Help with Outlook 2011 for Mac - "on my computer" emails missing

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I recently restored my "Microsoft User Data" folder and rebuilt my Outlook 2011 email (unsure how everything got deleted/messed up).

When doing so, all of the emails that were stored in the "On My Computer" folders are still located on my Mac, but are no longer grouped in the organized folders along the side of my outlook. Basically, I have no way of finding them besides going into each partitioned folder under the "microsoft user data" folder.

If anyone has any ideas on how to get those folders back, would GREATLY appreciate it. I rely on it for work on a daily basis.
 
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I support Outlook 2011
I recently restored my "Microsoft User Data" folder and rebuilt my Outlook 2011 email (unsure how everything got deleted/messed up).

When doing so, all of the emails that were stored in the "On My Computer" folders are still located on my Mac, but are no longer grouped in the organized folders along the side of my outlook. Basically, I have no way of finding them besides going into each partitioned folder under the "microsoft user data" folder.

If anyone has any ideas on how to get those folders back, would GREATLY appreciate it. I rely on it for work on a daily basis.

Hello!

I am sorry you are going through this, its no fun when data goes missing. This is why I always recommend to backup your information!!! If you don't have your emails exported to an OLM (Mac's parallel to PST), then you are pretty much out of luck...

Have no fear, I am here. You can access your old identities by...
Closing Outlook 2011
Hold down the 'Option' Key and launch Outlook 2011
You will then see the Microsoft Database Utility
In here, you should see a few backups of your Outlook identity
Set whichever one to 'Default' As you would like (By using the settings cog next to the minus button)
Launch Outlook 2011... You should see some old data. Check your On My Computer folders and see if the information is there.
If it is, you can create an OLM (File - Export) and import this OLM into your most recent identity.

But why did this happen to me?!?

Good question. Rebuild are caused by corrupt databases. Corruption can be caused by a 3rd party program or antivirus searching through our database. Please remove the Microsoft User Data folder from any Antivirus scans.

If you have anymore information, let me know. I will monitor this thread.

Also, you said it didn't hold its original folder structure. Did it take on a new folder structure? If so what are the names of the folders?

Thanks!
 
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Having an issue with messages not showing up after database rebuild. I have tried it with different instances of profiles bit after the rebuild I can see folders in Outlook but none of the messages are there. Not sure if this is a problem that is common or has been seen before.
 
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Having an issue with messages not showing up after database rebuild. I have tried it with different instances of profiles bit after the rebuild I can see folders in Outlook but none of the messages are there. Not sure if this is a problem that is common or has been seen before.

Are you using Outlook 2011? Are you using Exchange? What type of protocol are you using to sync to your account? IMAP? POP? EWS? WebDav?

Create a new identity instead of rebuilding, that's what we do:

1. With Outlook 2011 CLOSED, hold the option key and launch Outlook 2011
2. The Microsoft Database Utility should open
3. Click the '+' button to add a new identity
4. Set that identity to default using the 'Cog' next to the '-' button
5. Launch Outlook 2011
6. Sync your account

If this doesn't work, make sure your mail is still there. Verify this using the Web App.
 
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Thanks for the reply. Sorry for the short vague description. My goal is to restore the data from one computer to a new computer and just view the Outlook items. Here is what I have….

BOX1: MacBook. Outlook 2011 installed. Data backed up to external source.

I have:
~/Documents/Microsoft User Data/ Office 2011 Identities/

With a profile folder called “Main Identity” with ~4.5 GB of data, almost all in the Message Attachments sub folder:

~/Documents/Microsoft User Data/Office 2011 Identities/Main Identity

And all the data records in the /Data Records directory with the usual folders

On a new machine, BOX2, I installed Office/Outlook for Mac 2011

Opened up the Word to make sure that worked and noticed that the paths listed above were now created on BOX2. I noticed that until I opened up a Office application the Office 2011 Identities folder did not exist.

I renamed a the newly created Main Identity folder on BOX2 and moved the folder to the desktop. I then copied the Main Identity folder from BOX 1 to BOX2’s “~/Documents/Microsoft User Data/ Office 2011 Identities/” folder.

