"Could not change to that identity"

[geuis]

Version: 2008
Operating System: Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard)
Processor: Intel
Email Client: Exchange

An unknown error (-5000) occurred.

I was having a minor problem with Entourage not remembering my password and after IT was done with my system, Entourage is just completely hosed now.

When I launch Entourage, I get the error "Could not change to that identity. An unknown error (-5000) occurred." If I create a new identity and try to switch to it, I also get the same problem.

I have been unable to find a fix for this.

Suspecting it might be a permissions problem, I ran the permissions repair in Disk Utility. It didn't.

I ran the fix on this page, <http://macosx.com/tech-support/mac/office-2008-error-with-database/335965.html> but it didn't fix it.

/usr/bin/sudo /usr/sbin/chown -h -R root:admin "/Applications/Microsoft Office 2008" "/Library/Automator" "/Library/Fonts/Microsoft" "/Library/Application Support/Microsoft"

Unfortunately I have no idea what they did (I wasn't around when they were working on it) and I have no trust in letting them back into my system.

I'm wondering if anyone else has encountered the problem and might be able to give me some tips.

 

[Diane Ross]

An unknown error (-5000) occurred.

The info we have on this error involves the permissions on the Temporary
folder. <http://www.entourage.mvps.org/error/number.html#error-5000>

I bet your permissions are hosed and running Repair Permissions didn't fix
everything.

Resetting home folder permissions - MacFixIt

<http://tinyurl.com/mzzse7>

Remove ACLs on Home Folders and restore them using the Leopard DVD Disk
Utility's Permissions Repair will not change files within the user's home
folder, so if a user has propagated incorrect permissions in this folder the
first step will be to remove access control lists (ACLs), and then set them
back up using the password utility on the Leopard DVD. Some users have tried
this without first removing ACLs, and have run into problems. To remove
ACLs, open the "Terminal" application (located in the "Utilities" folder)
and enter the following command:

sudo chmod -RN ~

Then users should run the following command to ensure the files in the home
folder have them as the owner by running this command:

sudo chown -R `id -un` ~

NOTE: these commands should be run when users are logged into the affected
account.

After supplying a password and allowing these commands to run, users should
boot off the Leopard DVD, and after selecting a language, choose "Reset
Password" and select the boot drive. Then select the user account that's
affected and click the "Reset" button in the "Reset Home Directory
Permissions and ACLs" section. After this has run, quit the installer and
restart the system.

Let me know if this helps.