Frantic: How do I restore many contacts infoto my current Entourage Identity database?

[rjsphd]

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

I have 2000+ contacts in my Entourage d/b. In a sync with my blackberry, about 1800 were deleted. (thank you pocketmac). Luckily I have several older versions of the Identity database.

1)how do I make the Entourage software open the older database version 2) how do I copy the desired contacts into the current Identity database, ie restore the deleted contacts.

Funny enough, my calendar, tasks, and email are all ok--I do not want to replace them. its just the contacts.

Thanks in advance!!!

Rob

 

[Diane Ross]

Luckily I have several older versions of the Identity database.

1)how do I make the Entourage software open the older database version 2) how
do I copy the desired contacts into the current Identity database, ie restore
the deleted contacts.

Rename the older version so you don't overwrite your default Main Identity
and add it to your Identity folder inside the Microsoft User Data folder. If
it's just he database file, then you might need to create a new Identity
folder. Entourage wouldn't recognize a database file unless it's in an
Identity folder.

~/Documents/Microsoft User Data/Office 2008 Identities/your identity

Under Entourage in the Menu bar, select Switch Identities. Select the old
Identity.

Export as Entourage archive (.rge) file.

Switch back to your Main Identity and import the file.

You can use one of the remove duplicates scripts to clean up.

<http://www.entourage.mvps.org/faq_topic/duplicates.html>

As you have found out, sync has issues. Always backup your data before
syncing the first time and afterwards, I would be sure to backup daily so
you have a current backup.

In Entourage 2008, you could create an Automator workflow that would do this
for you automatically. You can automate this with iCal.

--
Diane
Entourage Help Page <http://www.entourage.mvps.org/>
Entourage Help Blog <http://blog.entourage.mvps.org/>
YouTalk <http://tinyurl.com/bzcrjy> <-- Entourage mailing list
Twitter: follow <http://twitter.com/entouragehelp>

 

[estadum]

Diane,
I have a similar but not identical identity file issue. I have been using Entourage in Office for Mac 2004 on a MacBookPro. My Main Identity file (called Hauptidentitaet in my German language version) is large (4.87 GB) and important to me. I have now installed Office for Mac 2008. Entourage of course creates a new Main Identity file, which of course is empty. I have moved my old 2004 Hauptidentitaet file to the Office 2008 Identity folder. In Entourage I deactivate Office Reminders, open Change Identity and select my Hauptidentitaet identity. The file starts to activate but in due course stops and gives me the message, roughly translated, "Access to the file is not possible. Recreating the databank will probably solve the problem." Fine. So I go to the Microsoft Databank Utility in Office 2008 and open it but it does not see the Hauptidentitaet folder, only the Main Identity folder. So I am unable to reconstruct the Hauptidentitaet folder. I have tried renaming the folder Main Identity and moving the other Main Identity folder to a different location but that does not work. How can I reactivate my all important Hauptidentitaet folder, and its databank file? Thanks in advance for your help.

 

[Diane Ross]

I have a similar but not identical identity file issue. I have been using
Entourage in Office for Mac 2004 on a MacBookPro. My Main Identity file
(called Hauptidentitaet in my German language version) is large (4.87 GB) and
important to me. I have now installed Office for Mac 2008. Entourage of course
creates a new Main Identity file, which of course is empty. I have moved my
old 2004 Hauptidentitaet file to the Office 2008 Identity folder.

You should have selected to import the Identity. What you did is called a
forced update and it appears to have failed.

Note: Each version of Entourage will upgrade the database. In order to use
the older version of your database it has to be upgraded. In fact, there was
another upgrade to the database after Entourage 2008 was released. If you
ever reinstall and do not update Office, you'll get this error:

"This Identity Cannot Be Opened With This Version of Entourage"

Entourage 2004 also had a database upgrade from the original release. Once
you update, the Identity will open.

In Entourage
I deactivate Office Reminders, open Change Identity and select my
Hauptidentitaet identity. The file starts to activate but in due course stops
and gives me the message, roughly translated, "Access to the file is not
possible. Recreating the databank will probably solve the problem." Fine. So I
go to the Microsoft Databank Utility in Office 2008 and open it but it does
not see the Hauptidentitaet folder, only the Main Identity folder.

That's because it hasn't been upgraded to the 2008 format.

1) as long as you have 2004 installed and you can open your old identity,
your data can be exported as Entourage archive (.rge) files or as MBOX
files. However, you should give the import a try first.

2) if import fails, see this link:

<http://www.entourage.mvps.org/install/manual_install.html>

Let me know how the import works.

--
Diane
Entourage Help Page <http://www.entourage.mvps.org/>
Entourage Help Blog <http://blog.entourage.mvps.org/>
YouTalk <http://tinyurl.com/bzcrjy> <-- Entourage mailing list
Twitter: follow <http://twitter.com/entouragehelp>

 

[estadum]

Diane,
Thanks so much for your reply.

