Outlook Express Compacting
Outlook Express want to continually compact my messages. It is driving me nuts. Can anyone tell me how to disable this feature please? Thanks, Bellbird3 people need an answerI do too
January 5th, 2010 9:54am

Have you allowed it to compact and you're still getting messages?Boulder Computer MavenMicrosoft MVP
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January 5th, 2010 3:21pm

Steve, Last time it compacted it lost one third of my emails. Took me ten days to retrieve the lost ones that weren't on my backup disk Should I trust it again? Thanks, Bellbird
January 6th, 2010 5:46am

Hi, Bellbird. Given your experience, I'd back up the Outlook Express store folder before allowing it to compact. And I'd disable background compaction, as described in The Other E-Mail Threat: File Corruption in Outlook Express . See Why does OE insist on compacting folders when I close it? for more information.Owner, Boulder Computer MavenMicrosoft Most Valuable Professional
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January 6th, 2010 9:34am

Thanks Steve, I've got backups on every sort of drive possible. Will check out the sites you recommended and let you know how things go. Will also give it another compact and see how that goes as well. Many thanks, Ann
January 6th, 2010 2:24pm

Thanks again Steve, I have completed a compact and, touch wood, everything seems to still be there. Will see if the system keeps asking to do a compact. I went to the site above that you suggested from which I went to tools-options-maintenance. My maintenance box in OE does not have a box to "Compact messages automatically in the background" to check or uncheck. I have two boxes (1) Delete read messages in newsgroups and (2) Delete news messages x days after being downloaded. Both are unticked. I have have a box I can click on to "Clean up now to cleanup downloaded messages on your computer". I presume this will wipe out all my emails en masse. Will let you know if doing a compact has cured my problem. Thanks, Bellbird
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January 6th, 2010 3:42pm

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