Entourage has just reset itself - Leopard 10.5.4

A

antmoore

i shut down my Mac overnight and when i returned to it and started up with my
login, Entourage was clear of data and had the welcome email as if i'd just
installed it

i'm a novice at Macs and this sort of thing in general, and i cant work out
what to do next

there were no installs or anything i can think would have caused it to be
down to user error

anyone any ideas? i've seen through a few postings mention of a 'microsoft
user data' folder which i've found in spotlight.. the folder includes
entourage scripts menu items, office 2008 identities and saved attachments

i cant see where i can get it back - help!
many thanks
ant
 
B

Barry Wainwright

antmoore said:
i shut down my Mac overnight and when i returned to it and started up with my
login, Entourage was clear of data and had the welcome email as if i'd just
installed it

i'm a novice at Macs and this sort of thing in general, and i cant work out
what to do next

there were no installs or anything i can think would have caused it to be
down to user error

anyone any ideas? i've seen through a few postings mention of a 'microsoft
user data' folder which i've found in spotlight.. the folder includes
entourage scripts menu items, office 2008 identities and saved attachments

i cant see where i can get it back - help!
many thanks
ant
Click to expand...

Did you do any 'tidying up' before you shut your mac down?

The most common cause for this problem is moving the Microsoft User
Data' folder out of 'Documents'. What causes extra confusion is that
when you next start Entourage a whole new folder is created in there!

Take a look around, can you find _two_ MUD folders? Having started
Entourage one wil be in Documents, where is the other? If you can find
it, rename the one currently _in_ 'Documents' to "Microsoft User Data
Folder Temp" and move the other MUD folder into Documents.

Restart Entourage and all should be well.

If the only MUD folder you can find is in Documents, tell me first how
many folder there are in:
~/Documents/Microsoft User Data/Office 2008 Identities/

And then how big is the database file in each of those subfolders.
 
A

antmoore

thanks so much Barry
i found the other MUD which had moved itself out of documents into a
subfolder.. i did as you said and renamed the new blank one then transferred
the old one back into the main documents folder... it worked!

very grateful for your advice
best
ant



Barry said:
i shut down my Mac overnight and when i returned to it and started up with my
login, Entourage was clear of data and had the welcome email as if i'd just
Click to expand...
[quoted text clipped - 13 lines]
many thanks
ant
Click to expand...

Did you do any 'tidying up' before you shut your mac down?

The most common cause for this problem is moving the Microsoft User
Data' folder out of 'Documents'. What causes extra confusion is that
when you next start Entourage a whole new folder is created in there!

Take a look around, can you find _two_ MUD folders? Having started
Entourage one wil be in Documents, where is the other? If you can find
it, rename the one currently _in_ 'Documents' to "Microsoft User Data
Folder Temp" and move the other MUD folder into Documents.

Restart Entourage and all should be well.

If the only MUD folder you can find is in Documents, tell me first how
many folder there are in:
~/Documents/Microsoft User Data/Office 2008 Identities/

And then how big is the database file in each of those subfolders.
Click to expand...
 
B

Barry Wainwright

antmoore said:
thanks so much Barry
i found the other MUD which had moved itself out of documents into a
subfolder.. i did as you said and renamed the new blank one then transferred
the old one back into the main documents folder... it worked!

very grateful for your advice
best
ant
Click to expand...

You're very welcome. This is more common that you could believe!
 
B

Barry Wainwright

Jolly said:
I seriously doubt the folder moved itself. It's much more likely - even
probable - that *you* moved it, accidentally. This happens a LOT.

Microsoft would do well to place this folder in some other less
accessible location, such as the Preferences or Application Support
folder.
Click to expand...

yes, we keep telling them!

Who knows, it may happen one day.

Everyone, please send feedback to Microsoft on this, if it is important
to you. Use the 'Send Feedback' item under the 'Help' menu in any Office
application. The more people that request such a feature the more likely
it is to be implemented.
 
T

Tekin

Hi,

I have the same problem. I've checked my Mac for two MUD folders, but there
is only one. And the creation date of the existing one is the day I bought
the Mac so I am 100% sure I didn't delete the MUD folder.

