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unable to index Outlook Main Profile folder [message #1224] Sat, 12 June 2021 23:47 Go to next message
suite48
Messages: 4
Registered: June 2021
Junior Member
somehow Foxtrot Pro has stopped indexing my Main Profile folder in which my Outlook mail files are stored. I use Outlook's default path ~/Library/Group Containers/UBF8T346G9.Office/Outlook/Outlook 15 Profiles/

I rebuilt Spotlight and also reinstalled Foxtrot Pro. When trying to rebuild or even update the index (I tried both) at some point I get this message: Foxtrot needs to be pre-authorized to access some of your data (see attached)

When I get this message, in the System Preferences it shows that Foxtrot is already authorized. If I choose "Continue as is" then the indexing is incomplete, i.e. doesn't include this folder. If I remove Foxtrot from the Full Disk Access, quit System Preferences and add it again, System Preferences forces me to first quit Foxtrot, i.e. the indexing then stops. After opening Foxtrot and indexing again, the same dialog appears at some point, so I'm in a loop and can't get this folder to index.

Any suggestions? Much appreciated, as the support team has not been responsive.
Re: unable to index Outlook Main Profile folder [message #1225 is a reply to message #1224] Mon, 14 June 2021 19:48 Go to previous messageGo to next message
FoxTrot Engineering
Messages: 383
Registered: April 2020
Senior Member
I am afraid I have no magic solution here. Granting FoxTrot Pro "full disk access" should work. Maybe you granted "files and folders" permission instead?
In your screenshot, the problem is reported for the Calendar, Address Book and Messages folders but this dialog probably also pops up for ~/Library/Group Containers/UBF8T346G9.Office/Outlook/Outlook 15 Profiles, right?
Did this problem started after updating macOS to 11.4? With this version, FoxTrot can erroneously request full disk access for some hidden and very protected folders (/private/var), and this is fixed with FoxTrot 7.1b1; but this should not happen neither for Calendar, Address Book or Messages, nor for Outlook.


Jérôme - FoxTrot Engineering
Re: unable to index Outlook Main Profile folder [message #1226 is a reply to message #1225] Mon, 14 June 2021 20:37 Go to previous messageGo to next message
suite48
Messages: 4
Registered: June 2021
Junior Member
Thanks Jerome. No, i really granted "full disk access" to Foxtrot Pro, and the problem started before upgrading to 11.4. I think the problem started after a big crash, after which Outlook's .elm messages are no longer indexed - I only see search results for their older mail format, OLK15message.com. Funny thing is that Foxtrot does return recent .ics calendar results even after "I'd chosen "Continue as is" in this dialog (and they are stored in the same Main Profile folder).

At an earlier stage, Microsoft support suggested to change and change back "Always open by Outlook" for .elm files in the finder but that didn't change anything. Do you have any issues specifically with .elm files or could the finder corrupted any metadata needed for you to read them - or how could we check that?

Thanks!
Re: unable to index Outlook Main Profile folder [message #1229 is a reply to message #1226] Tue, 15 June 2021 11:49 Go to previous messageGo to next message
FoxTrot Engineering
Messages: 383
Registered: April 2020
Senior Member
I think there are two unrelated things here:
1. an issue with your Outlook messages
2. an issue with "full disk access" permission

Maybe you removed "full disk access" permission in an attempt to fix issue 1, or when re-installing FoxTrot. If you grant this permission again, then quit FoxTrot, make sure its background processes are also stopped (you can check with Activity Monitor, or reboot your Mac to be really sure), then relaunch it, this message should not appear again (except possibly for the /var/private folders, on macOS 11.4, if you are not using FoxTrot 7.1b1). Or do you confirm that this message appears again and again?

Which version of FoxTrot are you using? There was an issue with .eml messages on macOS 11.x, that was fixed in FoxTrot 7.0.4. However, I think Outlook's messages have a .olk15Message filename extension, rigth?
You can check which metadata importers are found on your Mac by pasting the following command in a Terminal.app window:
mdimport -L
Does "Microsoft Outlook Spotlight Importer.mdimporter" appears in the result? If not, I think that launching Outlook should fix the issue.
Can you find your Outlook messages using Spotlight?

You certainly did not do this, but it is also possible to disable some third party metadata importers in FoxTrot, by pressing the command and option keys when launching FoxTrot, and checking "manage third-party Spotlight importers".


Jérôme - FoxTrot Engineering
Re: unable to index Outlook Main Profile folder [message #1232 is a reply to message #1229] Fri, 18 June 2021 02:02 Go to previous messageGo to next message
suite48
Messages: 4
Registered: June 2021
Junior Member
Let's start with "Full disk access". I just did as advised, including rebooting. But the "Foxtrot needs to be pre-authorized to access some of your data" message appeared again eventhough full disk access was already selected. I am on Foxtrot 7.04 build 2612. I don't know if "continue as is" then has any impact on the indexing but that's the only option I have once I get the Foxtrot warning.

Regarding the Outlook messages. My Outlook files currently have the .eml extension; it appears they are the ones affected, as the ones I do get in my search results are all in the old .olk15Message format mails. I believe Outlook at some point changed their file format.

The Microsoft Outlook Spotlight Importer.mdimporter does show up as a metadata importer.

Regarding Spotlight: This is the weird part - Spotlight works partially for my Outlook mails: it finds some of my recent (.eml) files but definitely not all, while Foxtrot finds none, while Outlook itself (which uses Spotlight indexing) finds all of them!

Any suggestions other than me going back to Apple and Microsoft again? (I already rebuild the Spotlight index without success)

Thanks!
Re: unable to index Outlook Main Profile folder [message #1236 is a reply to message #1232] Fri, 18 June 2021 11:01 Go to previous messageGo to next message
FoxTrot Engineering
Messages: 383
Registered: April 2020
Senior Member
OK, I found what is causing the "Full Disk Access" problem on 11.4.
One possible workaround is to disable scheduled updates for all your indices, then rebooting your Mac (or logging out your macOS account).
A better workaround:
- open System Preferences / Security & Privacy / Privacy / Full Disk Access
- unlock the padlock, and leave this window visible
- in the Finder, locate the FoxTrot application
- right-click it and choose "Show Package Contents"
- navigate to Contents / MacOS
- drag FTStarter to the list of processes to grant Full Disk Access
- reboot your Mac (or logout your macOS account)

We will try to fix the issue in version 7.1

Let me know if this fixes your Outlook files problem as well.
Which version of Outlook / Office are you using? Outlook's spotlight importer (version 16.50) only handles .olk15Message messages, so I would not expect it to save messages in .eml format (although it can certainly export messages to this format).


Jérôme - FoxTrot Engineering
Re: unable to index Outlook Main Profile folder [message #1238 is a reply to message #1236] Fri, 18 June 2021 17:50 Go to previous message
suite48
Messages: 4
Registered: June 2021
Junior Member
Thanks, this works! I did your "better workaround" and this indeed solved the Full disk access problem. When rebuilding the Index I now have more Outlook search results, but they are all from old messages; not the new ones that are missing.

You are right: Outlook uses .olk15Message. I based my thinking it was now .elm after dragging a recent mail from Outlook to the desktop, where it then becomes an exported .elm.

I use the latest version of Outlook, 16.50.

I also sent an additional private message regarding the Spotlight indexing but they included more private screenshots so I had to remove that from this chain.
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