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Missing and duplicated calendar items in Entourage 2008 after OS 10.7 upgrade

I held off upgrading to Lion because I had a bunch of old email I wanted to convert first. But now that Apple is no longer offering security upgrades for Snow Leopard, I decided to take the plunge. Unfortunately, now I'm missing most of my calendar items in Entourage 2008 and have duplicates of the ones that remain. All insights welcome. Thank you!

Posted on Jul 11, 2014 5:33 PM

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Posted on Jul 11, 2014 6:18 PM

Are you using Sync Services to sync Entourage to iCloud calendars?


If yes, this is why this option is no longer availalbe. In Mountain Lion Sync Services were depreciated and in Mavericks there is no sync for Entourage or Outlook with Sync Services. Duplicates and/or deleted items is common with Sync Services.


You can use iCal Dupe Deleter or iCal Cleaner to delete the duplicates in iCal and the results will sync back (hopefully) to Entourage.


Another option if you still have access to your old Entourage is to export your calendar events as .rge file.

Deleteing all events in Entourage 2008

Import the .rge file


FYI...a heads up on what syncs.


Sync Basics for Microsoft Entourage and Outlook (Mavericks)


CalDAV & CardDAV are protocols used by Apple, Google, Yahoo and others to sync contacts and calendars. Neither Entourage 2008 nor Outlook 2011 support CalDAV or CardDAV.


  • You can no longer sync with an iPhone or iPad via iTunes. You can only sync with an iPhone or iPad via a cloud-based service like iCloud or Google.
  • You can no longer sync local calendars with OS X Calendar (formerly iCal). You can, however, continue to sync calendars hosted on a cloud-based service like iCloud or Google with Apple's Calendar.
  • You can no longer sync with any third-party apps running on your Mac that use Sync Services, like Entourage or Outlook.
14 replies
Question marked as Best reply

Jul 11, 2014 6:18 PM in response to sfrench

Are you using Sync Services to sync Entourage to iCloud calendars?


If yes, this is why this option is no longer availalbe. In Mountain Lion Sync Services were depreciated and in Mavericks there is no sync for Entourage or Outlook with Sync Services. Duplicates and/or deleted items is common with Sync Services.


You can use iCal Dupe Deleter or iCal Cleaner to delete the duplicates in iCal and the results will sync back (hopefully) to Entourage.


Another option if you still have access to your old Entourage is to export your calendar events as .rge file.

Deleteing all events in Entourage 2008

Import the .rge file


FYI...a heads up on what syncs.


Sync Basics for Microsoft Entourage and Outlook (Mavericks)


CalDAV & CardDAV are protocols used by Apple, Google, Yahoo and others to sync contacts and calendars. Neither Entourage 2008 nor Outlook 2011 support CalDAV or CardDAV.


  • You can no longer sync with an iPhone or iPad via iTunes. You can only sync with an iPhone or iPad via a cloud-based service like iCloud or Google.
  • You can no longer sync local calendars with OS X Calendar (formerly iCal). You can, however, continue to sync calendars hosted on a cloud-based service like iCloud or Google with Apple's Calendar.
  • You can no longer sync with any third-party apps running on your Mac that use Sync Services, like Entourage or Outlook.

Jul 13, 2014 8:50 AM in response to dianeoforegon

Thank you so much for your help, dianeoforegon! I'll answer your questions as best I can.


My style has been to sync via iTunes, using the Sync Services option in Entourage Preferences. I have always chosen a one-way sync from Entourage (i.e., overwriting iCal and Address Book) and done events and contacts in separate syncs. This seemed to prevent duplicates and was working successfully until I rashly upgraded to OS 10.7.5 [Lion, not Mountain Lion … for which my elderly MacBook (13-inch, early 2008) does not have the chops].


With one exception, iCal is now devoid of any events whatsoever, so even the decimated and duplicated events in Entourage are not showing up in iCal. The one exception in iCal is a daily Automator workflow, which I created in May 2011 to back up my main Entourage identity. As I remember, this was necessary because Time Machine's many incremental backups were corrupting my frequently changing Microsoft User Data, so I needed to exclude MUD from TM backups. The idea was that Automator's single daily backup would be stable enough to include in TM backups. I created the Automator workflow on the advice of Diane XXXX, an MVP in officeformac.com's Entourage forums. Could you and she be the same person?!


