2008 Microsoft Database Utility - Issues

[aRKay]

I am having major issues with the 2000 Microsoft Database Utility v12.0
and would like to know if others are having problems.

I am trying to change from Office 2004 to Office 2008 and had no problem
installing or converting my Entourage 2004 Mail over to Entourage 2008.
The mail seemed to work find. The ONLY problem I encounter was with the
new Microsoft Database Utility. It would Verify okay but when I tied to
compact my primary identity, it would HANG and quit responding after
about getting 90% complete. The Rebuilt would run to about 80% of pass
4 of 5 then encounter and error and just quit.

I do not think there is anything wrong with my 2004 identity as I just
ran the old 2004 Database Utility and it passed both Compact and
Rebuilt.

I even tied deleting all messages in 2008 identity and the Microsoft
Database Utility would hang just quit.

Help..... anyone been able to Compact or Rebuilt a transfered identity
using the 2008 Microsoft Data base Utility? The reason for asking is to
assess if there is bug or glitch in the new utility or is there
something wrong with my database.

 

[aRKay]

I am having major issues with the 2000 Microsoft Database Utility v12.0
and would like to know if others are having problems.

I am trying to change from Office 2004 to Office 2008 and had no problem
installing or converting my Entourage 2004 Mail over to Entourage 2008.
The mail seemed to work find. The ONLY problem I encounter was with the
new Microsoft Database Utility. It would Verify okay but when I tied to
compact my primary identity, it would HANG and quit responding after
about getting 90% complete. The Rebuilt would run to about 80% of pass
4 of 5 then encounter and error and just quit.

I do not think there is anything wrong with my 2004 identity as I just
ran the old 2004 Database Utility and it passed both Compact and
Rebuilt.

I even tied deleting all messages in 2008 identity and the Microsoft
Database Utility would hang just quit.

Help..... anyone been able to Compact or Rebuilt a transfered identity
using the 2008 Microsoft Data base Utility? The reason for asking is to
assess if there is bug or glitch in the new utility or is there
something wrong with my database.

I just did another test. I deleted the whole identity from Ent 2008 and
opened the application. It could not find anything so it ask me if I
wanted to import my Ent 2004 and I said yes. Earlier this morning I had
the 2004 Database Utility rebuild the identity and it worked perfect.
The database was compressed and ran fine under 2004. After 2008 did its
thing, i started Entourage 2008 (v12) with eh option key depressed
forcing the 2008 Microsoft Database Utility to load. I selected the
Rebuilt option and about 3/4 way it detected an error and quit.

Again, has anyone been able to rebuild anything with the new 2008
Microsoft Database Utility?

I really do not think there is anything wrong with my primary identity
and I now suspect a defect in the utility.

 

[Diane Ross]

I just did another test. I deleted the whole identity from Ent 2008 and
opened the application. It could not find anything so it ask me if I
wanted to import my Ent 2004 and I said yes. Earlier this morning I had
the 2004 Database Utility rebuild the identity and it worked perfect.
The database was compressed and ran fine under 2004. After 2008 did its
thing, i started Entourage 2008 (v12) with eh option key depressed
forcing the 2008 Microsoft Database Utility to load. I selected the
Rebuilt option and about 3/4 way it detected an error and quit.

Again, has anyone been able to rebuild anything with the new 2008
Microsoft Database Utility?

I really do not think there is anything wrong with my primary identity
and I now suspect a defect in the utility.

The Microsoft Database Utility works. There are many reasons it could be
failing on your computer.

To test the database utility. Create a new Identity in Entourage. Drag in a
few messages or MBOX files for the test. Now run the rebuild on this new
Identity. Does it work? If not, move this test Identity to Shared so you can
test it in a new User. Does it work? If yes in the new User but not the old
User, then...

Delete these files (Preferences can be found in your User's
Library/Preferences folder)

com.microsoft.DatabaseDaemon.plist
Microsoft folder

 

[aRKay]

The Microsoft Database Utility works. There are many reasons it could be
failing on your computer.

To test the database utility. Create a new Identity in Entourage. Drag in a
few messages or MBOX files for the test. Now run the rebuild on this new
Identity. Does it work? If not, move this test Identity to Shared so you can
test it in a new User. Does it work? If yes in the new User but not the old
User, then...

Delete these files (Preferences can be found in your User's
Library/Preferences folder)

com.microsoft.DatabaseDaemon.plist
Microsoft folder

Thanks..... I plan on testing like you said this evening. I had a set
back yesterday in the having two Office installed exceeded the partition
I had allocated to the backup drive for SD that is shared with TM. I
had to erase the drive and start over.... what a pain

 

[Diane Ross]

I do have two problem I could use some help with:

1. In the New identity the empty inbox and sent mail folders remain and
the right-click delete option is grayed out and I cannot delete these
guys. The two imported files are called inbox-mbox etch and they can be
deleted. Since this is my primary identity, I would like to make the
imported files the inbox and sent mail folders; however, I cannot delete
the defaults.