From here I have tried a few things to work with the now restored identity from BOX1 to BOX2.

First, I just opened Outlook and it gives me the rebuild option by default:
image.jpg



I perform the rebuild; it backs up the Main Identity folder:
image.jpg


And Main Identity becomes the default.

I can now get into Outlook, I can see the folders in the tree but there are no message items at all - nothing in the inbox, sent, deleted, etc. or the user created/named folders.

I tried to copy the Data Records data from the backed up identity as well as the original backup to the new Main Identity, leaving the new Database file in the Main Identity folder and get a different rebuild option.

image.jpg



It does the rebuild and I get the same issue with empty folders, no items.

I tried doing all of this just thought the Microsoft Database Utility as opposed to opening Outlook as MSMacMan suggested with the same results.

Been going through various combinations over the past day of rebuilding and coping data with every result being no items/empty folders.

Again my goal is to restore the backed up data to a new machine just to view the data.
 

bobtomay

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Note: fixed your first 2 images - the 3rd one is indicating 'url not found'.

In order for you to use the
 
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Note: fixed your first 2 images - the 3rd one is indicating 'url not found'.

In order for you to use the tags here - you must use the 'Direct Link' shortcut (the 2nd one) they have.[/QUOTE]

I have seen this before. A wonderful customer of mine was experiencing something like this, it took quite some time to figure out.

You can try exporting all your 'missing' emails to an OLM. Basically, they are not missing. They are still there, but corrupt and invisible.
With the corrupt identity open,
1. Go to File
2. Select Export
3. Export everything to an OLM file
4. Wait.
5. Wait some more, corrupt items can take some time...
6. Once the OLM file is complete, quit Outlook 2011
7. Create a new identity by...
8. Hold down the option key and launch Outlook 2011
9. The Microsoft Database Utility should open. If it doesn't, close outlook and try again
10. Create a new identity with the '+' button
11. Set it as default with the 'Cog/Gear' next to the '-' button
12. Launch Outlook 2011
13. Go to File
14. Select Import
15. Import the OLM
16. Grab some Eggnog
17. Drink Eggnog
18. The folder/emails should appear under the 'On My Computer' Section in an 'Archived Email' Folder
19. If you don't see the 'On My Computer' section, you may have it hidden in the General options (File - Preferences - General - Hide On My Computer)

Happy Holidays. Let me know how this goes.
 
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Shane - thanks for the feedback. I have tried the export/import and not getting messages in the Archived Email folder (nothing hidden in Hide On My Computer). Also the created OLM file ends up being only about 90k (the backed up folders constituent over 4GB) - even the restored profile after the rebuild only has about 34MB.

When I open the OLM in a hex editor I can see the XML fields and some of the data is there such as contacts and some calendar events but none of the messages - its seems like just some of the structure. Somehow the database tool is not bringing in the email messages.
 
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Shane - thanks for the feedback. I have tried the export/import and not getting messages in the Archived Email folder (nothing hidden in Hide On My Computer). Also the created OLM file ends up being only about 90k (the backed up folders constituent over 4GB) - even the restored profile after the rebuild only has about 34MB.

When I open the OLM in a hex editor I can see the XML fields and some of the data is there such as contacts and some calendar events but none of the messages - its seems like just some of the structure. Somehow the database tool is not bringing in the email messages.

MrHyde,

What OS is installed on BOTH macs? These may have to match
What version of Outlook 2011 are you using? You will want to make sure they both match (Outlook Dropdown - About Outlook - 14.1.4 is the most recent release)

What happened to Box 1? If its still in working order why not just do an OLM export from Outlook? That may work better...


Once I get the OS/Version information I can attempt to do it on my mac lab setup. See if I run into any snags to work through.
 
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BOX1 - there is no access to this system so I can't get any of data from that. Also it was a limited backup of only the "Microsoft User Data" folder and sub folders. (So I thought....see below). BOX2 is on 10.6.2 and with 14.1.4.

So in gathering the information and picking though the Plist files that were available, I found in the GlobalPreferences.plist under the recent places section the user had been in folders "~/Desktop/pst files" as well as "../Data Records/Message Sources" and "../Data Records/Messages". However in the backup set, the Message Sources ad Message folders are not there. It appears that there was some troubleshooting and/or data changes prior to my receipt of the back-up set.