If the Automator workflow has been working properly, then I might be able to use this data to create an rge file as you suggest. However, when I click on the Database file in my Entourage Backup folder, where the Automator-created data is stored (overwriting the previous day’s backup), Entourage is launched and I'm faced with the decimated and duplicated calendar events. I think that means turning to the TM backups of this folder, each of which should have the then-current Entourage Backup folder. I'm still trying to figure out how to access the last pre-Lion backup; I started a search but canceled, because it seems to be an exceedingly slow process.


Alternatively, I figure the iTunes backup of my iPhone might prove a savior (I have done no syncing since the Lion upgrade; I'm carefully guarding the Calendar events on my iPhone) … although your comments make me wonder how I can access that backup and get it into Entourage. Maybe this is where iCloud comes into play.


I have never synced to iCloud calendars. If I remember correctly, there was a reason I didn't have access to iCloud at the time MobileMe was discontinued (June 30, 2012). I think it had to do with either the age of my MacBook or the age of my iPhone (original iPhone until late May 2012, when AT&T replaced it with an iPhone4, on which I am now running iOS 7.1.2).


Whatever the original problem was, I think it’s no longer relevant. I have just succeeded in signing into iCloud for the first time and discover that I do indeed have an existing account, but nothing has been set up. When I click on Mail, Contacts & Calendars in my MacBook's System Preferences, it says iCloud is inactive, shows my gmail accounts and offers to set up accounts to use with "Address Book, iCal, IChat, Mail and other apps." If I try the iCloud approach I'd appreciate any advice you have about setting up these accounts and making sure I migrate the right data.


Which of the two options I've come up with — (1) finding a TM backup of my main Entourage identity and somehow getting it into Entourage or (2) finding the iTunes backup of my iPhone and somehow getting that into Entourage — do you think most likely to succeed? Could you offer some pointers on how to start?


I would be grateful for any suggestions you have (maybe something completely different from the ideas I've come up with!).


Many, many thanks!

Jul 13, 2014 12:27 PM in response to sfrench

I created the Automator workflow on the advice of Diane XXXX, an MVP in officeformac.com's Entourage forums. Could you and she be the same person?!


Yes, that's me.


Which of the two options I've come up with — (1) finding a TM backup of my main Entourage identity and somehow getting it into Entourage or (2) finding the iTunes backup of my iPhone and somehow getting that into Entourage — do you think most likely to succeed? Could you offer some pointers on how to start?


Let's start with your Entourage Identity you have backed up.


The database file that is backed up using the workflow needs to be in the correct location to be read by Entourage. Is the backup Entourage 2004 or 2008?


If it's Entourage 2004, create a folder in Microsoft User Data folder "Office 2004 Identities". If you only backed up the database file, create a folder and name it "Main Identity". Place the database in this folder.


Entourage 2008 can import from a Entourage 2004 Identity. Create a new Identity in Entourage 2008 name it "Import 2004 Identity". "Switch Identity" import the 04 Identity into this new Identity. You can export as .rge file calendar events only.


Switch back to your main 2008 Identity and import the .rge file of calendar event.


If it's Entourage 2008, you need to put the database in a folder with a unique name so you don't overwrite your current Main Identity. Place this in the Office 2008 Identities folder.


Office 2008 can't import from another Office 2008 Identity. There is a way. I'll go into steps to import if it's an Office 2008 Identity if needed.

Jul 13, 2014 1:11 PM in response to dianeoforegon

Thank you so much, Diane! Small world. :-D


I'm out the door and can't take this in fully right now; however, I can assure you that I'm using Entourage 2008.


But I'm still stumped as to how to get the pre-Lion folders I need (either the Entourage Backup folder, if the Automator workflow worked, or the Office 2008 Identities > Main Identity folder, if the workflow didn't work). Sorry I'm a bit of a dunce about this. I've done some hunting around in the Apple Support database but haven't yet found what I need. I figure it has to do with Restore.


