Version: 2008
Operating System: Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard)
Processor: intel
Email Client: pop
Hi..frustrated, purchased MarkSpace program and lost much data...so reinstalled PocketMac for backup. Understand Entourage 2008 not able to backup calendar yet (is this still true?). But I cannot two-way sync with ical either.Can anyone help??? how do I make sure I don't lose my data???
thanks
Hi its probably a good idea to run a backup program. If you're using
Leopard, Time Machine is adequate for your purposes. I run 5 actually
to be ultra safe (Time Machine, Retrospect, Databackup Pro, Superduper
(Clone) and Crashplan (offsite). I can discuss these if you're
interested.
In terms of backing up the Entourage Calendar, I think this is a good
idea before you try anything as Missing sync uses sync services and
Entourage is a bit flaky around sync services.
1. Go to user/documents/microsoft user data/office 2008 identities
(this is where the 2008 identities are kept) and open this folder. You
will see main identity. Right click on this and choose the >compress<
command. This will copy the file as a compressed zip version. If you
need to restore this calendar, delete the current main identity and
double click your compressed zip file. It will uncompress the main
identity. Make sure you have quit Entourage before doing this. When
you start Entourage it might display the old identity. Use, under the
Entourage menu >switch identities< command to switch from one identity
to another and back to the main identity and you will see your
original backed up version.
NOTE: you can also retrieve a backed up main identity from any of the
backup programs I listed above but they may not be the exact version
in time just before you start your blackberry sync but you can always
make it so.
2. I use this for archiving only but it provides a backup of any or
all modules. In Entourage choose >File - Export< and then in the
dialogue choose as an Entourage archive and export the modules you
want, in your case only ticking Calendar. Don't choose the command
delete after archive. This will produce an rge file of your items. I'd
store this on the desktop for now. I don't like this approach for
backup though as the information looses all its richness, such as
links and categories. I use this to remove out of date items to my
archive identity and delete these items from my main identity. If you
were to bring them back into your main identity you would delete all
your Calendar items then choose File import (need to first delete all
your existing calendar items otherwise the import of the rge file will
create a duplicate of each entry). I'd really suggest using 1 above
for backup or a Time Machine backup etc.
3. I would always do this before you do anything with Entourage sync
and Missing sync. Open iCal and choose >File - Back up iCal and save
it to the desktop. A sync that messes up in Entourage will mess up
here also as it uses sync services. Before you go to then restore the
Entourage backup and the iCal backup MAKE SURE YOU TURN OFF SYNC in
ENTOURAGE SYNC services otherwise you'll have a mess. Once you've
restored iCal and Entourage turn on Entourage sync with combine
method. Before I do this though, I always erase the Entourage calendar
in iCal and let Entourage rebuild it as this avoids dups especially in
all day events.
In terms of your Blackberry and Missing sync I find the people at
Markspace pretty helpful. I use a Palm but all devices now are using
sync services so we all pretty well have the same issues. I had to do
a lot of mucking around before I found a method that ensures a
reliable Calendar sync from/to Entourage with sync services and my
Palm (see my recent posts).
