Complete loss of all Outlook data. – all historic emails have disappeared, there are no folders, no calendar. HOW DO I GET IT BACK?

02. November 2012 · Write a comment · Categories: Outlook for Mac · Tags: , , , , , , ,
Outlook appears to be there, but it's a basic framework as if my account had moved elsewhere and this is a new blank account.  My account doesn't seem to be visible anywhere obvious.

Just to give some background - may be relevant or not! On 25/9/12 I had a major computer breakage which was followed by an insurance paid full repair by a local company recommended by Apple.  This involved new hard disk, installation of Lion. They used my Time machine to import all my old data (incl emails). All fine, working fine.  Had emails coming in, full calendar, computer was working well (better than before if anything), no problems.  Then - about 2 weeks ago, maybe a bit more  - I got a hacking attack (diverted emails and spam looking as if from me sent to all my address book asking for money to be sent to rescue me from Spain!) . I contacted BTinternet security, changed my password and the emails were re-routed back to me.  Then I upgraded Norton Antivirus and the firewall following hacking attack (I had help from both BT and Norton technical support lines who set up everything for me - I'm not a tech expert - in fact quite useless!!).  Everything then seemed fine.  The problem with Outlook may arise from a) breakage (don't think so, everything ok after that) b) hacking (ditto) c) new firewall? d) new incompatible software? e) Apple and Microsoft playing silly games with incompatible software upgrades?

About 10 days ago - after the hacking attack, but not immediately afterwards, it worked for about a week - Outlook stopped working. This was intermittent at first - I couldn't receive but could send -then couldn't send but could receive.  Could download (pop messages) from btinternet yahoo intermittently to Outlook. Throughout I  could send and receive in Yahoo with no problems. So I did that, just popping the messages to my archive in Outlook intermittently.  After about a week of this go-slow it stopped working completely - neither send or receive . So I started using just my btinternet/Yahoo account without using Outlook at all -all fine.  I had the Outlook data file - all my old emails and calendar -just sitting there - which I wanted for reference.

But Yahoo mail's a really simple system and I use all my old emails for data (work and reference).  So- in order to get my incoming emails in decent order for future reference -  yesterday I started using Mail (within Mac). Again, all fine.  And the old Outlook files were there when I needed to check data in an old email or an email address.

BUT today wanted to check an old email, and ALL my historic emails in Outlook not there- whole account is blank. No calendar, no outlook, nothing. Not even empty folders. As if completely new account.  What do I do?

My computer is Mac OS X Version 10.7.5, processor is 3.2GHZ Intel Core 13, startup disk Macintosh HD, memory 4GB 1333 MHz RAM,  software is Mac OS X Lion 10.7.5 (11G63),  Outlook was 14.2.4.

I don't mind not using Outlook, ok with Mail (yes, it's a bit cumbersome and doesn't have the same features as Microsoft Outlook but at least it runs!).  BUT I would like to get my old emails back! And my calendar!

They have all disappeared, it's as if - overnight - they have been wiped and the account never existed.  I did not delete these! 

I've spoken to Apple about using Time Machine to get the data back. BUT Time Machine was switched off as at 24/9/12 (ie the data used pre accident) and wasn't switched back on, so I would lose about a month's emails.  AND the Apple helpline guy - very helpful - said that sometimes there is loss of data from Microsoft files when they get these from Time machine so to ask Microsoft first.  

So - please - where can I look for them? What can I do? Idiot's guide please!!!

Hotmail is only a machine which refuses to talk to mine machine.

22. October 2012 · Write a comment · Categories: Hotmail, Outlook.com · Tags: , , , , , , ,

Yes, I'm human, I forgot my password, and then also forgot the answer to my security question, which leaves me up the creek, unless someone can come up with a way to actually contact a 'hotmail human'.  Do you think there is anyone out there?  Or is this simply a case of one machine talking to another, with no hope for a real person to pass an invisible cyber barrier?  Now, despite being an imperfect human, I'm not totally hapless because I managed to fill in the 'form' with recent contacts and email titles, but time after time again, no matter whom I try to contact, the whole thing is just thrown back to me.  OH for a real hotmail person to talk to!  It isn't going to happen is it?  Hotmail is just a massive michrochip, pre-programmed by aliens to send us all insane.  So, somewhere out in cyberspace hover messages from real human beings sent in good faith to this frustrated little soul who simply can't access them.  It's all my fault, I suppose.  Anyway, after my wingeing, can anyone help me? 

