Outlook 2011 data recovery (all emails & folders gone)?

Hi,

Was using outlook as normal when a message popped up saying the database needed to be recovered. Launched the recovery tool but it freezes (not responding) I re-booted my Mac and now when outlook is launched EVERYTHING is gone. All mail, all folders, all accounts and the recovery simply won't respond once launched!!!

I use Time Machine so can I recover with this? What's happened and what can I do?

I cannot do disk recovery it says it cannot be repaired so I want to use time machine via CMD+R on boot up.

One thing that worries me is it says ALL DATA will be deleted. I assume it just means all current data will be deleted and the data as it was at the time of the backup will be restored?

In other words will my personal files such as photos or office files remain intact or do I lose these?

I don't like the wording saying it will delete all data, can someone please clarify what will happen to all my files if I use a backup.

If you have a recent full backup made with Time Machine and you implement restore, it will overwrite everything (data, photos, documents, etc) with the version(s) that were in place at the time of the backup. What that means is that older versions of those files will be restored in place of what exists on your machine now. That's how all backup software works in restore mode.

Thanks for your reply, after my thread I contacted apple support, they said my volume is corrupted (it won't do a disc repair) and I need to erase the disc then use my Time Machine backup to restore.
It scares me a bit as I have never done it before but they were absolute in their advise that that will fix the issue and I won't lose my files so here goes...

That was going to be my other bit of advice to you, but I overlooked it in answering your first concern. Start looking for another hard drive to replace the one that you're currently using. Once the drive starts acting up, you can no longer rely on it. Erasing it and reinstalling everything will likely be a waste of time because the drive will start to corrupt once more.

Hi,

Ok an update, after originally doing a CMD+R reboot and not being able to repair the volume I contacted apple again who asked for the details of the errors so I rebooted again (CMD+R) to run it again and give them the errors. Strangely the verify worked this time so I decided (with the advice from Apple) to just try a backup without erase 1st. The backup took 8-10 hrs to complete (1TB) but it then still wanted me to do the Microsoft Database Rebuild. This time though it worked and all my outlook folders and emails are back as normal, PHEW!!!

The only thing I have noticed so far (only been on it for about 1hr) is that folders that I had placed in the favourites (left side of finder window) have all gone. Only the default ones such as downloads/Documents/Desktop/Applications etc remain?
I like to put my most used folders in there but they are gone? Any ideas? Only a trivial thing now as I can put them back but if a backup is a mirror of my system as it was at that time why are they not in there?

Just put the folders back that you had there before. They're only aliases anyway and not the actual folders. The backup should have restored them though. And, be very aware that your hard drive is living on borrowed time. Make frequent backups.