That's correct. You can't delete the default folders. You can move your mail
from the imported folders into the correct folders.

2. I only have one account in the new identity. Is there anyway to
import my other accouts without having to manually type them?

Sorry, this is not possible. Paul Berkowitz's scripts can do this, but just
for accounts it's probably not worth it. I would take screen shots of your
accounts and use them for creating new accounts.

I though about opening Ent 2004 as a cheat sheet but understand bad
things will happen if have Eng 04 and 08 open a the same time.

Correct. One at a time. Be sure to quit notifications and check Login Items
for duplicate daemons.

It is slow going but I am getting there

At least we're going in the right direction.

 

[aRKay]

That's correct. You can't delete the default folders. You can move your mail
from the imported folders into the correct folders.

Sorry, this is not possible. Paul Berkowitz's scripts can do this, but just
for accounts it's probably not worth it. I would take screen shots of your
accounts and use them for creating new accounts.

Correct. One at a time. Be sure to quit notifications and check Login Items
for duplicate daemons.

At least we're going in the right direction.

No so fast..... tried to import my addresses and the database utility
came up with an error. I am back to zero again. May have to trash the
new identity and start over. This is getting too hard

 

[Diane Ross]

No so fast..... tried to import my addresses and the database utility
came up with an error. I am back to zero again. May have to trash the
new identity and start over. This is getting too hard

You might need to look at your system install. Are you in Leopard or Tiger?
If Leopard had did you install?

There are 3 types of installs:

1. Upgrade Mac OS X (the default upgrade method)*
2. Archive and Install
3. Erase and Install

* Just because it's the default doesn't mean it's the best option.

This page describes what each method does:

Options to Install Leopard
<http://www.entourage.mvps.org/faq_topic/leo_options.html>

 

[aRKay]

You might need to look at your system install. Are you in Leopard or Tiger?
If Leopard had did you install?

Not a system issue and I am running 10.5.2 on a iMac

Thanks to your help I now have Entourage 12.0 running under a new
identity. The only problem is I had to start with a clean inbox as I
cannot import to the default inbox. I did manage to bring in my old
mail as an mbox.

There has to be some way to get the mail into the normal inbox.

I think it is getting semi-usable now

 

[aRKay]

No so fast..... tried to import my addresses and the database utility
came up with an error. I am back to zero again. May have to trash the
new identity and start over. This is getting too hard

The above was an error..... the failure happened when I tried to
rebuild my old archived mail. It works I just can't get it to compress.

 

[Diane Ross]

Thanks to your help I now have Entourage 12.0 running under a new
identity. The only problem is I had to start with a clean inbox as I
cannot import to the default inbox. I did manage to bring in my old
mail as an mbox.

There has to be some way to get the mail into the normal inbox.

Can you be more explicit. I'm not sure I understand by normal Inbox. Any
mail imported via an MBOX file can be moved to any folder.

If you need to send me a screen shot off list of your Entourage folder list,
it might help me understand. Send to diane at entourage dot entourage dot
mvps dot org

 

[aRKay]

Can you be more explicit. I'm not sure I understand by normal Inbox. Any
mail imported via an MBOX file can be moved to any folder.

If you need to send me a screen shot off list of your Entourage folder list,
it might help me understand. Send to diane at entourage dot entourage dot
mvps dot org

Diane,

I cannot send mail right now as I have the 2004 Database Utility
rebuilding my old primary identity and don't dare fire off Ent 2008
while messing with 2004.

The issue regarding imported mail is this. When I created a new
identity, it created new (empty) inbox and sent mail folders. When I
imported my old mail from mbox file on he desktop, they showed up as new
mbox folders in Entourage 2008. The mail is there and can be used. I
wanted to make these the primary inbox and sent mail but I could not
delete the new folders created with the new identity. In Entourage 2008,
you can delete imported folders; however, it will not let you delete the
primary Inbox and Sent Mail folders.

I am not trying to clean up (rebuild) my primary identity under 2004
then have 2008 create a new identity using the 2004 identity. If I am
very lucky, the 2008 Microsoft Database Utility will then work on the
new identity without the errors that started this whole topic.

Thanks for hanging in with me on this.

aRKay

 

[Diane Ross]

On 2/20/08 8:27 AM, in article
(e-mail address removed), "aRKay"

I'm combining your last two messages here....hopefully for clarity.

