Spotlight not working

[sharingsunshine]

Version: 2008
Operating System: Mac OS X 10.4 (Tiger)
Processor: Intel
Email Client: pop

Hello,

I have a file that I need to search on via spotlight. I know there are many entries with test222 in the body. Using spotlight it only picks up the one entry that has test_Henry in it. I am searching for test222. It shows the email that has test_Henry but none of the numerous entries that show test222.whsites.net

I have the preferences ticked properly and I have ran mainmenu and rebuilt the spotlight on the desktop too.

Therefore, I need you to tell me how to get the spotlight working properly. Please advise because I need to have an accurate search of existing emails.

Thanks,

Randal

 

[Diane Ross]

I have a file that I need to search on via spotlight.

Is it a message in the Entourage database or is it an email that was saved
in the Finder?

This article goes over the basics and offers some troubleshooting tips:

Entourage 2008 & Spotlight
<http://blog.entourage.mvps.org/2009/05/entourage_and_spotlight.html>

 

[sharingsunshine]

Hi Diane,

It is a message in the Entourage database. I have reread the page you gave me and I have tried all that is listed.

I used terminal and I tried the rebuild button in the spotlight preferences of Entourage. I left the computer for 8 hours and it never re-highlighted the rebuild button. So, I abandoned that. I rebuilt the Spotlight index from Finder.

However, when I go into the Junk folder I get no search responses even though I can see messages that match the criteria.

This is an upgrade and I get many emails in the junk folder that I need to be able to search on.

I appreciate your help and interest.

Thanks,

Randal

 

[sharingsunshine]

Does anyone have any ideas? Can anyone tell me the correct procedure to rebuild spotlight in Entourage?

I have pressed the rebuild button in preferences but after 8 hours the button never comes back blue again. Is this normal?

I need this feature - test222 isn't the only thing it won't find so I need to get this working, please.

Does anyone know how to transfer all the messages to a new identity? I tried using finder and then rebuilding the DB but that didn't work.

Thanks,

Randal

 

[Corentin Cras-Méneur]

Does anyone have any ideas? Can anyone tell me the correct procedure to
rebuild spotlight in Entourage?

In theory, pressing the button in the preferences should be enough, but
Spotlight is sometimes a moody beast.

I have somewhat related problems and I ws just about to do the same
thing:
You can completely force-reindex your drive (Including the Entourage
data).
It takes forever (I usually do this in the evening then go to bed), but
most of the time it's well worth the effort.

In the Terminal enter:
sudo mdutil -E /

You will have to enter your administrator password (you dont; see
anything as you type) and it will erase the current Spotlight index and
force Spotlight ot reindex.

After that, you will see the little dot in the magnifier on the
Spotlight menu indicating that it is reindexing.


Corentin

 

[sharingsunshine]

Hello,

I did the rebuild of spotlight using the command sudo mdutil -E / but it didn't help.

I even manually removed the files in the Finder.
Library/Caches/Metadata/Microsoft folder and then did the reindex. Still no change.

I am prepared to take all my data to a new identity but don't know how. Looking at the forum it wasn't clear to me how to do this. If someone can tell me how that would be great. I just want this to work.

Thanks,

Randal

 

[Diane Ross]

I am prepared to take all my data to a new identity but don't know how.
Looking at the forum it wasn't clear to me how to do this. If someone can tell
me how that would be great. I just want this to work.

How to manually move your data. (when import fails and/or you need to move
to a new Identity same version or revert to an older version)

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

Previously, you said...

However, when I go into the Junk folder I get no search responses even though
I can see messages that match the criteria.

Is it only the junk folder that Spotlight doesn't find the messages? This
could be by design. If you move it out of junk does Spotlight find it?

 

[Corentin Cras-Méneur]

Hello,
Hi,


I did the rebuild of spotlight using the command sudo mdutil -E / but it
didn't help.

I even manually removed the files in the Finder.
Library/Caches/Metadata/Microsoft folder and then did the reindex. Still
no change.

Well let me explain how it works:
Spolight doesn't directly index the Entoruage database.
Entourage creates these little fields you deleted so that Spotlight can
index the messages and point back to them in the identity.
By deleting them, you ensures that the mesasges could NOT be indexed.
You'll need to disable spotlight indexing in the Entourage preferences
and re-enabling it so that the cache files can be properly recreated and
reindexed.

I am prepared to take all my data to a new identity but don't know how.
Looking at the forum it wasn't clear to me how to do this. If someone
can tell me how that would be great. I just want this to work.

You can export to an archive and reimport into a new one, but you would
have to recreate all e-mail account settings, rules, etc.

Corentin