Your insights about that, as well as whatever you're saying about importing an Office 2008 identity, would be appreciated.


Thanks again!

Aug 4, 2014 3:11 PM in response to dianeoforegon

Sorry I've been out of touch. My question is open, but I don't know how the green check mark saying, "This solved my question," appeared and I don't know how to get rid of it.


In any case, I hope this is the answer to your latest question (I've been asking the folks over in the Time Capsule discussion, too):


I think I should be able to access an uncorrupted version of my Main Identity folder for Office 2008 … because I have an Automator workflow that creates a daily backup, and that backup should be available through Time Machine. I turned off Time Machine after this calamity so that I wouldn't overwrite my Entourage Backup folder.


I need the July 8 or 9 version of: ~ / Documents / Entourage Backup / Main Identity.


But when I select the Entourage Backup folder and open Time Machine, all the Finder windows behind the current one go dark and I can't move backward toward an earlier date (I've done this with Time Machine turned off and on). This makes me think the Entourage Backup folder has not been getting backed up recently, or perhaps ever. Ugh.


When I check my Time Machine preferences, only the following items are shown as excluded from backups:

User uploaded file

So it seems I should be in the clear and able to access Entourage Backup.


Any idea what I'm doing wrong in trying to restore from Time Machine? Or anything else I might be doing wrong?


Many thanks.

Aug 4, 2014 3:17 PM in response to sfrench

If your Time Machine drive is not directly attached, you often see the the grayed out options until it's fully connected.


Is your Time Machine data shown as a sparseimage in the Finder Window? Do you see Backups.backupdb? If yes, you can manually browse your backups and drag the file to the Desktop.


~ / Documents / Entourage Backup / Main Identity.


Is there al space in front of Documents on your drive?

Aug 24, 2014 7:14 PM in response to dianeoforegon

Thank you for your help, Diane. I really appreciate it.


Yes, I found something called Backups.backupdb and was able to retrieve a copy of the June 25 and July 12 versions of Entourage Backup. And, no, there is no space in front of Documents on my drive (I just added a space on each side of the slashes because I thought it would be easier to read on screen).


I got a bit nervous with the passage of time and turned Time Machine back on, so I seem to have lost any backups that might have been made between June 25 and July 12. The fateful upgrade to OS 10.7 took place on July 9.


So, FWIW, here's what the June 25 version of Entourage Backup's Main Identity looks like:

User uploaded file

Do you think I've got what I need? (May 10, 2011, is the day I created the Automator workflow to make a daily backup of my Entourage 2008 Main Identity. This "Date Modified" never seems to have changed; I hope that's not a bad sign.)


I've put the Database into a folder with a unique name "6/25-132136" and put that into the Office 2008 Identities folder, as you suggested on July 13. Now, I think, I'm ready to hear about your special way to import it. Thanks.

Aug 25, 2014 5:25 AM in response to dianeoforegon

You're so prompt!


Okay, I don't think the workflow ever worked. I think I'm just going to have to go with the calendar events I've got. Most of what I lost was old; the major stuff I've got going forward seems to be intact.


That means my major problem is with the duplicates. Back in 2011 (at your suggestion, I think) I created a category Entourage Event and made sure all events had that category. That way, if a bunch of duplicates appeared it would be easy to sort by category in All Events and delete the duplicates all at once.


But now, and I don't know why, the duplicates are not showing up in All Events; everything there has the category Entourage Event. But in the regular calendar window, the duplicates do show up. I can get rid of them by selecting Category is Entourage Event.


I could live with that. But I have a harder time living with having all the duplicates show up on my iPhone, where there doesn't seem to be any way to get rid of them.


Any advice?


Again, thank you for your help.

Aug 25, 2014 9:56 AM in response to sfrench

If one of the dupe deleters doesn't work for you in Lion, you can try this option.


Assign a category "export" to all calendar events.

Manually remove the category on your newest events.

Under File > Export in the Menu bar select to export by category > export.

Select to delete after exporting.


You can import the .rge file into another Identity if you want to view the old contacts but this should give you a clean calendar to go forward.


Let me know if this works for you.

Missing and duplicated calendar items in Entourage 2008 after OS 10.7 upgrade

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