I reinstalled Office 2004 and found I cannot open Entourage 2004 at all now, so I tried opening it while holding down the Option key. That led me to the databank utility which then ran a check on the Hauptidentitaet file (remember this is a German language version of Office 2004). The check detected unnamed problems and suggested rebuilding the database. I tried twice to do this but it failed both times and referred to error number 36.

It appears that my Hauptidentitaet file, which contains 4.78 GB of my critical data, is corrupted and cannot be rebuilt in with the databank utility. What, if anything, can I do now?

Thanks in advance,

Ed

 

[Diane Ross]

I tried twice to do this but it failed both times and referred to error number
36.

Was that -36? Error -36 is a hardware error.

An I/O error almost always means disk damage (hard drive, optical drive,
CD). You probably have a bad disk. Try running Disk Utility / Repair Disk.

If this is the problem, then a new drive might allow you to rebuild.

It appears that my Hauptidentitaet file, which contains 4.78 GB of my critical
data, is corrupted and cannot be rebuilt in with the databank utility. What,
if anything, can I do now?

It sounds like your database was corrupted when Entourage 2008 tried to
rebuild. Was a copy made? Do you have any backups? How much hard drive space
did you have when you tried the rebuild?

The only suggestion I can offer and in your situation where I suspect there
is severe damage, is to try rebuilding on a large drive. You'll need at
least a 500GB drive with the OS installed and Office 2004 installed. It's
possible that it will rebuild under these circumstances. As a consultant
this works for me and for users that have tried it, their results have also
been successful. Read this article to understand:

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 understand your data is critical to you, BUT if you have not been making
backups, it certainly is time to start. I'm sure you are telling yourself
the same thing. Loosing data is awful.

--
Diane
Entourage Help Page <http://www.entourage.mvps.org/>
Entourage Help Blog <http://blog.entourage.mvps.org/>
YouTalk <http://tinyurl.com/bzcrjy> <-- Entourage mailing list
Twitter: follow <http://twitter.com/entouragehelp>

 

[estadum]

Diane,
Thank you again for your very expert response.

I do indeed back up my hard disk regularly. In fact I had done a backup just a few days before encountering my identity file problem. This led to the result that my backed up identity file is also corrupted.

Likewise, I had plenty of room on my laptop hard disk. My identity file is 4.78 GB and I had 18 GB available.

I have come to the conclusion that there is an inherent size limit to the identity file created when Entourage is installed. I do not know what that limit is, but it is less than 4.78 GB. When you exceed that inherent limit the Entourage databank file begins to degenerate.

Looking back, I had been having problems with Entourage for many months before encountering my present problem. It would freeze and require a force quit. It would stumble and take many minutes to open a message. Etc. I did not pay close attention, but just kept on working with it.

Now, when I have attempted to upgrade from Office 2004 to Office 2008 and at the same time from Tiger to Leopard I have encountered and been defeated by the corrupted state of my identity file. I no longer have access to my Entourage 2004 main identity databank. After extensive inquiries on this forum, in the Net at large and with local experts, I see no good solution in sight. I therefore am doing my best to work around the problem. Fortunately many of my messages are still on the server or can be found in Apple Mail, and most of my contacts are backed up in Apple Addressbook, which I do not otherwise use. It turns out these Apple applications serve a useful backup purpose.

The identity file size limit, which I think I have discovered, is a serious flaw in Entourage. I do a large volume of email correspondence in my venture capital business and have developed an elaborate folder structure within which I save, permanently, all my business correspondence, including attachments, which are many. Entourage has therefore become by default my principal source of stored data. I have more data in Entourage than in my document files.

If I am right and there is an inherent size limit to the main identity file, then that fact needs to be publicized. In addition, it would be helpful to know what the limit is so that one could monitor the growth of one's identity file and take action when it approached the limit.

Is there any way to find this out? And assuming there is a limit what should the user do when he/she sees the identity file approaching that limit?

Thank you in advance for your reply. You are one of the most knowledgeable Entourage experts I have discovered.

Ed

 

[Diane Ross]

Diane,
Thank you again for your very expert response.

I do indeed back up my hard disk regularly. In fact I had done a backup just a
few days before encountering my identity file problem. This led to the result
that my backed up identity file is also corrupted.

Often corruption lurks and only rears it's ugly head until it's severe. This
is the reason to keep snapshots of previous Identities.

Fact 1) You can open a corrupt database, but it might not rebuild.
Fact 2) If you can open an Identity, then you can manually move your data
out bypassing the rebuild.

Likewise, I had plenty of room on my laptop hard disk. My identity file is
4.78 GB and I had 18 GB available.

18 GB is not a lot. You need a minimum of 10% just to operate. To rebuild
you need much more. Did you read the article on rebuilding an Entourage X
Identity? We're talking around 450GB free.

I have come to the conclusion that there is an inherent size limit to the
identity file created when Entourage is installed. I do not know what that
limit is, but it is less than 4.78 GB. When you exceed that inherent limit the
Entourage databank file begins to degenerate.

