Entourage database too large

[CALF]

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

Entourage crashes and can't be rebuilt, I suspect because my database is too large. I have been able to recover it with Time Machine a few times and have tried to streamline it, but eventually it crashes again. Maybe this time for good, maybe not. Nevertheless, my question is: If I can get it back one more time, what can I do to solve the problem? How can I save what I need to have access to in the future and still use this program? Or do I have to start using Apple Mail instead and just kiss all my data in Entourage goodbye? For example, is there a way to archive some of the data to still have it accessible but not take up as much room? And BTW, 2 GB is a very small database for someone whose job depends on email! If I bought Entourage 2008, could I transfer my database over to it and would its utility get the kinks out? I would hope that a newer version would have a bigger database allowance. Please help; this is very important issue for my job.

 

[Corentin Cras-Méneur]

Entourage crashes and can't be rebuilt,

That doesn't sound good... What happens when you try??

If I bought Entourage 2008, could I transfer my
database over to it and would its utility get the kinks out? I would
hope that a newer version would have a bigger database allowance. Please
help; this is very important issue for my job.

Well you should be able to bring it over to 2008, but if it's badly
corrupted, it might fail just the same,

Corentin

 

[CALF]

I have gone back to August 25th in Time Machine, and I still cannot open the database or rebuild it. Should I keep trying to go farther back or give it up? Is there anything else to try to save this?

 

[Corentin Cras-Méneur]

I have gone back to August 25th in Time Machine, and I still cannot open
the database or rebuild it. Should I keep trying to go farther back or
give it up? Is there anything else to try to save this?

Try to go back further.
Time Machine is not great on Entourage databases though. First, they
pack up your archives since it's a monolithic and huge file, then if
the application is open when the file is beeing backed-up, you might end
up with a corrupted backup.
I usually exclude it from TM and use other applications to create
backups on a different schedule (and when I am sure Entourage is not
running).

Corentin

 

[CALF]

Well, then, do you think I should try my other backup that I do on another external drive with SuperDuper? I pretty much always have Entourage open, however, so I am not likely to have any backup without it shut down.

If I continue to use Entourage (and how would I do that, BTW), I guess I will shut it down before the time when SuperDuper comes on.

How much capacity does Entourage 2008 have?

 

[Diane Ross]

I have gone back to August 25th in Time Machine, and I still cannot open the
database or rebuild it. Should I keep trying to go farther back or give it up?
Is there anything else to try to save this?

Sometimes you can rebuild on a very large drive. See this article for
details.

Rebuilding a damaged database that exceeded size limit

<http://blog.entourage.mvps.org/2007/09/rebuilding_a_damaged_database_that_e
xceeded_size_limit.html>

In case the above link does not work:

<http://tinyurl.com/4s6qv3>

I have used this to recover databases for Entourage users. I usually have to
start the rebuild at night since it eats CPU and literally brings my
computer to a stall.

How much capacity does Entourage 2008 have?

Size Limits of Database <http://www.entourage.mvps.org/database/size.html>

Let me know if I can help further.

 

[CALF]

Unfortunately, my new iMac has a 1TB HD, but my old G4 has only 80GB. And it is probably near 50 GB full. Are you saying that the only way I can fix this is to buy a 500 GB HD and even that might not work?

Since I've written, I went back to an August 2nd Time Machine backup. The database opened, and I started trashing my Sent Mail folder immediately. I thought it was working, but as it turned out, I had many hidden error messages saying that the database was corrupted and would not allow me to do what I was doing. My database, BTW, is about 8.5 GB. I have 2004, and the piece you sent me on that said there was no limit except in terms of items--which I can't be sure is over or under 1 million.

I do have Entourage on my G4, and I haven't used email on that computer since I bought the iMac in April. I just downloaded all of my email from then until today (took quite awhile! I have the two computers connected via ethernet and I am wondering if there is anything I can do with that. Unfortunately, since changing computers I streamlined (if you can believe) Entourage a lot, so for example, the Inbox on the G4 now reads 7,300 whereas the Inbox on the iMac is down to 2,000. I have been continually working on reducing it, hoping one day to not have any emails in the Inbox but for the current day. Obviously, I was not quick enough. My SuperDuper backup from last night would not open either.

So, given all that information, is there a solution at all? For example, if the database will work on the G4, perhaps I can spend 1,000 trimming it down and then somehow replace the iMac's database with that one. I am afraid to delete the sent items folder all at once because when I tried it earlier, it froze. It has 34,000 emails. Stripping the attachments would be way too time consuming--unless there is a tool to do it all at once. I think my options are limited to the very time consuming or the very expensive!

Can I somehow save my Contacts and my Task Reminders? I cannot believe I have let myself become so dependent on a computer and have nothing printed out. I didn't think there was a way to print those out, however.

Another question is whether I can get all these things into Apple's Mail program and somehow save them that way. I am just grasping at straws.

Even if I had a 500 GB drive, I don't know how to follow the instructions on the rebuild process you sent. That is, how do I copy the database? And wouldn't the bad identity already be in that MUD folder? Why is the 2nd step to place it into the folder?

I am sorry to go on so long, but I am truly desperate. How could this situation have been avoided? Other than by not saving the emails I need to save?

 

[CALF]

I may have replied in the wrong way. Do you see my post beginning with the size of my G4?

 

[Diane Ross]

Unfortunately, my new iMac has a 1TB HD, but my old G4 has only 80GB. And it
is probably near 50 GB full. Are you saying that the only way I can fix this
is to buy a 500 GB HD and even that might not work?

This is probably why you are unable to rebuild. During the rebuild process,
Entourage makes a duplicate. You are running our of free space that's
needed.

If you have Office 2004 installed on the 1T drive, just drag the Microsoft
User Data folder over (or just the Identity...rename so it doesn't
overwrite). If this doesn't rebuild, then space isn't the problem.

You need to try deleting a few items at a time, BUT before you do, see what
you can get rid of on the G4. You have enough room on the new iMac to move
almost everything over to free up space.

Can I somehow save my Contacts and my Task Reminders? I cannot believe I have
let myself become so dependent on a computer and have nothing printed out. I
didn't think there was a way to print those out, however.

Under File --> Export, export two ways. I like extras.
1) export as tab delimited, then
2) export as Entourage archive (.rge) file.

Another question is whether I can get all these things into Apple's Mail
program and somehow save them that way. I am just grasping at straws.

As long as you can open a database, it can be saved.

Even if I had a 500 GB drive, I don't know how to follow the instructions on
the rebuild process you sent. That is, how do I copy the database? And
wouldn't the bad identity already be in that MUD folder? Why is the 2nd step
to place it into the folder?

This is starting to get confusing.

Contact me off list and we can set up a time to work on this so there is no
time lag between my suggestions and you trying them out.

Send me an email:

<http://www.entourage.mvps.org/support_options/email.html>

Or send an email to:

dianeross at mvps dot org <-- fix before replying.

Prefix your subject with: newsgroup response

What time zone are you in? I'm Pacific.