Entourage keeps freezing

[pezkb]

Version: 2004
Operating System: Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard)
Processor: Intel
Email Client: Exchange

Entourage keeps freezing. It seems to be a random pattern, not sparked by anything in particular. I get the spinning rainbow, and it will not even respond to a force quit. I have to hard shut down my computer each time. I use Entourage all day, and this has happened about 6 times within the last 2 days.
Help?

 

[Diane Ross]

Entourage keeps freezing. It seems to be a random pattern, not sparked by
anything in particular. I get the spinning rainbow, and it will not even
respond to a force quit. I have to hard shut down my computer each time. I use
Entourage all day, and this has happened about 6 times within the last 2 days.

Open the Activity Monitor in your Utilities folder. Leave it open and select
the CPU column so that the highest use is on top. This should show you
what's running high and causing Entourage to appear frozen. If it is
Entourage and it's red, give it at least 5 minutes to see if it returns to
normal. If not double click on the process and it will open in a window.
Click on the Sample button and copy the log and post it here. Then click on
quit and select "Force Quit." Doing a hard shut down of your computer is
going to lead to all sorts of problems.

I suggest downloading the Apple combo updater to refresh your files after
all these quits. Doing so overwrites potentially problem-causing files.
Combo updaters will install on the same version as they¹re applying‹no need
to roll back or do a clean install.

Leopard:

Mac OS X 10.5.6 Combo Update
(For both PowerPC- and Intel-based Macs )
<http://www.apple.com/downloads/macosx/apple/macosx_updates/macosx1056combou
pdate.html>

I also suggest you read this article:

Optimize Entourage to better work with Exchange

<http://blog.entourage.mvps.org/2008/03/optimize_entourage_to_better_work_wi
th_exchange.html>

<http://tinyurl.com/56ea7k>

Let us know if you see improvement after installing the combo and using the
tips in Optimize Entourage article.

--
Diane Ross, Microsoft Mac MVP
Entourage Help Page <http://www.entourage.mvps.org/>
Entourage Help Blog <http://blog.entourage.mvps.org/>
YouTalk <http://tinyurl.com/bzcrjy> <-- Entourage mailing list
Twitter: follow <http://twitter.com/entouragehelp>

 

[pezkb]

Entourage keeps freezing. It seems to be a random pattern, not sparked by anything in particular. I get the spinning rainbow, and it will not even respond to a force quit. I have to hard shut down my computer each time. I use Entourage all day, and this has happened about 6 times within the last 2 days.

Help?

Thanks. I downloaded the combo update and it fixed the prob for a day or 2. now today Entourage freezes imediately upon opening. this is what was in the box you told me to copy:
"Can't sample process 788 because it is running in Rosetta"

also the help link you posted about exchange and entourage does not work.

Thanks,
Kerri

 

[Diane Ross]

Thanks. I downloaded the combo update and it fixed the prob for a day or 2.
now today Entourage freezes imediately upon opening. this is what was in the
box you told me to copy:
"Can't sample process 788 because it is running in Rosetta"

You indicated you were running Office 2004 on an Intel Mac. Is this correct?
Download this script application and copy contents of the clipboard.

<http://tinyurl.com/deousv>

Office 2004 is PPC and is not Universal. (Universal applications come with
both PPC and Intel installers) Office 2004 runs just fine on Rosetta, but
it's a bit slower. Office 2008 is Universal.

I suspect that you will need to do an "Archive & Install" of the OS. We also
need to look at disk space and RAM. How much free space do you have? Use the
Activity Monitor to get this info.

also the help link you posted about exchange and entourage does not work.

I believe this is just another indication of base problems on your system.
Try this link again: <http://tinyurl.com/56ea7k>


--------Basics on "Archive & Install" --------------------
"Archive and Install" moves existing system files to a folder named Previous
System and then installs Mac OS X again.

Just be sure to check Preserve Users and Network Settings when you select
Archive & Install.

Mac OS X: About the Archive and Install feature

<http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=107120>

Archive and Install of the OS

<http://www.entourage.mvps.org/glossary/archive_install.html>

General advice on performing an Archive and Install

<http://www.thexlab.com/faqs/archiveinstall.html>


--
Diane Ross, Microsoft Mac MVP
Entourage Help Page <http://www.entourage.mvps.org/>
Entourage Help Blog <http://blog.entourage.mvps.org/>
YouTalk <http://tinyurl.com/bzcrjy> <-- Entourage mailing list
Twitter: follow <http://twitter.com/entouragehelp>

 

[pezkb]

yes, office 2004 and intel mac (mac book pro)

I will try your suggestions shortly.