There are many variable that can cause corruption. Size of hd and free
space, amount of RAM installed, attachments stored in the database,
fragmentation of hd....

Now, when I have attempted to upgrade from Office 2004 to Office 2008 and at
the same time from Tiger to Leopard I have encountered and been defeated by
the corrupted state of my identity file. I no longer have access to my
Entourage 2004 main identity databank.

It's very obvious that your data is important. I suggest you buy an external
drive and use software to clone your current setup to the drive. Then wipe
your current drive and install Leopard and all your software from scratch.
Now you know you have a good install that's not corrupted with past baggage.

You can move over the files in your Documents folder, but try to not bring
over your preferences. Most likely you'll just bring over baggage. It's been
a while since you did a fresh start so take the time now to create a good
environment on your computer. After all your data is important and think of
the time wasted on trying to fix your current problem.

If you are going to install Office 2004 on the new drive you must do it
before you install Office 2008. However, I would just use the copy to
rebuild and not install on the new install.

Once you get your drive back in working order you can then delete most of
the files on the external drive. You should leave the OS and Office 2004
only. This should leave you enough room to try the rebuild. After this you
can use the drive for backup.

The identity file size limit, which I think I have discovered, is a serious
flaw in Entourage.

The Entourage 2004 & 2008 database has no size limit, just a limit to the
number of items in the Entourage database: 2 million database items.

If I am right and there is an inherent size limit to the main identity file,
then that fact needs to be publicized.

Entourage X did have a size limit.
--
Diane
Entourage Help Page <http://www.entourage.mvps.org/>
Entourage Help Blog <http://blog.entourage.mvps.org/>
YouTalk <http://tinyurl.com/bzcrjy> <-- Entourage mailing list
Twitter: follow <http://twitter.com/entouragehelp>

 

[estadum]

Diane,
Thanks again for your reply. Taking it all into consideration I have decided to order a new 320GB MacBookPro. I am overdue and this nightmare has convinced me to move. I will not move Office 2004 or my sick Hauptidentitaet 2004 file to the new MBP. I will of course follow the guidelines for moving everything else which I found elsewhere in the Entourage Help section. This will give me a clean new environment but will not of course resurrect my broken 2004 identity file. My external hard disk is 300GB not 500GB as you recommend but I will try wiping it clean after my data has been moved to the new MBP and then attempt a rebuild, or is it just a waste of time to try it on a 300GB external disk?

Not having a 500GB external disk I went to the Genius Bar at the Apple Store in Munich, but they declined to use their 500GB disks due to data protection reasons.

Going forward I will want to avoid the headache of the corrupted identity file. Do you have a recommended procedure for keeping identity files down to a manageable size?

Thanks again,

Ed

 

[Diane Ross]

Thanks again for your reply. Taking it all into consideration I have decided
to order a new 320GB MacBookPro.

Congratulations!! I'm envious.

My external hard disk is 300GB not 500GB as you recommend but I
will try wiping it clean after my data has been moved to the new MBP and then
attempt a rebuild, or is it just a waste of time to try it on a 300GB external
disk?

No, I would definitely try. I hesitate to recommend this, but you could
install Office 2004 on the new computer and try the rebuild there. If it
works you could then remove Office 2004 and start clean. If you do this, you
should be able to just drag over the Office 2004 folder to install. It's
important that it be updated to open your Identity.

Going forward I will want to avoid the headache of the corrupted identity
file. Do you have a recommended procedure for keeping identity files down to a
manageable size?

Attachments are probably the worst culprits of a bloated database. I suggest
removing incoming attachments with one of the "remove attachment" scripts.
They will save, remove and link the saved files to the message, so you can
open the file directly from the message.

<http://www.entourage.mvps.org/script/fav_scripts.html#favscript17>

<http://scriptbuilders.net/files/saveattachments20041.0.0.html>

Also remove your outgoing attachments with a rule. This is assuming your
outgoing attachments are stored elsewhere on your computer. No need to have
them duplicated and filling up your database.

<http://www.entourage.mvps.org/rules/example/rule001.html>


--
Diane Ross, Microsoft Mac MVP
Entourage Help Page <http://www.entourage.mvps.org/>
Entourage Help Blog <http://blog.entourage.mvps.org/>
YouTalk <http://tinyurl.com/bzcrjy> <-- Entourage mailing list
Twitter: follow <http://twitter.com/entouragehelp>

 

[estadum]

Diane,
Thanks once again for your expert advice and prompt response.

NO WAY am i going to try to rebuild the file on the new MBP! It will happen on an external (and disposable) disk or not at all.

I take your point about the attachments. I am guilty of filing incoming attachments permanently in Entourage, ditto for outgoing attachments. When the incoming tide is great and time is short it is too strenuous to stop and put everything away in properly labeled file folders. The result is I soon have more important documents lodged in Entourage than in Documents. I have now paid the price for that practice. I will implement your suggestions for moving attachments out.

Thanks again,

Ed