Please help! Emails and Folders Vanished w/o a Trace

[michelezug]

Thanks again for trying to help me out of this mess. I still have no idea
what has happened here. I've never seen anything like this.

Here are the answers to your last questions:

Where is the second MUD folder located if you have only one Document folder?

To clarify, I only have 1 MUD folder, with 2 identities (Main and Main
Backup) inside that folder. Actually now there's also a 3rd Identity there
that I created yesterday while trying to sort this thing out.

I'm assuming you can access Main Identity Backup, but not the Main
Identity. Switch to this Identity. Quit Entourage. Hold Option key and start
Entourage. Select Rebuild. Most likely you will have to do the Complex
rebuild.

Actually I can access any and all identities w/o problems.

I've already rebuilt my Main Identity (the one where all the folders
disappeared), I did the simple rebuild yesterday within 45 minutes of the
incident. And I did the complex rebuild earlier this afternoon.

Sadly, no change... all personal folders are still missing.
The Inbox, Sent Items Folder and Drafts folder were are still intact.
Although all my old reminders have reappeared back to 2001. But that seems
to be a minor annoyance compared with the missing email and I think that
happened because I ran the complex rebuild.

If it matters, I haven't downloaded any mail since this craziness started.
Didn't want to tempt fate.

I doubt they are erased. Have you tried the other MUD folder Main identity?
I would rename it and move it to the same location as Main Identity Backup.

As I mentioned before, there's only one MUD folder. All identities are in
the same location.

Any other suggestions? I've combed all possible sources I can think of for
an answer. Has anyone else out there had this happen to them? It's just so
bizarre!

Update:
With the exception of the Microsoft News Server I hadn't downloaded any
email into Entourage since the initial incident. My hubby did so yesterday
w/o my knowledge.

The downloaded emails all came up empty. No content, titles only. I moved
down to the News Server and there are random emails sorted into the
newsgroup messages. Maybe this is because the rules that sort them still
exist, but the folders to sort into do not?

 

[Paul Berkowitz]

As I mentioned before, there's only one MUD folder. All identities are in
the same location.

Any other suggestions? I've combed all possible sources I can think of for
an answer. Has anyone else out there had this happen to them? It's just so
bizarre!

Update:
With the exception of the Microsoft News Server I hadn't downloaded any
email into Entourage since the initial incident. My hubby did so yesterday
w/o my knowledge.

The downloaded emails all came up empty. No content, titles only. I moved
down to the News Server and there are random emails sorted into the
newsgroup messages. Maybe this is because the rules that sort them still
exist, but the folders to sort into do not?

It sounds as if you have a very, very badly corrupted database. I've never
heard of email messages being mixed up with news messages: news servers have
their own cache. I've also never heard of Advanced Rebuild being able to
open and complete a rebuild but still leaving it in a mess like that - but
of course you have Entourage 2001, where the rebuilder was much less robust
than it's become in the latest versions of X. Are you sure you have all the
2001 updates applied? If not, do so now.

First of all, to be safe, drag out your Inbox, Sent Items, Drafts and any
other folder that may be intact to your desktop. That will preserve each as
MBOX files which can be dragged back into a clean identity later. Since
these are still intact, save them while you still can.

Now make a few new folders to replace the ones that disappeared, Give them
names.

Then:

Make a new Custom View :

ˆ Messages

<Specific Header> <Newsgroups> <Does not exist>

That will give you a custom view of all MAIL messages (only). Sort by Folder
when you go there. Ignore Inbox, Sent Items and Drafts. Look for other
folders, and also for messages that have no folder listed at all.

On a folder by folder basis, shift-click top and bottom message of each
folder, and/or the "non-folder" messages. Holding down Option key, drag-copy
each group of messages to one of your new folders. Hopefully this will make
clean fresh copies. You might have to restrict yourself to a few hundred
messages at a time (say 500).

When done, one by one, drag each new folder to the desktop to make another
MBOX file. When done, switch identities to the brand new identity you made
yesterday. One by one, drag the MBOX files in. In the case of Inbox, Sent
Items and Drafts, you'll get new folders with slightly adjusted names. You
can select all messages in these and move the messages to the "real" Inbox,
Sent Items, Drafts. Using "Move" button lets you move all of them in one go.

When done, you should have a clean identity. After a week or two, you can
delete the old corrupt one.

If there's any problem along the way - including the first step of the
custom view (if you don't see the missing messages), you could try using
Remove Office from MacTopia (it leaves your data alone), then reinstall
Office 2001 and all the 2001 updates, just in case there's something broken
in Entourage itself - including its rebuilder. But it sounds like a database
problem to me. If the custom view can find the messages, copying and
exporting them to MBOX should get you a clean version.

In future, don't forget to make backup copies of your Identity folders every
few days.

--
Paul Berkowitz
MVP Entourage
Entourage FAQ Page: <http://www.entourage.mvps.org/toc.html>
AppleScripts for Entourage: <http://macscripter.net/scriptbuilders/>

Please "Reply To Newsgroup" to reply to this message. Emails will be
ignored.

PLEASE always state which version of Entourage you are using - 2001 or X.
It's often impossible to answer your questions otherwise.

 

[michelezug]

Thank you thank you thank you!

I've found all the messages!

I've gotten through the first parts of your suggestions and I'm down to the
end... I have 2 questions.

Just exactly how do I "drag the MBOX" files into the new identity? I tried
to drag and drop but nothing happened. Do I need to create all the folders
ahead of time and then drop the appropriate MBOX in and THEN move the
messages from the old to the new folders?

I also happen to be a few days from moving everything from OS9.1 to the
latest version of OSX on a new powerbook. Assuming I'm able to get
everything back together into one clean identity, is it as easy as moving
that new identity from one computer to another?

