac MVP
Entourage Help Page
<http://www.entourage.mvps.org/>
One of the top five MS Entourage resources listed on the Entourage Blog.
<http://blogs.msdn.com/entourage/>
 
M

mmccoub

Hi Diane,

Thank you very much for your reply!!!!
I'm thinking I might have deleted this database by accident. I had a
look in the location you spec'd and there isn't a database there.

My system is an OSX 10.4.9 Power G4 Dual 450; Entourage version is
under Microsoft Office X - 2004; Pop account.

Is there any way to start a new database without Entourage trying to
look for the old one first?

Thank you again!
Molly.
 
D

Diane Ross

Is there any way to start a new database without Entourage trying to
look for the old one first?
Click to expand...

Your preferences are telling Entourage to open your Main Account. You can
make Entourage ask for another account several ways.

Rename the current Identity
Move the Main Identity to a different location
Move your Microsoft User Data folder to a different location. <--this is
probably the cleanest option.

If the only file you deleted was the database, then after Entourage creates
a new Identity you could swap out these files:

Mailing Lists
Rules
Signatures

If you use scripts these are still available in the Microsoft User Data
folder --> Entourage Script Menu Items.

Other than that you contacts and mail are gone, history, lost in space. :)

First thing I suggest you do after getting Entourage set up with contacts is
to make a backup. This could be a simple thing like duplicating the Identity
folder. This won¹t get any future mail, but it will perserve your setup and
contacts.

Contacts can also be exported as a tab delimited file. This is a text file
that can be seen by other applications.

Next get in the habit of backing up your data. I suggest creating a task to
remind you. See this page for solutions.

Backup Your Data: <http://www.entourage.mvps.org/database/backup.html>
--
Diane Ross, Microsoft Mac MVP
Entourage Help Page
<http://www.entourage.mvps.org/>
One of the top five MS Entourage resources listed on the Entourage Blog.
<http://blogs.msdn.com/entourage/>
 
M

mmccoub

Hi Diane,

Thank you again!

I am a slight bit ahead as I have all of the information backed up on
my Zire 21 PDA. I thought I might be able to sync it using "The
Missing Sync" program that I got that has worked well for the past 2
years. However, I'm not sure if this will help me; at the bare minimum
I can at least key it in again... so I'm not starting completely from
scratch. I will definitely follow your advice about the back up
though!!!!

So I tried your suggestion of moving the Microsoft User Data to
another location and that did help. I'm getting a different message
now saying: "Cannot open that feature. An error has occurred (-8796)."
I'm wondering if it's also trying to access another file or folder?
And possibly, it might be Calendar related?

Sincerely,
Molly.
 
B

Barry Wainwright [MVP]

Hi Diane,

Thank you again!

I am a slight bit ahead as I have all of the information backed up on
my Zire 21 PDA. I thought I might be able to sync it using "The
Missing Sync" program that I got that has worked well for the past 2
years. However, I'm not sure if this will help me; at the bare minimum
I can at least key it in again... so I'm not starting completely from
scratch. I will definitely follow your advice about the back up
though!!!!

So I tried your suggestion of moving the Microsoft User Data to
another location and that did help. I'm getting a different message
now saying: "Cannot open that feature. An error has occurred (-8796)."
I'm wondering if it's also trying to access another file or folder?
And possibly, it might be Calendar related?

Sincerely,
Molly.
Click to expand...

It certain ly seems to be trying to access data in a database, but if an
office app can't find the database where it should be, it _should_ create a
new one.

I wonder if the Daemon still has the database open. Try checking the login
items to see if there are more than one Database Daemon listed there, and
delete them all if there are (the right one will be recreated
automatically). Next, find the "Microsoft User Data" folder in your
Documents folder and change the name to something else ("OLD Microsoft User
Data"). Then log out and back in again.

That _should_ fix things.

If it doesn't, it points to corruption within some of the Office support
files. In that case, you need to run the "Remove Office" Utility (in
/Applications/Microsoft Office 2004/Additional Tools/Remove Office), and
then re-install. The utility will remove all the associated support files as
wellas the main application folder.
 
M

mmccoub

Hi Barry,

Thanks for your response.

So I have to correct a mistake I made; my boyfriend pointed out that I
don't have Mac Office 2004 like I thought I did, but rather Microsoft
v.X service release 1. My apologies!

That probably explains why when I searched for the Remove Office
utility in /Applications/Microsoft Office 2004/Additional Tools/Remove
Office, that I couldn't find it. Does this version of Office even have
something like that? If so, I'd love to run it and start fresh.

In the meantime I tried calling the user Data "old" and it still
brought up the message "cannot find that feature. An error has
occurred (-8796)." And the popup window to enter my identity info came
up.

So it's still looking for something.

I tried looking for multiple Login items for Database Daemon; but I'm
not sure where to look for them. In the User Data folder? or in the
Entourage application itself? I saw one in the Microsoft Office X/
Office folder, but only 1.

What do you think?
 
D

Diane Ross

So I have to correct a mistake I made; my boyfriend pointed out that I
don't have Mac Office 2004 like I thought I did, but rather Microsoft
v.X service release 1. My apologies!
Click to expand...

Oohh! You are way out of date too. Get the 10.1.9 updater from Mactopia.
It¹s a combo updater. Then get the workaround for Daylight Saving Time.
Entourage X was NOT updated for the new time change since it¹s End of Life
software. Be sure your OS is completely updated too for the time change.

See this article "Is your Mac ready for Daylight Savings Time?"

<http://www.entourage.mvps.org/articles/daylight.html>

Workaround for Entourage X:
<http://www.entourage.mvps.org/articles/unofficial_dst_workaround.html>

Download Office updates from Mactopia:

That probably explains why when I searched for the Remove Office
utility in /Applications/Microsoft Office 2004/Additional Tools/Remove
Office, that I couldn't find it. Does this version of Office even have
something like that? If so, I'd love to run it and start fresh.
Click to expand...

Yes, all versions of Office come with ³Remove Office².

Value Pack folder on the Office X CD.

Be sure you still have your CD Key.
In the meantime I tried calling the user Data "old" and it still
brought up the message "cannot find that feature. An error has
occurred (-8796)." And the popup window to enter my identity info came
up.
Click to expand...

Not sure where you added the Œold¹, but that should have required Entourage
to ask for a new Identity. Just remove your Microsoft User Data folder from
Documents.
So it's still looking for something.

I tried looking for multiple Login items for Database Daemon; but I'm
not sure where to look for them. In the User Data folder? or in the
Entourage application itself? I saw one in the Microsoft Office X/
Office folder, but only 1.
Click to expand...

Open System Preferences --> Accounts --> Login Items

Look for Microsoft Database daemon. If there is more than one, delete all
and Entourage will create a new one when launched.

--
Diane Ross, Microsoft Mac MVP
Entourage Help Page
<http://www.entourage.mvps.org/>
One of the top five MS Entourage resources listed on the Entourage Blog.
<http://blogs.msdn.com/entourage/>
 
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