As a result of having this problem return over and over after many rebuilds, finally in a critical folder where it was interfering with operation too much, I decided to construct a new Entourage identity, and to attempt to export and import everything from the corrupt identity to the new one. For anyone who thinks, "Gee! Maybe that's what I should do!", think twice. Don't even try this at home unless you simply cannot live with your old Entourage identity.
First, I tried it using Entourage's built-in Export/Import functionality. I exported from ID1, switched and created ID2, and then imported. Sounds easy? Nah, nothing is easy. The export of messages would not work. Simply put, as soon as it encounters the corrupt "invisible" messages, it aborts. I then tried a set of scripts I have written that Archive Folders. This worked, although for folders with the corrupt messages, I had to selectively archive just the good messages, which was time-consuming. However, when you import messages, I discovered that they all show up as incoming messages (even ones I sent), with no categories, and no status flags (Flagged, Unread, Sent, etc). Almost worthless because of the time needed to re-categorize, and almost certain to lose track of unread messages or flagged messages (which is my indicator not to delete, and thus absolutely essential). Worse, contact export won't export groups, just individual contacts, although it does preserve category for contacts. You also lose categories on Notes, Tasks, and Events. And your folder tree has to be manually reconstructed, there is no export/import for Accounts, Signatures, Mailing Lists, or categories.
After wasting half a day on this method, I abandoned it, and tried Paul Berkowitz's Export-Import Entourage X scripts. Much better, but still imperfect! First, all categories are preserved. The folder tree, for any folders containing messages, does get recreated, but for some reason the script won't handle lowest level folders that are empty; those have to be manually redefined. There IS an export-import for Accounts, Mailing Lists, Signatures, and Categories, and the contacts export preserves groups as well. Status flags on messages are preserved, as is incoming/outgoing status.
I still ran into problems trying to export folders (using the Messages Export from X script) that contained the invisible messages; I thought I was able to drag those folders to the desktop, creating .mbx files I could import, but learned that the export silently aborted at the invisible message without any error message to warn me. Only realizing that a folder with 400+ messages had shrunk to about 100 alerted me to the problem. So I still have to do individual message exporting and importing with a few folders. Another problem is that my 1200+ contacts imported as only 517! Somehow the export of contacts failed; this also caused a loss of about half my groups. So I have yet to go back and try again with Entourage's export/import of contacts, followed by deleting 517 or so duplicates, and then running my custom-written scripts to export/import groups (which for some reason have developed a bug which I have to fix before I try using them again).
Neither method, by the way, can preserve Projects, and both methods completely destroy all links in your database. Both methods require you to reset the folders and categories referenced in any rules (you can copy the Rules file from one identity folder to the other.) UGH!
Net loss of time? About three full work days! And I am still not done. I figure I have several more hours of work to do, importing more old mail and deleting duplicate contacts.
Is it worth it? Well, I don't have those Error 4362 problems with invisible messages any more. I have not yet tried Diane's sanity check of a full Export from Entourage's File menu. I'll wait until I finish importing the last 30 or 40 of my folders of older mail, which I postponed so I could download and respond to current messages. I may decide, after all is back in place, that it was worth it. But, to be honest, the problems I was having with the database, although they were getting worse, were upon reflection not so bad! It would have taken months for them to have cost me three full days of work. If I had the choice to make over, knowing what I know, I would not have attempted the identity switch. It is WAY, WAY too labor intensive, and far too imperfect.
If you must try it, though, you definitely should purchase and use Paul's scripts. They perform a much more thorough export and import than the built-in Entourage features. We can only hope that the latter will improve in future releases.
On 9/20/04 11:52 AM, "Diane Ross" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
On 9/20/04 10:55 AM, "Bruce Klutchko" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
Try the complex rebuild first; successfully exporting your messages would be a sign that all is now well.
After the rebuild, use File->Export and select all choices. If your export completes, then your database should be OK.
