Not able to automatically find a contact

[Richard B. Troxel]

For some reason, I am no longer able to enter a name in the search field and
find a contact. I was able to do this until a couple weeks ago. I can
manually search the contact list and find the person I am seeking but I get
no response through the search entry. Did I turn something off?

DickT

 

[Diane Ross]

For some reason, I am no longer able to enter a name in the search field and
find a contact. I was able to do this until a couple weeks ago. I can
manually search the contact list and find the person I am seeking but I get
no response through the search entry. Did I turn something off?

In Entourage preferences see if you turned off Spotlight search.

It could be database corruption. I would test in a new Identity and if you
have problems there, in a new User.

If the new Identity works, then try rebuilding. Make a duplicate in the
Finder first for safety.

If it does not work in your User folder or the new User, let us know.

 

[Richard B. Troxel]

When I open a new identity, only my name appears in the address book. When
I do a Spotlight search (in Entourage) on my name, it does not show my name.
I'll try your recommendation on rebuilding but what do I duplicate in the
Finder?

DickT

 

[Diane Ross]

Since the new Identity did not work, we need to eliminate your User's
folder. If it fails there we will need to look at your install of both the
OS and Office.

Let's get some contacts to use in your search. This is good to know for
backup. Loosing your contacts in a failed Identity is one of the worst
parts. I like to save in both formats. 1) As a list and 2) as an Entourage
archive (.rge). We can discuss this later after you get your problem fixed.

1) Open your current Identity
2) Under File in the Menu bar, select Export --> Contacts as a list. (You
can also export as an Entourage archive (.rge).) Save to desktop. Drag to
the Shared folder.

Before rebuilding, Go to System Preferences --> Create a New User in
Accounts. Switch to the New User by logging out/in or use Fast User
Switching. Open Entourage. No need to even enter your account. Drag contact
file from Shared to the new User's desktop. Import this file into Entourage.
Test. If it does not work in the new User, let me know. If it does work in
the new User, then go back to your regular User and drag your Office 2008
Identity folder to Shared --> Switch Users --> drag from shared to the
Microsoft User Data folder (rename the test Main Identity or it will over
right...not a huge deal since it's a test with only contacts) Test there. If
it works, then it's a problem in your User's folder.

To answer your question... The file you want to duplicate is your Main
Identity. Location:

~/Documents/Microsoft User Data/Office 2008 Identities/Main Identity

 

[Richard B. Troxel]

You don't realize the dunce you are dealing with. I have:
A. Exported the Contacts as a list to the desktop.
B. Also exported the Contacts as a .rge file.
C. I stored both of these files on the desktop in a folder named "Shared."
D. Created a new identity "Test for Diane Ross."
E. Switched to the new identity.
F. Could not find the folder named "Shared."
G. Where should I store the folder so that I can find it in the new
identity?

Dick T.

 

[Diane Ross]

You don't realize the dunce you are dealing with. I have:

New not a dunce...you are asking for help..that's the way you learn.

A. Exported the Contacts as a list to the desktop.
B. Also exported the Contacts as a .rge file.
C. I stored both of these files on the desktop in a folder named "Shared."

The Finder creates a folder named "Shared" like the Public folder.

"/MacHD/Users/Shared"

Let me know if you have trouble reading paths. In this case, if you click
on your main volume...let's call it MacHD, then click on the Users folder
and you will see the Shared folder. It's contents can be seen by all users.

D. Created a new identity "Test for Diane Ross."
E. Switched to the new identity.

Let's first be clear about the terms User, Identity and Account.

An identity is a complete personality of Entourage, containing (preferences,
account settings.

A User is a term used by the Mac OS. The terms Identity and User are often
confused. Creating a new User in System Preferences is a good way to test in
a clean environment.

Entourage stores your data in an Identity, and the Mac OS creates Users.

Your identity is named "Main" by default. It is located in the Microsoft
User Data folder. Creating a new Identity is a good way to test your
database to see if corruption is the problem.

Each identity can have (almost) any number of accounts. Each account is
associated with a distinct email address than can be used to send and/or
receive mail, but all mail is stored in the same database, all calendar
events are common to all the accounts, all notes & contacts are shared.

You can have multiple accounts in Entourage. Examples: POP, IMAP, Hotmail,
Gmail, AOL, Exchange, news accounts.

Does this help?

 

[Richard B. Troxel]

We may be getting somewhere. I was able to import the Contact file into
Entourage in my new User and it does work (that is, I can use the Spotlight
search). Now, would you walk me through the next steps a little more
gradually? You said:

1. Go back to my regular User. OK, that I can do.
2. Drag my Office 2008 Identity folder to shared. But isn¹t that what I
already have in the Shared folder? Do I trash what is in the shared folder
and export/drag it again?
3. Switch users. OK, I¹m getting good at that.
4. Drag from ³shared² to the Microsoft User Data folder (rename the test
Main Identity). That lost me. What is this test that I rename? Is that the
contents of the shared folder?
5. If it works, then it¹s a problem in your User¹s folder. OK, let¹s assume
that is the case: it¹s a problem in my User¹s folder. What then?

I apologize for being such a nuisance but I certainly appreciate your help
and your patience.

 

[Richard B. Troxel]

I was premature in saying Entourage Spotlight worked in the other User.
(Incidentally, thank you for the tutorial on "User" and "Identity." I had
been using those terms incorrectly.) Flushed with my success, I went back
to the other User and found that I could find some names but not all names.

 

[Diane Ross]

We may be getting somewhere. I was able to import the Contact file into
Entourage in my new User and it does work (that is, I can use the Spotlight
search). Now, would you walk me through the next steps a little more
gradually? You said:

You further said in another message:

I was premature in saying Entourage Spotlight worked in the other User.
(Incidentally, thank you for the tutorial on "User" and "Identity." I had
been using those terms incorrectly.) Flushed with my success, I went back
to the other User and found that I could find some names but not all names.

Are you using the top left search box for the smaller search filter right
below? The little "QuickFilter" box searches only what's in the columns on
view - it does not do a full database search.

Spotlight does need some time to index. In the New User you need to have it
forefront for the indexing to complete.

1. Go back to my regular User. OK, that I can do.
2. Drag my Office 2008 Identity folder to shared. But isn¹t that what I
already have in the Shared folder? Do I trash what is in the shared folder
and export/drag it again?

I had only suggested moving the contacts to the Shared folder. Did you end
up moving the entire Office 2008 Identities folder?

BTW, when you move from Shared to the new User, it actually copies the file.
Remember to move your folder back after testing, or Entourage will open in a
blank Identity. You will panic then.

3. Switch users. OK, I¹m getting good at that.

Are you using Fast User Switching? That's the easiest way.

4. Drag from ³shared² to the Microsoft User Data folder (rename the test Main
Identity). That lost me. What is this test that I rename? Is that the
contents of the shared folder?

In the new User, you create a test account. It was named "Main" by default,
but it was just for testing and didn't contain any email. We need to test
the "Main Identity" that in your regular User that has all your data.

5. If it works, then it¹s a problem in your User¹s folder. OK, let¹s assume
that is the case: it¹s a problem in my User¹s folder. What then?

I apologize for being such a nuisance but I certainly appreciate your help and
your patience.

We'll eventually get you there. Just think of all the new stuff you are
learning in the process.