The issue regarding imported mail is this. When I created a new
identity, it created new (empty) inbox and sent mail folders. When I
imported my old mail from mbox file on he desktop, they showed up as new
mbox folders in Entourage 2008. The mail is there and can be used. I
wanted to make these the primary inbox and sent mail but I could not
delete the new folders created with the new identity. In Entourage 2008,
you can delete imported folders; however, it will not let you delete the
primary Inbox and Sent Mail folders.

You are making a problem when there is none. You can move the imported Inbox
and Sent mail to the default folders. So what's the problem with doing this?

The good news is the 2004 rebuilt database that was imported t 2008 runs
fine but CRASHES big time when I try to rebuild it with the 2008
Microsoft Database Utility.

Are you sure you got over all of your mail?

I suspect there is a problem with the
database as the 2004 database is 5.71 GB and when imported to 2008 it
shows up as 5.81 GB.

The same messages in the newly created 2008
database is only 805 MB. I extracted the message by pulling them to the
desktop as an mbox file and then imported them to Ent 2008.

If you export as Entourage archive your 2004 data, you will see it''
S noting close to 5+ GB. It will be approx. the 805 MB.

Are you saying the MBOX files imported database is 805 MB? If yes, then you
need to understand the function of deleting items from the database.

Just think of the way the Finder handles files that are trashed. They are
still there until they are overwritten. That's why we zero out data when we
want to sell our computers so it's secure.

Database Basics:
The database will be left with 'wasted' space in it every time you delete
something. However, this is not all bad, since the wasted space is used up
with new data as it is added. This way, over a period of time (assuming that
you are deleting stuff as you go) the database will probably reach an
optimum size, after which the stuff you delete is roughly equal to the stuff
you add, and no further growth takes place.

If you need to recover the wasted space on your hard disk, you will have to
do a 'typical' rebuild to compact the database. This will create a compacted
version of the database without the wasted space. You will then have to
manually delete the backup copies of the original database that the rebuild
process creates AFTER you are happy the new one is OK.''

I may have to just live with the weird folders in the newly created 2008
database. My imported mail is located in the Inbox-mbox folder and any
new mail is in the default Inbox. Too bad Entourage will not allow you
to import mail to the Inbox or Sent Items folders. When you right-click
on a Entourage 2008 Inbox-mbox folder you have the option to delete the
folder. You do hot have this option for the Inbox or Sent Items folders.

You can move the messages to the Inbox and you can drag the folder as a
subfolder of the Inbox.

I wish there was a utility that would let me repair the 2004 database
such that it could be managed by the 2008 Microsoft Database Utility. I
must have something in the database that caused the utility to fail.

Make a duplicate of the Identity with your imported MBOX files. Name it
Test. Now try the rebuild on Test. Does it fail?

 

[aRKay]

On 2/20/08 8:27 AM, in article
(e-mail address removed), "aRKay"

I'm combining your last two messages here....hopefully for clarity.


You are making a problem when there is none. You can move the imported Inbox
and Sent mail to the default folders. So what's the problem with doing this?


Are you sure you got over all of your mail?



If you export as Entourage archive your 2004 data, you will see it''
S noting close to 5+ GB. It will be approx. the 805 MB.

Are you saying the MBOX files imported database is 805 MB? If yes, then you
need to understand the function of deleting items from the database.

Just think of the way the Finder handles files that are trashed. They are
still there until they are overwritten. That's why we zero out data when we
want to sell our computers so it's secure.

Database Basics:
The database will be left with 'wasted' space in it every time you delete
something. However, this is not all bad, since the wasted space is used up
with new data as it is added. This way, over a period of time (assuming that
you are deleting stuff as you go) the database will probably reach an
optimum size, after which the stuff you delete is roughly equal to the stuff
you add, and no further growth takes place.

If you need to recover the wasted space on your hard disk, you will have to
do a 'typical' rebuild to compact the database. This will create a compacted
version of the database without the wasted space. You will then have to
manually delete the backup copies of the original database that the rebuild
process creates AFTER you are happy the new one is OK.''

You can move the messages to the Inbox and you can drag the folder as a
subfolder of the Inbox.

Make a duplicate of the Identity with your imported MBOX files. Name it
Test. Now try the rebuild on Test. Does it fail?

Diane,

I would be in good shape if Entourage 12 (2008) had a 'Move' box like
Ent 2004. I could select all in my Inbox-mbox and Move them to the real
Inbox and then delete the Inbox-mbox. i looked and looked and I think
this very useful feature in the 2004 version of Entourage has been
deleted in the 2008 version. Maybe it's there and I just can't find it.
Do you know where the Move function is in 2008?

I am perfectly happy with the new identity if I could get the Inbox-mbox
imported into the Inbox

FYI, the account "Duplicate" option you mentioned, that we had in 2004,
seems to have been removed. Like the Move the Duplicate may be hisotry
too.

