One more lost database - after rebuild

[Philippe Doguin]

Well it's not exactly the same problem so I start a new post, this
information may be useful.

The configuration is a bit unusual. I have an external hard disk that
contents a crypted image disk (for confidentiality).
I use it to "synchronize" my 3 Macs (3 different locations, no server) and
even to use it on other Macs. It's not usual but VERY easy at use. All the
original stuff is on that external disk and then always up to date and
avalaible.
(Backups are made on the 3 Macs and on another external support.)

So the Entourage identity folder is located too on the image disk and each
Mac has an alias of that folder in ~/Documents/Microsoft User Data/Office X
Identities/
That works pretty good.

There is a built-in feature in Entourage that warns you when your disk grows
dangerously full and asks you to provide some more 'room'. Ok, that's fine.

Now even if you've not been warned and you want to rebuild the database,
Entourage needs a lot of free space to proceed.

So did I proceed last week (my junk problem)... and lost my database!
The process began with no warning but failed, displaying an alert.
Ok but... The entire identity folder was empty!
Neither it had rebuild the database (I can understand that) but it had
erased the original database and the other files in the folder.
I tried from backups 3 times, same result.

Exploring, I noticed that the free space on the image disk was less than the
database file. Tried it with a larger disk image and everything was OK.

The wrong point for me is that the Entourage utility should check the
necessary free space BEFORE proceeding and abort if unvailable. And anyway
it should never erase the original base if the process couldn't be achieved.
(Actually it is not really erased, even if it looks empty, the identity
folder has the same size than before, I would say that the files are no more
Finder readable. I had no time to explore further but I think I'll send a
report to Microsoft.)

Phil

 

[Diane Ross]

The wrong point for me is that the Entourage utility should check the
necessary free space BEFORE proceeding and abort if unvailable. And anyway
it should never erase the original base if the process couldn't be achieved.
(Actually it is not really erased, even if it looks empty, the identity
folder has the same size than before, I would say that the files are no more
Finder readable. I had no time to explore further but I think I'll send a
report to Microsoft.)

Other than backup software or OS install is the disk size checked for
backups.

When Entourage does a rebuild, it duplicates the data. I've tried to cover
all the basics on the Rebuild your Database page

<http://www.entourage.mvps.org/database/rebuild.html>

Your disaster is exactly why rebuilding is not recommended as regular
maintenance. Any application that does this kind of activity can result in
lost data. Just think of it this way. All of your data is thrown up in the
air. The Finder and Entourage are juggling the data to rearrange it after
making a duplicate, then put it all back in the right place. In your case,
you didn't have the room and the Finder "sneezed" and dropped the data who
knows where.

To be truly safe, it's best to make a duplicate BEFORE running the rebuild.
Then you have not only the duplicate made by Entourage but a reserve copy of
your data if things go wrong.

--
Diane Ross, Microsoft Mac MVP
Entourage Help Page
<http://www.entourage.mvps.org/>
One of the top five MS Entourage resources listed on the Entourage Blog.
<http://blogs.msdn.com/entourage/>