Shane, thanks again for taking the time to offer insight. With troubleshooting always comes knowledge!
 
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mrhyde said:
Thanks again for taking some time to address my issue. Much appreciated.

Certainly my pleasure, and I agree. The best way to know the product is to get your hands dirty :)

So we have some missing information from the backup? We may be totally out of luck then... Odd how those didn't get added during the backup, it should have. Do you happen to have another backup available? If not I am not sure there is anything else I can do. Please let me know!
 
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Missing emails and data in office for mac 2011

Dear Shane,
I note other problem cases in this area. Mine is that Office for Mac 2011 contains nothing on launch today. All data, emails, calendar, contacts, notes and so on are missing.
Tried rebuild but am seeing nothing after that. Email on iPhone still working.
Cathal
PS - Use Time Machine to back up and am seeing individual email messages there.
 
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PLEASE HELP! Outlook Crash - Rebuild?

Hello,

If anyone can help assist me I would greatly appreciate it.

This is the situation and where I am at:
This morning I was working normal email routine for my home business. I was writing an email and my entire computer just shut off. When I finally restarted the computer it said that Microsoft Outlook 2011 had a huge error and that the database needed to be rebuilt. It automatically popped up the Microsoft Database Utility. I obviously selected 1 of the 2 identities to rebuild. I went through the long rebuild process and it said it failed and could not be rebuilt.

I then went on another Microsoft website that told me to make sure no programs were running, to make sure there was at least 3 times the amount of space that your identity takes up, and then do the rebuild. So I looked and free'd some space thinking this was the problem. Well after I freed space, tried to rebuild the same old identity, it said it finally worked but when I reopened Outlook everything was gone, and I had no accounts listed either (i had 4 different email accounts).

I must have tried "rebuilding the data base" 10 times now, and I think it is started to just take up a ton of the free space I made.

So now, if I open Outlook I can see all my folders, sub folders on the left but absolutely NO email in anything, no junk email, but for some reason there is "deleted emails" from like 2010. THIS MAKES NO SENSE AT ALL! If I search on my Mac for emails, I can find data files obviously, so I know everything is on this computer but it will not load or rebuild correctly.

IF SOMEONE CAN PLEASE HELP ME FIGURE THIS OUT I WILL DEFINITELY COMPENSATE. I run 3 businesses through outlook, I cannot afford to lose all that information.
 
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Both of you...

Did you have any emails store locally, or is all your email/items on the servers?

1. Go to file
2. Select Export
3. Export everything to OLM
4. Once everything that is 'missing' is in the OLM, check the size of the OLM. If its large this will work, if its small it wont.
5. Close Outlook 2011
6. Hold down the option key, and launch Outlook 2011
7. The Microsoft Database Utility will open
8. Create a New Identity and Name it
9. Set it as default using the 'Gear' button
10. Launch Outlook 2011
11. Go to Outlook
12. Preferences
13. Accounts
14. Setup your accounts. If you need your credentials/settings check your system admin or email provider
15. All email on the servers will be downloaded/synced
16. Import the OLM I had you create
17. Check the 'Archived Mail' section under 'On My Computer'
18. All your old mail there? great!
19. Organize it how you want to.

If the above steps don't work, and you had locally stored data that wasn't backed up, you are out of luck. Use time machine, backup your data. Always.

I look forward to hearing from you both.
 
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My main response to your resolution is:

You are telling us to export everything to OLM. But there is nothing to export? If my entire Identity is completely wiped out, then wouldn't I just be exporting a blank file basically?

I don't see how exporting what I couldn't have, then going through the other steps, is going to show me the result I want.

It seems that when I was rebuilding a few days ago.. it kept rebuilding the same identity but it never completed it, because every Identity is the same "sub folders and folders are there" but no mail, no organization, nothing.

Let me know, if the export thing is really just a step to help get your mail back.

