E-mail messages, address books entries, and user account data are missing after you upgrade to Mac OS X (834363)

SYMPTOMS

After you upgrade your Apple Macintosh operating system (Mac OS 9.2.2 or an earlier version) to Mac OS X and then start either Microsoft Outlook Express 5.0 or Microsoft Entourage 2001, the program starts with a blank identity. None of your existing e-mail messages, address book entries, or user accounts are present.

CAUSE

This behavior occurs because in Mac OS X, applications store user information in a different location than in Mac OS 9.2.2 or in earlier versions. In Mac OS X, Entourage and Outlook Express store user information files in the following folder:

startup_volume:Users:user_name:Documents:Microsoft User Data

The following folder is the original location where Entourage and Outlook Express stored user information files in Mac OS 9.2.2 or in earlier versions:

startup_volume:Documents:Microsoft User Data

Note In these paths, startup_volume is the hard disk partition that the Macintosh operating system resides on, and user_name is the name of the user account that currently is logged on to the Macintosh computer.

In the Microsoft User Data folder, Outlook Express 5.0 stores user information in the Identities folder, while Entourage 2001 stores user information in the Office 2001 Identities folder.

RESOLUTION

To resolve this behavior, follow these steps:

Quit Microsoft Outlook Express, quit Entourage 2001, or quit both programs.
Open the startup_volume:Users:user_name:Documents:Microsoft User Data folder.
Change the name of the Identities folder, the Office 2001 Identities folder, or both folders by adding the word "Backup" to the end of the folder names.

For example, you would rename the Identities folder to Identities Backup.
In a new window, open the startup_volume:Documents:Microsoft User Data folder.
Select either the Identities folder, the Office 2001 Identities folder, or both folders.
Drag the folders to the startup_volume:Users:user_name:Documents:Microsoft User Data folder.
Start Outlook Express, start Entourage 2001, or start both programs. All your e-mail messages and other user data will be present.

Note Outlook Express 5.0 may also store user information in a folder that is inside the Outlook Express 5.0 folder. If the Identities folder is not present in the startup_volume:Documents:Microsoft User Data folder, check the Outlook Express 5.0 folder for the Identities folder.

MORE INFORMATION

For additional information about how to find, to use, and to repair Outlook Express 5 and Entourage 2001 user information, click the following article numbers to view the articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

268323 Storage locations for Entourage user data

304059 How to back up and recover Outlook Express 5.x for Macintosh data

268322 How to rebuild your identity database in Entourage

299939 Address book and messages are missing when you open Entourage