Deleted Account

I recently purchased a Mac Book Pro and installed Office:Mac 2008 home and student. I transferred all of my files, emails and contacts over to entourage and used it successfully for three days. I was able to search, receive and send mail with no problem. This evening I opened the program and it was all gone. No account settings, no files, no emails, nothing. As if I opened it for the first time.

Ugh! Any way to retrieve the files?

Diane
Wed Feb 20 02:31:50 CST 2008

On 2/19/08 11:44 PM, in article ee8e1a3.-1@webcrossing.caR9absDaxw,
"Madrone@officeformac.com" <Madrone@officeformac.com> wrote:

> I recently purchased a Mac Book Pro and installed Office:Mac 2008 home and
> student. I transferred all of my files, emails and contacts over to entourage
> and used it successfully for three days. I was able to search, receive and
> send mail with no problem. This evening I opened the program and it was all
> gone. No account settings, no files, no emails, nothing. As if I opened it for
> the first time.

Entourage expects the folder to be in your Documents folder. For OS X users,
that's the Documents folder in your User's folder. When Entourage opens in a
new blank Identity, it's usually User error.

Most likely you have accidentally moved your data. Hopefully, you have not
deleted the file. If you have deleted the trash, it's gone. Sorry!

Select Switch Identity (under Entourage in the Menu bar) and see if your old
identity is still listed.

To find your old database, search for "Microsoft User Data" (without the
quotes).

If you have not used a new identity in Entourage, then copy the entire
Microsoft User Data folder to the correct location.

Fix if you have more than one Microsoft User Data Folder...

Move the entire identity folder you want to use to the Office Identities
folder that Entourage is recognizing. Your identity is named "Main" by
default. Be sure to rename one so you do not overwrite. Your identity folder
can contain more than one identity. Switch Identities to view your old mail.
If you have not used the new identity, delete it. If you have used it and
want to combine the new mail with your original database, 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.

You can delete the old folder after you are satisfied with the transfer.

Sometimes updating software (including the OS) can cause problems where
files go missing. See this link for help finding 'lost' files.

<http://www.entourage.mvps.org/troubleshoot/crashes.html#crash15>
--
Diane, Microsoft Mac MVP (MVPs are not Microsoft Employees)
Entourage Help Page <http://www.entourage.mvps.org/>
Entourage Help Blog <http://blog.entourage.mvps.org/>

Barry
Wed Feb 20 03:04:57 CST 2008

On 20/02/2008 07:44, in article ee8e1a3.-1@webcrossing.caR9absDaxw,
"Madrone@officeformac.com" <Madrone@officeformac.com> wrote:

> I recently purchased a Mac Book Pro and installed Office:Mac 2008 home and
> student. I transferred all of my files, emails and contacts over to entourage
> and used it successfully for three days. I was able to search, receive and
> send mail with no problem. This evening I opened the program and it was all
> gone. No account settings, no files, no emails, nothing. As if I opened it for
> the first time.
>
> Ugh! Any way to retrieve the files?

I'm guessing that you have accidentally or unintentionally moved the
'Microsoft User Data' folder out of your documents folder.

Office needs the folder to be in this place - it is where your data is
stored. Starting any office app after moving this folder will cause a new
one to be created, but the 'database' file in the 'Office 2008 Identities'
folder hierarchy will only be about 18-21mb - this is a default empty
database.

You need to quit all office apps, log out and back in again, find the
original (I hope you didn't trash it!) and restore it to the Documents
folder, replacing the newly created one. Then restart Entourage.
--
Barry Wainwright
Microsoft MVP (see <http://www.microsoft.com/mvp/> for details)
Visit the Entourage User¹s Weblog for Hints, tips and troubleshooting
information:
http://www.barryw.net/weblog/