HELP !!! Entourage 2004 wiped my emails!

Question

HELP !!! Entourage 2004 wiped my emails!

Hi- Got one of those "Microsoft Update" auto messages on my laptop wanting update my Entourage 2004 app. I declined. Then when I launched all my emails, mail accounts, were gone? I looked for; MainIdentity.rge and found only one copy in my "User" folder.

I never ran the "update", I declined it? Now what - everything is missing. Curse you Microsoft.

Quad Core MP, Single Core MP, Mac OS X (10.5.8), Quad Core Mac Pro, Macbook, Millions of gadgets!

Posted on Apr 2, 2010 10:56 AM

Reply

Answer 1

BDAqua

Level 10

250,259 points

Apr 2, 2010 11:08 AM in response to Mike The Spike

What size is that MainIdentity.rge?

1. Export data as an Entourage archive (.rge file), "Switch Identity" then import into other Identity.
2. Drag each folder to the desktop from one identity. This creates an MBOX file. Switch identities. Drag the MBOX files into the folder window of Entourage. Export contacts as tab delimited file. Switch Identities and Import the contacts.

http://www.entourage.mvps.org/database/move.html

Reply

Answer 2

Apr 2, 2010 1:08 PM in response to BDAqua

Now here is a fun fact, there is NO MainIdentity.rge file.

There is a folder "mainidentity" - user/documents/micrcsoftuserdata/office2004identities/mainidentity

No file mainidentity.rge in the mainidentity folder. I searched the drive and there is no mainidentity.rge file on the drive.

Whatever happened this morning when I started the laptop, the Microsoft update trashed the .rge file. I checked the trash nothing in there. I don't know what console/log files to look at to see what happened this morning.

Message was edited by: Mike The Spike

Reply

Answer 3

BDAqua

Level 10

250,259 points

Apr 2, 2010 1:32 PM in response to Mike The Spike

Could be many things, we should start with this...

"Try Disk Utility

1. Insert the Mac OS X Install disc, then restart the computer while holding the C key.
2. When your computer finishes starting up from the disc, choose Disk Utility from the Installer menu. (In Mac OS X 10.4 or later, you must select your language first.)
*Important: Do not click Continue in the first screen of the Installer. If you do, you must restart from the disc again to access Disk Utility.*
3. Click the First Aid tab.
4. Select your Mac OS X volume.
5. Click Repair. Disk Utility checks and repairs the disk."

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=106214

Then try a Safe Boot, (holding Shift key down at bootup), run Disk Utility in Applications>Utilities, then highlight your drive, click on Repair Permissions, reboot when it completes.

(Safe boot may stay on the gray radian for a long time, let it go, it's trying to repair the Hard Drive.)

If perchance you can't find your install Disc, at least try it from the Safe Boot part onward.

Reply

Answer 4

LilyLC

Level 4

2,834 points

Apr 2, 2010 8:49 PM in response to Mike The Spike

Mike The Spike wrote:
Now here is a fun fact, there is NO MainIdentity.rge file.

The .rge extension is an Entourage File Archive of the Entourage database created with by a user selecting Export from the File menu. It can contain mail messages, tasks, contacts, notes, calendar events, and project files etc. If you did not make an archive, then you will not find one.

There is a folder "mainidentity" - user/documents/micrcsoftuserdata/office2004identities/mainidentity

That is the correct path to your Entourage Database. Since the contents of that folder is missing, take a look at the following:
http://www.entourage.mvps.org/troubleshoot/crashes.html#crash15

Within item 15. Identity has disappeared from hard drive, be sure to also click the link User Experiences about finding the database in an invisible folder "lost & found"

If that does not work, then copy the contents from a backup into the Main Identity folder. There should be four files: Database, Mailing Lists, Rules, and Signatures.

HTH

Reply