I have an Entourage database that's corrupt, and Repair Database doesn't fix it -- it hangs in Step 5. I've let it run a few times for several hours, but it never finishes. (Yes, I know that sometimes it can take a while. But just sitting there for three hours, on a 3.5 gig database, when there's about 250 gig free on my hard drive, seems to me like it's just not working.)
So I need an alternate plan. Here's what I have, and have done, so far: 1) The problem is mail -- everything else forms an .rge archive correctly. 2) I have a known good database from January 31. So there's basically about two weeks worth of email in question. (This database was a result of a rebuild that worked.) 3) On Feb. 11, when I first learned that my DB wouldn't rebuild, I created a category called "inbox", added this category to everything in my inbox, and created an .rge backup of that -- which worked fine. So the problem isn't in my inbox (I assume). I also created categories for each day of messages in my "sent items" mailbox from Jan 31 onwards, and attempted to make .rge backups of those. The backup for 5 February bombed, so I'm assuming the problem is a message I sent out on that day. 4) I have drag-and-drop copies of sent email from Jan 31 on -- so at least I have my messages, even if they're without their links, if all else fails. (Received email is being left on the server, so I can re-download it if necessary.) ***************** At the moment, I'm working with a copy of my database which works, but which won't make an .rge backup of email, so I know it's corrupt, and I don't want to rely on it for any longer than I have to. It's about 3.5 gig. What should be my next step? I tried deleting the sent messages from 5 February (after first making a copy of the database!) -- but that totally confused things; messages disappeared from the "sent" email box, and then Entourage just told me the DB was damaged and did I want to rebuild it. If deleting all my sent messages from February 1 through now would work (or at least give me a DB that would rebuild), I'd do it -- it's only two weeks, which is about 125 messages or so, and I have the drag-and-drop copies which I could add back when the rebuild is done. Is that the best way to go? Or is my DB more messed up than it seems to be? If I could get .rge backups of everything but the corrupt message(s) (by assigning a category like "savethis", or something, to everything but the suspect dates, and then saving that category), and then reconstruct my identity, and use the drag-and-drop copies of messages that wouldn't backup -- I'd do that. But I have no idea if that would work, or not. Losing email is not an option -- my email history is essential to my work. So -- please help! Thank you. Levanah -- YouTalk mailing list List address: [email protected] List information: http://entourage.mvps.org/support_options/list.html List moderator: [email protected], [email protected] To unsubscribe: mailto:[email protected]?subject=unsubscribe