Restoring emails manually from Time Machine backup

15. October 2012 · Write a comment · Categories: Outlook for Mac · Tags: , , , , , ,
Hello there,
I had to replace the HDD of my Mac and unfortunately I could not use the Migration Assistant to restore all the files/applications.
So now I am in the condition of having to do a manual restore from the Time Machine backup of the emails that were moved from the Inbox to the Mac.
The question is: where Outlook 2011 stores those files on the Mac?
Thanks in advance.
Andrea

Outlook for Mac 2011 catastrophic crash

06. October 2012 · Write a comment · Categories: Outlook for Mac · Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
I have a Macbook Pro OS X 10.7.4 on which I run Parallels Desktop 7 to create a virtual machine on which I have installed Windows 7 and several Windows programs.  Typically, I run the virtual Windows system exclusively, but during day-long work sessions will toggle to meshed "hand shaking" mode that enables me to use the browser, email, and other program running on the Mac.  Yesterday this worked fine until mid-afternoon when I noticed that email wasn't updating, and Internet access became slow and then stopped altogether.  Attempts to resolve the issue quickly didn't work, so I let it be until I finished my day's work at about 6 p.m.  After closing the Windows virtual machine I began problem solving steps on the Mac; network settings were okay, no other problem was readily apparent except the lack of Outlook 2011 for Mac and Firefox browser access to the Internet.  Everything I tried failed to resolve the issue.  Outlook was running, showing read and unread messages in the inbox, and numerous saved files in a large number of archive folders and subfolders, connections to three IMAP accounts, and an open .PST archive of older email messages transferred from my old Windows desktop running XP and Office Outlook 2007.  Finally, I decided to reboot to see if this would unstick the system.  When the new boot was completed Firefox accessed the Internet just fine.  Outlook, however, had been completely transformed: ALL of my former settings, accounts, undeleted current files and archived saved files, contacts and calendar items had disappeared; in the ~\documents\microsoftuserdata\office 2011 identities folder there is just a single Main Identity file that contains none of my personal information; but I had several identities and backup, saved identity files in that identities folder previously!  I have an Apple router/backup drive that automatically takes snapshots of changed files and daily does a more complete backup.  Checking these with the intention of restoring an earlier Outlook identities folder to recover everything, to my dismay I found that only the "ground zero" unmodified Main Identity file exists in all the previous instances of the folder that I checked, even though these were saved while Outlook was working as expected and contained all my settings, etc.  I found Microsoft's instructions to copy the identity, then rebuild the identity database, which I did, but unfortunately this only re-established the first installation version of the Main Identity...not my well-seasoned Main Identity built up over several years.  Must I simply kiss it all goodbye and start all over again, or is there some technically sophisticated way I can locate and restore the missing Main Identity somewhere in my Time Machine backups?  I am curious how such a catastrophic failure could occur, one that wiped clean even the Identities I wasn't using at the time, and everything included in every one of the .olm files; can anyone explain it?  And, is there any automatic way to set up routine backups of .olm files on an external drive isolated from the real time OS and whatever destructive entity may prey upon it as has just happened to me?

Need to restore database \ identity

01. October 2012 · Write a comment · Categories: Outlook for Mac · Tags: , , , , , ,
First, let me state that I am very familiar with Outlook for PC's and rather proficient in the Mac OS.  I have a client that had their hard drive in their Mac crash (no backup through time machine).  A new hard drive was installed and the OS loaded.  A hard drive recovery company was able to recover all of the data on the crashed hard drive, and I now have the Database files that Outlook creates (there is more than one, but if I can get one restored, then I can do the rest.)

If this were a windows computer, I know I can just put the PST file into the Accounts, and have access to all of the old emails.  It just doesn't seem to be the same way with a mac.  I need to know how to do this.  Any help would be awesome!