I booted my computer and started Entourage but all my mails and contacts
were gone.

Now what do I do?
 
T

Tekin

One other note,

I found out that the "Database", "Mailing Lists", etc files under the "Main
Identity" folder were created TODAY, at the time I turned on my computer.

It seems that Entourage actually reset itself, as I haven't touched a
setting of entourage that would result in this.
 
B

Barry Wainwright

This can happen when a preference becomes corrupt, but it is very rare.

if this is the case here, the fix is simple - just select 'switch
identity' from the Entourage menu and select the appropriate identity
from the list that is shown (after quitting all other office apps).
 
B

Barry Wainwright

Jolly said:
If there's truly only one, you must have deleted your Main Identity
folder.

In any event, just restore it from backup and you'll have all your
information back.
Click to expand...

another possibility is that if you are running anti-virus software, it
may have detected a malicious payload in a piece of spam in the mail
database and quarantined the whole database.

the Microsoft Database should always be excluded from AV scans - there's
nothing an AV programme can do to 'repair' a problem and too often they
delete of quarantine the database which removes all the user's mail,
contacts etc.
 
L

lmccoy24

Hello,

I have also just had this problem! I do not have another MUD folder, only
one. The MUD folder is not in Documents, but is listed as just a folder on
the hard drive. I know someone said that this happens because people move
the folder, but I swear I have not done this. I also tried the switching
identity thing, and there are no identities. If the MUD folder is supposed
to be in a particular place to work, where precisely is that?

lmccoy24
 
L

lmccoy24

As an addition, here is where my MUD folder currently is in case that helps
to tell me where it should be:

Mac HD > applications > microsoft office > office > office first run > MUD

lmccoy24
 
D

Diane Ross

lmccoy24 said:
As an addition, here is where my MUD folder currently is in case that helps
to tell me where it should be:

Mac HD > applications > microsoft office > office > office first run > MUD
Click to expand...

Your Microsoft User Data folder should be in your User's Document folder.
The path above shows the first run that sets up your folders.

* The Microsoft User Data folder (Also know as the MUD folder.) is created
in your Documents folder. It contains your Identity along with scripts and
other files used by other Office applications.

* If you move this folder, Entourage will not know where your mail is
located and will open with a new default identity that will be blank.

Identity

* Your Identity is named "Main" by default. (You can rename the Identity.)
* Your Identity is located in the Microsoft User Data folder in your User's
Document folder.
* Inside your Identity is a database file. The database contains your,
messages, address book, schedules, contacts, tasks, notes, and calendar are
located in the database. To backup your data, you need to copy either your
Identity or the Microsoft User Data folder.

<http://blog.entourage.mvps.org/2008/10/tech_terms.html>

If your Microsoft User Data folder is missing:

1) User error
2) Deleted during an update of the OS or a Microsoft update (strange things
happen during updates. That's why they tell you to always backup first.)
a. could be gone forever
b. could be in 'lost & found' (invisible folder)
3) Virus software quarantined and 'hid' it.

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

Tekin

Should have told you that..

I did switch Identities. Somehow Entourage deleted the database file then
re-created on startup.

I must tell you:

1) I did not delete the folder, its most definetely not a user error.
2) I did not do any OS or Microsoft software updates since 2 weeks probably.
3) I did not visit anywhere that might contain malicious software (It's a
brand new computer, didn't surf much on the internet).

I do have important mails though and I want to get them back.

Why on earth would microsoft keep mails in a database instead of a folder! I
cannot tell you the damage of this to me!
 
D

Diane Ross

Did you turn on Sync Services? If yes, you might be able to recover some of
your emails in the cache file.

"YOUR USER FOLDER/Library/Caches/Metadata/Microsoft/Entourage/2008/Main"

Entourage does not just delete your database file. As Jolly said 'accidental
deletion of a folder is something you don't know you did in the first
place.'

When you Switch Identities, Entourage creates an entirely new Identity with
a new database, rules, sigs and mailing lists files.

I suggest you start a good backup strategy now.
Backup Your Data <http://www.entourage.mvps.org/database/backup.html>
 
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