Hopefully, you or someone, can tell me how to move messages from one
folder to another. That was a very useful feature in 2004.

 

[Diane Ross]

I would be in good shape if Entourage 12 (2008) had a 'Move' box like
Ent 2004. I could select all in my Inbox-mbox and Move them to the real
Inbox and then delete the Inbox-mbox. i looked and looked and I think
this very useful feature in the 2004 version of Entourage has been
deleted in the 2008 version. Maybe it's there and I just can't find it.
Do you know where the Move function is in 2008?

Select Customize Toolbar in the Mail view window under View in the Menu bar.
Drag the Move to icon to the toolbar. You can also drag the messages. I
usually find using move to easier with large numbers as it's easier not to
make a mistake.

I am perfectly happy with the new identity if I could get the Inbox-mbox
imported into the Inbox

FYI, the account "Duplicate" option you mentioned, that we had in 2004,
seems to have been removed. Like the Move the Duplicate may be hisotry
too.

Duplicate is command-D. If you option drag you will see the plus (+)
sign showing it's being copied. In the newsgroup window in Entourage you
will have Copy to rather than Move to. You are copying messages from the
news server to your "Folders on My Computer".

 

[aRKay]

Select Customize Toolbar in the Mail view window under View in the Menu bar.
Drag the Move to icon to the toolbar. You can also drag the messages. I
usually find using move to easier with large numbers as it's easier not to
make a mistake.

Duplicate is command-D. If you option drag you will see the plus (+)
sign showing it's being copied. In the newsgroup window in Entourage you
will have Copy to rather than Move to. You are copying messages from the
news server to your "Folders on My Computer".

Diane,

I got all excited about finding the Move to button and being able to put
ii on the Menu bar. I activated the button but it does not function the
same a I recall in Ent 2004. In 2008 it has nothing to do with moving a
message or messages from one folder to another. The Command-D trick
does not work on duplicating identities or Accounts in mail.

While neither of the above worked I have managed to get the Inbox-mbox
and Sent Items-mbox mail integrated into the real Inbox and Sent Items
folders. It lives!!

All I did was open the Inbox-mbox folder and used the Select All command
and dragged all to the Inbox icon in the left panel. When I was sure all
the messages were there, I did a right-click on the Inbox-mbox and
selected the Delete folder option.

I now plan to rebuild the newly created identity database and it will
become my primary identity.

I am good to go and I do appreciate your help. I have learned more than
I wanted to know about Entourage 12.

aRKay

 

[Diane Ross]

I got all excited about finding the Move to button and being able to put
ii on the Menu bar. I activated the button but it does not function the
same a I recall in Ent 2004. In 2008 it has nothing to do with moving a
message or messages from one folder to another.

What have you been smoking aRKay?

Move to button does just that ....moves messages from one folder to another.

The Command-D trick
does not work on duplicating identities or Accounts in mail.

You have to do that in the Finder. You can do some duplicate actions in
Entourage, but if it can't be done, the action under Edit is grayed out.

 

[aRKay]

Select Customize Toolbar in the Mail view window under View in the Menu bar.
Drag the Move to icon to the toolbar. You can also drag the messages. I
usually find using move to easier with large numbers as it's easier not to
make a mistake.

Duplicate is command-D. If you option drag you will see the plus (+)
sign showing it's being copied. In the newsgroup window in Entourage you
will have Copy to rather than Move to. You are copying messages from the
news server to your "Folders on My Computer".

Diane,

I got all excited about finding the Move to button and being able to put
ii on the Menu bar. I activated the button but it does not function the
same a I recall in Ent 2004. In 2008 it has nothing to do with moving a
message or messages from one folder to another. The Command-D trick
does not work on duplicating identities or Accounts in mail.

While neither of the above worked I have managed to get the Inbox-mbox
and Sent Items-mbox mail integrated into the real Inbox and Sent Items
folders. It lives!!

All I did was open the Inbox-mbox folder and used the Select All command
and dragged all to the Inbox icon in the left panel. When I was sure all
the messages were there, I did a right-click on the Inbox-mbox and
selected the Delete folder option.

I now plan to rebuild the newly created identity database and it will
become my primary identity.

I am good to go and I do appreciate your help. I have learned more than
I wanted to know about Entourage 12.

aRKay

Footnote: The rebuild of the new identity worked perfect and everything
is working great..... end of the long shaggy dog story.

Thanks again to Diane for all the help!

 

[Diane Ross]

Footnote: The rebuild of the new identity worked perfect and everything
is working great..... end of the long shaggy dog story.

Glad it's working and hopefully it will help someone else that is having
problems. Entourage 2008 is much like Leopard...it's best to start with
fresh installs rather than importing.

Thanks again to Diane for all the help!

You are welcome.