Database Rebuild Quits

[CALF]

Version: 2004
Operating System: Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard)
Processor: Intel
Email Client: pop

A dialog box comes up requiring database verification, without which I cannot use Entourage. Running it results in a message that there are problems and I should rebuild the database. However, rebuilding will never finish. I tried it 4 times; it gets to step 3 and then "unexpectedly quits." In the meantime, I cannot get into Entourage because the database cannot be found. What am I to do?

I should have two backups of Microsoft User Data, one of them Time Machine, which I have never used before so I'm not sure how far to go back. The other ran after the problem started, so it is no doubt unusable. Please help.

 

[Barry Wainwright]

Version: 2004
Operating System: Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard)
Processor: Intel
Email Client: pop

A dialog box comes up requiring database verification, without which I cannot use Entourage. Running it results in a message that there are problems and I should rebuild the database. However, rebuilding will never finish. I tried it 4 times; it gets to step 3 and then "unexpectedly quits." In the meantime, I cannot get into Entourage because the database cannot be found. What am I to do?

I should have two backups of Microsoft User Data, one of them Time Machine, which I have never used before so I'm not sure how far to go back. The other ran after the problem started, so it is no doubt unusable. Please help.

First, make sure your copy of Entourage is fully updated - updates often
improve the database rebuild process.

then, if the database utility is still crashing out you have to accept
that that database is unrecoverable. Restore a Time Machine backup of
your identity folder and try to rebuild it. Keep going back as far as
you need to. The Apple help files have good info on uing time machine.

 

[CALF]

First, make sure your copy of Entourage is fully updated - updates often
improve the database rebuild process.

then, if the database utility is still crashing out you have to accept
that that database is unrecoverable. Restore a Time Machine backup of
your identity folder and try to rebuild it. Keep going back as far as
you need to. The Apple help files have good info on uing time machine.

Thank you. First, Entourage is up-to-date with the latest update that I was notified about. If you could give me the version number, I could check to make absolutely sure. Second, I have tried 3 Time Machine backups so far, going back to before I started getting this utility message to verify the database integrity. None have worked. I have recovered the "database" twice and the whole identity folder once.

When Time Machine says Identity 1 (original), is that the one I need to click on to open up Entourage or the one with no designation. I have assumed "original" is the one corrupted and focused on the others. I have tried clicking open the Database itself and also clicking on the dock icon. Neither works. I just get the message to verify the database again.

Can you give me some specific advice for Entourage in this recovery process?

Thanks again,
Hazel

 

[CALF]

The version of Entourage is 11.4. I am getting a message that there is a problem loading Microsoft Frameworks. Yesterday, before this database problem happened, I was on a tech support call with hp, and I was instructed to delete a folder with Frameworks in the title. I thought it was HP Frameworks, but this is too much of a coincidence to ignore. Could I accidentally have deleted something relative to Entourage? And if so, how do I get it back?

 

[Diane Ross]

The version of Entourage is 11.4. I am getting a message that there is a
problem loading Microsoft Frameworks.

A framework error normally means one or more components of Office have not
been updated correctly and are now out of synch with other bits. See fix:

<http://www.entourage.mvps.org/error/framework.html>

It's possible this cause the database rebuild error. Let's get you installed
properly, then see if you need to rebuild.

FYI....

When Entourage 2004 rebuilds your database it will create a backup.For
example:

Entourage 2004: Main [Backed up date and time will be shown] e.g. Main
[Backed up 1-21-2007 13.35]

I would go back to the original rebuild backup. Use this Identity to see if
the database error still occurs. Your rebuild attempts with damaged or
missing files could have resulted in a corrupted database and subsequent
attempts could have just further aggravated the situation.

Tip: I always advise that you duplicate your Identity in the Finder before
doing a rebuild. Sometimes the rebuild goes bad and the duplicate copy
Entourage makes will get corrupted leaving you with nothing to fall back on.

Time Machine backups are also not reliable because they are made while
Entourage is open. See these tutorials for alternatives.

Entourage and Time-Machine-like backup (creates chronological backup of
Identity can be used by both Tiger and Leopard allowing you to roll back to
previous dated backups.

<http://blog.entourage.mvps.org/2008/01/entourage_and_time_machine.html>

Alternative method to use Entourage and Time Machine (does a once a day or
whatever time period you select) This quits Entourage and the Microsoft
Database daemon allowing for once a day backup into Time Machine. Leopard
only.

<http://blog.entourage.mvps.org/2008/01/alternative_method_to_use_entourage_
and_time_machine.html>