Losing all emails and calendar items on shutting down computer.

[jax9041]

Version: 2008 Operating System: Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard) Processor: Intel Email Client: pop Every time I close or restart my computer I am losing my main identity from Entourage.

I have found how to restore from Time Machine but recent mail is not restoring and a lot of calendar items are missing even though my Mac Book has been on and connected.

I have restored the library but this still does not work.

How can I make sure everything is backed up and
why am I losing my identity?

 

[Diane_Ross_MVP]

Every time I close or restart my computer I am losing my main identity from
Entourage.

I have found how to restore from Time Machine but recent mail is not restoring
and a lot of calendar items are missing even though my Mac Book has been on
and connected.

I have restored the library but this still does not work.

How can I make sure everything is backed up and
why am I losing my identity?

Let's start with some basic info.

If you move the Microsoft User Data folder (also known as the MUD folder) in
your Documents folder, Entourage will create a new blank Identity. Inside
this folder is your Identity (named Main by default). All of your mail,
contacts, etc are located in a database:

Entourage 2008: ~/Documents/Microsoft User Data/Office 2008 Identities/Main
identity/database

Using this info, it should help to determine what is happening on to make
the Identity go missing.

Next.

Using Time Machine to backup Entourage basics:

It's advised by the developers not to let Time Machine backup your Entourage
database. If the database is copied while being used, the backup could be
corrupt. You can set the Time Machine to exclude the Microsoft User Data
folder and create an iCal event to copy it over at night while not in use so
you get one backup daily in Time Machine.

<http://blog.entourage.mvps.org/2008/01/alternative_method_to_use_entourage_
and_time_machine.html>

Last...everything you want to know about backing up Entourage:

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

 

[jax9041]

On 1/9/10 10:16 AM, in article (e-mail address removed)2ac0,

> &quot;[email protected]&quot; wrote:
>
>
> Let's start with some basic info.
>
> If you move the Microsoft User Data folder (also known as the MUD folder) in
> your Documents folder, Entourage will create a new blank Identity. Inside
> this folder is your Identity (named Main by default). All of your mail,
> contacts, etc are located in a database:
>
> Entourage 2008: ~/Documents/Microsoft User Data/Office 2008 Identities/Main
> identity/database
>
> Using this info, it should help to determine what is happening on to make
> the Identity go missing.
>
> Next.
>
> Using Time Machine to backup Entourage basics:
>
> It's advised by the developers not to let Time Machine backup your Entourage
> database. If the database is copied while being used, the backup could be
> corrupt. You can set the Time Machine to exclude the Microsoft User Data
> folder and create an iCal event to copy it over at night while not in use so
> you get one backup daily in Time Machine.
>
> and_time_machine.html>
>
> Last...everything you want to know about backing up Entourage:
>
>
>
> --
> Diane
>
>

Thanks Diane,

it appears my Main identity is in the right place as you showed above:
Documents/Microsoft User Data/Office 2008 Identities/Main
identity/database

but the last bit which says database doesn't actually say database, it contains files : Database, Mailing Lists, My Day.plist, Rules, Signatures and Summary.plist

is this right?

I started following the instructions about backing up but then found it is merely quitting Entourage which is causing me to lose the identity so every time I will quit to back up I will lose it.

Do you think I am going to have to re-install Entourage?

Sorry to sound dim but I am new to Mac and not very knowledgeable technically,

Thanks for your help,

Jacquie

 

[Diane_Ross_MVP]

but the last bit which says database doesn't actually say database, it
contains files : Database, Mailing Lists, My Day.plist, Rules, Signatures
and Summary.plist

is this right?

Yes, the Main Identity contains:

Database
Mailing Lists
My Day.plist <---depends on if you have launched My Day
Rules
Signatures
Summary.plist

I started following the instructions about backing up but then found it is
merely quitting Entourage which is causing me to lose the identity so every
time I will quit to back up I will lose it.

You do have to quit Entourage to backup, but it should not disappear your
Identity.

Do you think I am going to have to re-install Entourage?

Normally re-installing does not fix issues like this.

Sorry to sound dim but I am new to Mac and not very knowledgeable technically,

Contact me off list. Send me an email: dianeross at mvps dot org