Also, I know the mail is all on my computer because I search on my Apple Search Bar and anything I type finds a data file of that message. If I try to click it - it will try to open in Outlook but it says the message file is not associated with my default identity? It is the same identity as before just not loaded with my mail. I possible may have erased the entire original identity but kept a few rebuilds. IS THERE ANY WAY TO OPEN UP THOSE MESSAGE FILES?\

THANKS FOR ANY HELP
 
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My main response to your resolution is:

You are telling us to export everything to OLM. But there is nothing to export? If my entire Identity is completely wiped out, then wouldn't I just be exporting a blank file basically?

I don't see how exporting what I couldn't have, then going through the other steps, is going to show me the result I want.

It seems that when I was rebuilding a few days ago.. it kept rebuilding the same identity but it never completed it, because every Identity is the same "sub folders and folders are there" but no mail, no organization, nothing.

Let me know, if the export thing is really just a step to help get your mail back.

Also, I know the mail is all on my computer because I search on my Apple Search Bar and anything I type finds a data file of that message. If I try to click it - it will try to open in Outlook but it says the message file is not associated with my default identity? It is the same identity as before just not loaded with my mail. I possible may have erased the entire original identity but kept a few rebuilds. IS THERE ANY WAY TO OPEN UP THOSE MESSAGE FILES?\

THANKS FOR ANY HELP

Great, so where are they on your computer?

Go to documents - microsoft user data - Outlook 2011 identities. What folders are here? Open them and check the database file. How large are they? If one is big, but when you open it in OL has no mail, it means the items are corrupt and invisible. I have seen it before.

I will further explain how OL2011 works. When You connect to your mail sever, OL2011 will create a cache of all the mail located on your server. So if you are missing all your mail on your computer, you may still be able to get the cache again from your server, by simply setting up a new identity and syncing the account.

That is unless you moved the items off your sever, and onto to On My Computer section of the folder structure in OL. If you did this then you stored them locally only.

Please respond with your findings.
 
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My main response to your resolution is:

You are telling us to export everything to OLM. But there is nothing to export? If my entire Identity is completely wiped out, then wouldn't I just be exporting a blank file basically?

I don't see how exporting what I couldn't have, then going through the other steps, is going to show me the result I want.

It seems that when I was rebuilding a few days ago.. it kept rebuilding the same identity but it never completed it, because every Identity is the same "sub folders and folders are there" but no mail, no organization, nothing.

Let me know, if the export thing is really just a step to help get your mail back.

Also, I know the mail is all on my computer because I search on my Apple Search Bar and anything I type finds a data file of that message. If I try to click it - it will try to open in Outlook but it says the message file is not associated with my default identity? It is the same identity as before just not loaded with my mail. I possible may have erased the entire original identity but kept a few rebuilds. IS THERE ANY WAY TO OPEN UP THOSE MESSAGE FILES?\

THANKS FOR ANY HELP

Also,

If you examine my steps it takes care of a few things.
1. Corruption
2. Valid Backup
3. Downloads Email from Mail Server
4. Attempts to recover Locally Store Mail

If you would have followed those steps, we would have gotten somewhere. The previous steps that I suggested to you cover a wide variety of troubleshooting techniques.
 
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Have had to reinstall Office and set up a new account. Can see all my emails in finder but can't access them. Time machine has backed up everything, but I cannot find/configure undamaged database.
These emails are vital. This is the third crash I have had with Outlook for Mac. I cannot afford this as I need a stable reliable email system.
Help!!!
 
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Syncing as suggested by Shane

Shane - how do I connect/contact/see/in anyway view the server and what (of my data) is on it?
Syncing option seems only to refer to Apple mail.
Right now the (new) account is working but all my old mail (viewable in finder), cannot be accessed.
Creating identities seems to lead to a black hole as it keeps 'repairing' and then giving a message that the data cannot be viewed or imported as the database is damaged.
Cathal
 
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Figured It Out

Look in your spotlight search and see if the email is someplace other than the current Main Identity, like on a separate drive a backup whatever. Go find any Main Identities not in you documents folder. Change the name a bit and drag it to your MS User file. Open the MS Database Utility (open Outlook while holding the option key) change the default ID to the one you dragged over rebuild it just for good measure and export it to your desktop. Go back to the Database utility and change back to your main ID and import the olm file and it will all work again.
 

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