?: would upgrading to Office 2008 solve my problems since it is universal? I am looking to save time on this if possible.

 

[Diane Ross]

?: would upgrading to Office 2008 solve my problems since it is universal? I
am looking to save time on this if possible.

Not if your base files are not good. They are the foundation on which
everything runs. The "Archive & Install" is fairly quick. The last time I
had to do one, the only thing I had to reinstall was the Microsoft keyboard
software.

If you would answer the questions on size of your drive and free space along
with RAM we could at least, eliminate that as a source of your problem.

 

[pezkb]

Hi Dianne,
I have 4g RAM, and 152.80 GB free disk space

 

[pezkb]

I did the archive and install of osx.
Tried to start entourage after, and still a spinning wheel.
next step?

can I install office 2008? or should I do something else first?

 

[pezkb]

You indicated you were running Office 2004 on an Intel Mac. Is this correct?
Download this script application and copy contents of the clipboard.

<http://tinyurl.com/deousv>

this link works now, here is what it said:
Last update applied: 11.5.3

Microsoft Entourage: 11.4.0
Microsoft Excel: 11.5.3
Microsoft Word: 11.5.3
Microsoft PowerPoint: 11.5.1
Microsoft Component Plugin: 11.5.3
Junk E-Mail Protection: 11.3.4
Mac OS X 10.5.2 (9C2028)

 

[Diane Ross]

Last update applied: 11.5.3

This indicates you are up to date for Office 2004. That's good.

Mac OS X 10.5.2 (9C2028)

I advise updating to 10.5.6.

Mac OS X 10.5.6 Combo Update
(For both PowerPC- and Intel-based Macs )
<http://www.apple.com/downloads/macosx/apple/macosx_updates/macosx1056combou
pdate.html>

I have 4g RAM, and 152.80 GB free disk space

4GB of RAM is excellent!!

The free space could be getting low. Is this at least 10% free? If it's very
close or low, then you need to clear off some files. See this page for help:

Problems from Insufficient RAM and Free Hard Disk Space

Tried to start entourage after, and still a spinning wheel.
next step?

Let's test in a new User. Go to System Preferences --> Create a New User in
Accounts. Switch to the New User by logging out/in or use Fast User
Switching. Do you see the same spinning problem in the new User?

can I install office 2008? or should I do something else first?

Let's eliminate problems in your User's account first. Testing in a new User
will give us more info.


Diane Ross, Microsoft Mac MVP
Entourage Help Page <http://www.entourage.mvps.org/>
Entourage Help Blog <http://blog.entourage.mvps.org/>
YouTalk <http://tinyurl.com/bzcrjy> <-- Entourage mailing list
Twitter: follow <http://twitter.com/entouragehelp>

 

[pezkb]

more than 10% free (135 free, 50 used)

Entourage was fine in test user.

-sorry but I did install 2008 yesterday in a desperate attempt to get it to work.
the second user worked fine in 2008, my original user does not. it said I may have to rebuild my data base. took me to database utility. I ran :verify database integrity" and it said no problems.

what do I do next please?

 

[pezkb]

I went to your help page Dianne, and tried starting Entourage while holding shift down. It worked! I had an email stuck in my outbox, could that have been the problem?

looks like my folders updated.

?

 

[Corentin Cras-Méneur]

I did the archive and install of osx.
Tried to start entourage after, and still a spinning wheel.
next step?

can I install office 2008? or should I do something else first?

Well you can run the uninstaller first to be safe.
Once you're done installing, make sure you also install all the updates
all the way to 12.1.5.

Corentin

 

[Diane Ross]

I went to your help page Dianne, and tried starting Entourage while holding
shift down. It worked! I had an email stuck in my outbox, could that have been
the problem?

That can definitely be the cause of Entourage not opening. Normally I catch
that problem, somehow in your description of the problem I missed the cause.

This page has many solutions missing and it's one every Entourage user
should bookmark. I've tried to list symptoms as users describe them.

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

 

[Diane Ross]

-sorry but I did install 2008 yesterday in a desperate attempt to get it to
work.
the second user worked fine in 2008, my original user does not. it said I may
have to rebuild my data base. took me to database utility. I ran :verify
database integrity" and it said no problems.

When you tested in the new User did you use your Identity? If no, then
that's why the stuck message didn't cause the problem in the new User.