Importing from Entourage X.

[MichaelT]

So I figure I have the simplest conversion possible-going from Entourage X
to Entourage 2004.

After removing the test drive and loading MS Office 2004, I select 'Import...'
from the File menu and then select 'Import Information from a Program'
from the first wizard prompt. Clicking the right arrow, I then select the
Microsoft Entourage X radio button, hit the right arrow, deselect a couple of
the presented check boxes, and again hit the right arrow. The next wizard
prompt indicates "No Microsoft Entourage X Entities Found" so I click the
'Browse' button and navigate to:

hd/users/myname/documents/microsoft user data/office X identities/main
identity

The wizard still does not recognize the user identity and the right arrow
remains unavailable.

I have performed both a 'Typical' and an 'Advanced' rebuild on the identity
database with no luck.

Anyone have any ideas on this?

 

[MichaelT]

Thanks to the assistance of Paul Rosenberg and Vince Abela, I was able to
solve my problem. Paul's ingenious work around for getting mail folders into
E-2004 appears below, though I did not find it necessary to create a new E-
X acccount in order to get my addresses in. E-2004 will recognize the E-X
identity as a E-2001 file. The addresses came in without a hitch. I then
created .mbox files using Paul's method and dragged and dropped the
mailboxed into E-2004. Thanks again for the help to Paul and Vince.

----------------------------

Hi Michael:

I spent a ridiculous amount of time with multiple MS support folk and could
come no closer than a workaround. I found one a bit simpler than the one
the last tech suggested. Here goes.

First, I determined that while Entourage 2004 could not "see" my existing
Entourage v.X identity, it COULD see a new, blank one I created. I then
discovered the workaround (at least, one that worked for ME):

1) In Entourage v.X, archive all email by dragging the email boxes to a folder
on the Desktop (create .mbox files).
2) In Entourage v.X, create a new identity of any name.
3) From this new, empty identity, go to File > Import. and choose to import
information From a Program.
4) Choose to import from an Entourage 2001 identity.
5) BROWSE to the old Entourage v.X identity in your Microsoft Users folder in
Documents (even though you told it you were looking for a 2001 identity, it
will still recognize the identity)
6) Choose to import everything (addresses, categories, rules, events, the
works!).
7) Quit Entourage v.X
8) Launch Entourage 2004 and go to File > Import. You should now be
able to browse to the new identity and import what was imported to THAT.
9) This should bring in everything BUT your old email. You can now bring in
the old email by dragging the .mbox archives from the Finder to the "Folders
on My Computer" folder in the left column of the Mail window in Entourage
2004.

Oh, one thing, rename the commonly named .mbox files in the Finder
before dragging them over. For example, "Inbox.mbox" should be renamed
"Old Inbox.mbox" and Deleted and Sent Items archives should be similarly
renamed.

This is a clunky workaround, but worked for me when nothing else would. I
did have to go in and reset the target folders for all rules, as well as
manually configure all my email accounts (I have 20 of them). You'll also
need to check the settings for schedules, and there may be a few other
tweaks you run across, but this took me a couple of hours and I am in
business with Office 2004. I have not opened the old version ever since.

One last note, I do like this upgrade. A lot of my preference is small
interface and performance tweaks, but all in all, I am much happier with all
the components of Office 2004, even though it does piss me off that
support was ZERO help and that I had such trouble in the first place.

Good luck! let me know how it works out for you.

Paul