 

[Paul Berkowitz]

Thank you thank you thank you!

I've found all the messages!

I'm glad that worked. It was the Custom View trick? Did it show the messages
as having any folder, by the way? I suppose it was copying them to a new
folder that worked, yes?

I've gotten through the first parts of your suggestions and I'm down to the
end... I have 2 questions.

Just exactly how do I "drag the MBOX" files into the new identity? I tried
to drag and drop but nothing happened. Do I need to create all the folders
ahead of time and then drop the appropriate MBOX in and THEN move the
messages from the old to the new folders?

No. Drag and drop, one at a time, should work. If they're big, be patient.
Drag each MBOX file onto the the Folders bar in 2001 and release.
Alternately (although I can't recall if this works in Entourage 2001) just
double-click them and you may get a dialog asking if you want to import it.

I also happen to be a few days from moving everything from OS9.1 to the
latest version of OSX on a new powerbook. Assuming I'm able to get
everything back together into one clean identity, is it as easy as moving
that new identity from one computer to another?

Not quite. Entourage X will import your Entourage 2001 identity if:

1. You insert your Office 2001 CD into the CD tray. (You don't have to
actually install 2001.)

2. You copy your Office 2001 Identities folder to somewhere (anywhere) on
your new hard drive.

3. Use File/Import/From a program/Entourage 2001 in Entourage X.

4. IMPORTANT: when asked by the importer to navigate to the Office 2001
Identities folder, instead navigate inside to the Identity folder you want
to import. (Otherwise it might import your old corrupt identity instead.)

Keep your MBOX files handy in case you have problems. If need be, copy them
to the new computer and add ".mbox" extension to them if they don't appear
that way. If that suddenly makes them appear with a postbox icon
representing Mail.app, control-click on one of them, choose Get Info (or
just click once and press cmd-I for same), then select Opens With and change
it to Microsoft Entourage, then click the Change All button. They will then
all have Entourage icons. You can then drag-and-drop or double-click each
..mbox file to import.


--
Paul Berkowitz
MVP Entourage
Entourage FAQ Page: <http://www.entourage.mvps.org/toc.html>
AppleScripts for Entourage: <http://macscripter.net/scriptbuilders/>

Please "Reply To Newsgroup" to reply to this message. Emails will be
ignored.

PLEASE always state which version of Entourage you are using - 2001 or X.
It's often impossible to answer your questions otherwise.

 

[michelezug]

I'm glad that worked. It was the Custom View trick? Did it show the messages
as having any folder, by the way? I suppose it was copying them to a new
folder that worked, yes?

Yes, it was the custom view trick. I couldn't exactly replicate the way you
explained, so I just created custom views based on my different email
accounts. Bingo all (or at least all I needed to recover) the mail pops up.
Funny thing is that the mail was all still listed in their original
(missing) folders. And yes again, copying them to a new folder did work.

No. Drag and drop, one at a time, should work. If they're big, be patient.
Drag each MBOX file onto the the Folders bar in 2001 and release.

So, in plain English... I should be able to just drag and drop the MBOX
files into the Folder List sidebar, wait patiently and then watch new
folders appear?

Alternately (although I can't recall if this works in Entourage 2001) just
double-click them and you may get a dialog asking if you want to import it.

I tried a double click and did get that dialog box, now I need to try it in
the new identity. But I bet it will work.

Entourage X will import your Entourage 2001 identity if:

1. You insert your Office 2001 CD into the CD tray. (You don't have to
actually install 2001.)

What if I can't find my Office 2001 CD? Is that only if I was installing
Office 2001 again? Does it matter that I'm also moving to Office v.X
(student teacher edition)?

Oh and Paul, If I haven't said it already, thank you so much for your help.

 

[Paul Berkowitz]

What if I can't find my Office 2001 CD? Is that only if I was installing
Office 2001 again?

Nope. It's the shortcut that lets you _not_ install 2001. I'm not quite sure
why it's a requirement, but it is. Maybe some sort of protection against
fraud, since almost everyone importing from 2001 into X will have paid an
"upgrade" price rather than a full price for X. I don't know why. If you
can't find your 2001 CD then you won't be able to import the normal way from
X. However, you could get my shareware scripts Export-Import Entourage 2001
and X (both versions) and export everything except rules and schedules from
2001 that way and import it all into X: contacts, calendar, tasks.
signatures, etc. etc. (You only have to pay once to use both versions in the
two identities.) Just keep your MBOXes - as far as mail folders go that's
almost the same as using the Folder scripts.

Does it matter that I'm also moving to Office v.X
(student teacher edition)?

No, that's a normal full version, just cheaper to buy.

Oh and Paul, If I haven't said it already, thank you so much for your help.

You're very welcome.


--
Paul Berkowitz
MVP Entourage
Entourage FAQ Page: <http://www.entourage.mvps.org/toc.html>
AppleScripts for Entourage: <http://macscripter.net/scriptbuilders/>

Please "Reply To Newsgroup" to reply to this message. Emails will be
ignored.

PLEASE always state which version of Entourage you are using - 2001 or X.
It's often impossible to answer your questions otherwise.

 

[Diane Ross]

Sadly, no change... all personal folders are still missing.
The Inbox, Sent Items Folder and Drafts folder were are still intact.
Although all my old reminders have reappeared back to 2001. But that seems
to be a minor annoyance compared with the missing email and I think that
happened because I ran the complex rebuild.

If a complex rebuild goes bad, you are generally left with the original
problems.

Try doing a custom view to see if the mail is still there.

One thing to check....Be sure you do not have check view unread only or
flagged only.

If it matters, I haven't downloaded any mail since this craziness started.
Didn't want to tempt fate.

Make duplicates of your identity so you can experiment with those.