Transporting Mac Outlook Files from Time Machine to Outlook in Another Mac

27. September 2012 · Write a comment · Categories: Outlook for Mac · Tags: , , , , , , , ,
My Macbook Air crashed and I am trying to import my backed up Outlook files in Time Machine to my Mac desktop.  I found the "Main Identity" in Time Machine but it isn't clear to me how I then copy/import those files into Outlook on my Mac.  I tried reading a few of the previous postings but it wasn't 100% clear...would anyone mind re-explaining it?  Thanks!

deleting an item from delegate inbox

27. September 2012 · Write a comment · Categories: Outlook for Mac · Tags: , , , , , , ,
An executive and his assistant are both running Office 2011 for Mac. She is a delegate for his Inbox, Calendar, and Contacts.

When she deletes something from his inbox, the item is permanently deleted. It does not go into his deleted items folder or her local deleted items.

Is this the expected behavior? If I granted her permissions on his deleted items folder from a Windows machine would it go into his deleted folders?

The assistant wants to keep his inbox tidy, but also wants to make sure she can recover messages in case of an error.

Outlook for Mac Data is Corrupt Mail could not be sent Error code: -19943

20. September 2012 · Write a comment · Categories: Outlook for Mac · Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

Why am I constantly getting this error?

What does this error mean?

How do I fix this?


This MacBook Air belongs to a VIP in our company. She is under the impression that she has received a lemon, due to the following experiences (verbatim):


Random beeping noise coming from machine. Unexplainable. No obvious pattern.

Machine randomly sounds like an airplane taking off. Fan running constantly.

Unable to view Sent folder in Outlook. Periodically.

Unable to view Sent items. Periodically.

Calendar items/invites/meetings do not display accordingly.

Unable to accept/decline meeting invitations.

Pinwheel constantly displays. Forced to reboot due to freezing.

Constantly receiving 'Data is corrupt' error message in Outlook.

Constantly receiving 'An internal server error occurred. The operation failed' in Outlook.


I understand the majority of these issues points towards the Office/Outlook application, but why don't any of the troubleshooting methods resolve or alleviate any of the aforementioned symptoms at all?


No one else in my company with this software is receiving this message.

 

I have rebuilt the database 3 times.

I have reinstalled the software twice.

All software is up-to-date.

 

Why doesn't Apple support this software?

Why doesn't Microsoft support this software?

 

Every forum I search regarding Office for Mac results in a never ending loop of both companies panning the issue off to the other and nobody takes responsibility.

 

Is there anyone out there willing to take the time to assist me and fully exhaust their knowledge to present some sort of solution towards this issue?

 

I am fully committed to this discussion and will provide any and all information needed in order to fix the issue.


Why are there other users with the same software who are NOT experiencing the same issues?


As a last resort, I am aware backing-up the profile/account and restoring the OS is an option. What if this plan of action doesn't solve anything? What if the problem persists?


My technical knowledge of Apple/Mac devices is limited, and I would appreciate any advice/suggestions/support on the matter, as this is a high priority issue and I would like to learn from this so as to avoid any similar issues that I may encounter in the future.


Thank you in advance for your help.

unable to restore outlook 2011 identity from time machine backup

19. September 2012 · Write a comment · Categories: Outlook for Mac · Tags: , , , ,
My outlook 2011 on my Mac crashed.  I have restored the 'identity' found in "Office 2011 Identities" in my Time Machine to my current desktop.  I then renamed the identity to a new name and then copied it to my current "Office 2011 identity' folder.  I made it the default identity.  Outlook database utility asked me to rebuild the identity and that is where the problem starts.

It will:
  • Scan
  • Verify
  • Copy records to new database
  • Recovering data

all those go great, BUT the next step it comes up with:  YOUR DATABASE could not be rebuilt.

What am I doing wrong?


How can i have send invite marking with optional to some attendees?

27. August 2012 · Write a comment · Categories: Outlook for Mac · Tags: , , , , ,
I am trying to send a calender invite and i want some people to mark as an optional attendee. I did not find any option into Outlook for MAC but it is possible on windows machine. Can some please advise.....
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