The synchronization process takes longer than expected when you try to synchronize the Entourage 2004 for Mac mailbox with your e-mail server (903707)

WORKAROUND

To work around this problem, create new folders to organize your mailbox and the Inbox. After you create the new folders, move your e-mail messages from your mailbox and from the Inbox to these new folders. To do this, follow these steps.

1. Start Entourage 2004 for Mac.
2. Click Mail, and then click Folders on My Computer in the Folders pane.
3. Click the drop down arrow that is next to New, and then click Subfolder.
   
   Type a name for the folder that matches a subject or a category that is common to your e-mail messages.
4. In the Folders pane, click Inbox under Folders on My Computer.
   
   Examine the e-mail messages that match the subject or category of the new folder that you created in step 3 for any common sorting criteria. Examples of sorting criteria include subject tags and mailing list addresses.
5. On the Tools menu, click Rules.
6. Click the tab that corresponds to the e-mail server type that you use.
   
   For example, if you receive e-mail from an IMAP e-mail server, click the Mail (IMAP) tab.
7. Click New, and then set up the rule to match the sorting criteria that you found in step 4.
   
   Note For more information about how to create rules in Entourage, click Entourage Help on the Help menu, type create a rule in the Search box, click Search, and then click the Create a rule topic.
8. Repeat step 7 if there is more than one sorting criteria for the e-mail messages that you want to move to the folder.
9. Close the Rules dialog box.
10. Click the Inbox, and then inside the Inbox window.
11. Click Select All on the Edit menu.
12. Click Message, point to Apply Rule, and then click All Rules.
13. Repeat steps 2 through 12 for each category or subject that you want to match.

Additionally, you can maintain a minimum number of e-mail messages in the Inbox. We cannot recommend a minimum number of e-mail messages or file sizes because the size of each e-mail message depends on if there are any attachments to the e-mail message.