HELP: My entire Entourage has disappeared

D

Dominick Williams

Version: 2004
Mac OS X 10.3

I have a huge problem, which I hope someone can help me with; yesterday I
turned my Mac on and, when I started Entourage, it came up as if it was the
first ever time I'd started it. I'm extremely worried, as I have 4-years of
business emails, contacts and my diary on Entourage and have been rather
remiss in backing-up my data.

I've set up the new Entourage account through my ISP so I'm receiving my
email through again but still don't know how to retrieve my previous
messages, contacts etc.

Having read advice in a response to 'Entourage has disappeared from my
computer!', I've tried following the instructions but I'm not sure
I'm doing it right. I'm useless with this kind of this I'm afraid!...There
is nothing in the 'lost+found' folder and when I go into the Microsoft User
Data file, I can locate the Entourage files but they just bring up the 'new'
and empty Entourage. Is there anything I'm missing or doing incorrectly.

I hope someone can help me with this.

Many thanks & best regards,

Dominick
 
R

Richard_Balash

Booted up first thing this morning and had the same results....all mail and related folders gone!!
Richard
 
W

William Smith

Dominick said:
Version: 2004
Mac OS X 10.3

I have a huge problem, which I hope someone can help me with; yesterday I
turned my Mac on and, when I started Entourage, it came up as if it was the
first ever time I'd started it. I'm extremely worried, as I have 4-years of
business emails, contacts and my diary on Entourage and have been rather
remiss in backing-up my data.
Click to expand...

Have you verified that you're not automatically logging in to a
different Mac OS X account instead of the one that holds your correct
Entourage database?

Check Apple menu --> System Preferences... --> Accounts.

Hope this helps!

--

bill

William M. Smith, Microsoft Interop MVP - Mac/Windows
Entourage Help Page <http://entourage.mvps.org/>
Entourage Help Blog <http://blog.entourage.mvps.org/>
 
R

Roeland

I have exactly the same problem. Yesterday entourage mail was ok. Today I started: everything gone (preferences, accounts, mail) !
This is my business mail box and don't know what to do now. Check already the microsoft user data folder, but it is in the documents folder.
According to the size of the databases, my mail is still there only entourage thinks it is somewhere else.
What to do?
Urgent help/support needed !
Best regards,
Roeland
 
D

Diane Ross

I have exactly the same problem. Yesterday entourage mail was ok. Today I
started: everything gone (preferences, accounts, mail) !
This is my business mail box and don't know what to do now. Check already the
microsoft user data folder, but it is in the documents folder.
According to the size of the databases, my mail is still there only entourage
thinks it is somewhere else.
What to do?
Click to expand...

Let's be sure the database does contain your messages.

Examples of a blank database
2004 --> 18.1 KB
2008 --> 22.6 MB

Did you have a crash or apply any new system updates?
Have you restarted and run Repair Permissions?
Have you checked permissions on your Microsoft User Data folders?

Check permissions using Get Info.

Microsoft User Data folder and all enclosing folders and files:

Example:
Owner: Your user name
Access: Read & Write
Group: Your user name
Access: Read only
Other: Read only

The database file.
Name - Privilege:
your user name Read & Write
Staff Read Only
everyone Read Only

When Entourage opens in a new blank Identity, it's usually User error.
Entourage expects the folder to be in your Documents folder. For OS X users,
that's the Documents folder in your User's folder.

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