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Troubleshooting Your User Account for a Problem

If the problem is in your User's folder...

  1. Eliminate Entourage Issues:
    1. Is my database corrupt?
    2. Is it a bad message that won't download?
    3. Is it a bad message that crashes Entourage when you try to select it?
    4. Is is a blank message or a message that refuses to be deleted?
  2. Test for corrupt Microsoft preferences
  3. Test for other preference conflicts/corruption
  4. Test for application conflicts
    1. Use Safe Boot to identify issues caused by software or directory damage on the startup volume.
  5. Test for a corrupt font

1) Is my database corrupt?

Option 1) Run these stress tests to verify if your Identity is corrupt:

  1. Use the Database Utility to run 'Verify database'
  2. Under File --> Export select Entourage archive (.rge) file (all items) more info
    1. If this fails to complete, it indicates corruption
    2. If the export completes, create a new Identity in Entourage and import that file.
    3. If the export and import of the .rge file completes, this indicates a good database.
  3. Export as MBOX files your messages using this script. more info
    1. The script will fail on the folder with the corruption
  4. Make a copy in the Finder of your Identity. Using the Database Utility, run rebuild on the copy. To open Database Utility, hold down the OPTION key while starting Entourage. Sometimes the rebuild will damage the database so running it on a copy keeps your data safe for the test. more info

If your Identity passes all 4 tests, it's good.

Option 2) Create a new identity to eliminate corruption in current identity:

Entourage 2001: File-Switch Identity>Select New

Entourage X, 2004, 2008: Entourage menu>Switch Identity>Select New

You'll probably have to re-enter some account info to test, but try to recreate the problem there.

If the problems go away, then you know the problem IS in your database. If it doesn't work, then this indicates a problem with your Entourage install or a conflict in your User's folder.

If your database is the problem,

  1. Rebuild your database
    1. First make a copy of your database. Even though the rebuild process makes a copy, if disaster strikes during the rebuild, you will have a backup copy. How to Rebuild Your Database.
  2. Instead of rebuilding you can manually move into a new Identity

If you need personal help, I work with clients to help recover databases. More info

2) If the problem is in your User's folder, first test for corrupt Microsoft Entourage preferences. Your preferences are located in your User's Preferences folder. Remove these files and test.

  • com.microsoft.OfficeNotifications.plist
  • com.microsoft.DatabaseDaemon.plist
  • com.microsoft.Entourage.plist
  • Microsoft/Entourage Preferences
There are many com.microsoft files. Select your preferences folder in the Finder and search using "microsoft" to show all the .plist files. As you add preferences to items in Entourage, this list can grow. Before you delete the Microsoft folder, be sure to make a copy of your dictionary file.

3) Test for other preference conflicts/corruption

  1. Go into your home folder and take the ~/Library/Preferences folder, and put all the files in there into a folder on your desktop called old_prefs. The Finder will lock up when you move them out the first time. Force quit the Finder.
  2. Now log out and back in, and you will see your Mac is now back to defaults.
  3. Test Entourage , if it works, you know its one of the preference files.
  4. Start with putting everything back in that starts with "com.apple" and log out/in.
  5. Slowly, a few preference files at a time, move the old ones back into place, and log out and back in, then test.
  6. Rinse and repeat until you find the bad preference.

If the problem persists, try the same thing with the other sub-folders of ~/Library.

  • ~/Library/Caches,
  • ~/Library/InputManagers,
  • ~/Library/Fonts,
  • ~/Library/PreferencePanes,
  • ~/Library/Application Support,
  • ~/Library/Application Enhancers,
  • Also remove any files owned by your user in /Library/Caches (the Library folder at the top-level of the drive) or the sub-folders of /Library/Caches (e.g. the font caches under /Library/Caches/com.apple.ATS)

An example of a preference that was causing a problem:

When I had the "can't type Shift H" problem in Entourage, it was a corrupt preference for FlightCheck, a preflighting program I use in conjuction with QuarkXPress that was the culprit.

4) Test for application conflicts

Test for conflicts with other applications by quitting all running applications including hidden one. Easy way Log out/ in with Shift key down to disable all login items.

  1. To log out of your account: Choose Apple menu > Log Out <account name>
  2. Select Log in and hold down the Shift key.

Haxies are known to cause problems. Notifications crashes have stopped after disabling WindowShade or FruitMenu.

Other Applications that are known to cause conflicts: iListen is known to cause problems with menus and shortcuts. MenuCalendarClock can launch Entourage every time it checks for events (whether or not you have set are any events for Entourage). Other possible culprits: EntourageABMenu, Quicksilver, LaunchBar, iKey, Keyboard Maestro

If the problems go away when you are logged in with Shift key down, then you know it's a conflict with one of your login items.

Test in Safe Mode

Safe Boot is a special way to start Mac OS X 10.2 or later when troubleshooting. Safe Mode is the state Mac OS X is in after a Safe Boot.

Starting up into Safe Mode does these things to simplify the startup and operation of your computer:

  • It forces a directory check of the startup volume.
  • It loads only required kernel extensions (some of the items in /System/Library/Extensions).
  • In Mac OS X 10.3.9 or earlier, it runs only Apple-installed startup items (some of the items in /Library/StartupItems and /System/Library/StartupItems - and different than login items).
  • Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger only: It disables all fonts other than those in /System/Library/Fonts .
  • Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger only: It moves to the Trash all font caches normally stored in /Library/Caches/com.apple.ATS/(uid)/ , where (uid) is a user ID number such as 501.
  • Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger only: It disables all startup items and any Login Items.

Taken together, these changes can work around issues caused by software or directory damage on the startup volume.

5) Is it a bad message(s) that won't download?

Use Online Access or your web mail to check for a bad message.

Go to Tools/Accounts/that account/Edit/Options. Check "Allow online access". That puts an icon of your account in the Folder List.

Click on the account icon. You're now looking at the messages on the server. Delete the bad message. Usually it's the oldest one. Spam messages are common culprits. Use tcpflow to help identify the problem message(s).

6) Is it a bad message on your computer that crashes Entourage when you select it?

Option 1) Turn off the Preview Pane and try selecting the message to delete.

Option 2) Do not even put the mouse on it. Select another file you want to delete to the folder where the bad file is located. Click on the "good" file then hit Command (Apple) A it will select all files in the folder then hit "delete". Hopefully the bad file will have been deleted.

7) Is it a blank message or a message that refuses to be deleted?

Blank messages are signs of database corruption. You need to rebuild your database.