I have a lot of emails in Windows XP Outlook Express I want to keep there. How do I stop that message about compacting my files? I do not wish to do so and want to stop the message.2 people need an answerI do too

You cannot stop the message and to do so risks even bigger problems. The best solution is to manually compact Outlook Express at a time that suits you. This needs to be done before you have opened and closed Outlook Express 100 times.You can control the Compacting process by doing it at a time that suitsbefore the count reaches 100.In Outlook Express place the cursor on Local Folders and select File,Work Offline followed by File, Folder, Compact All. Do not attempt tointerupt or stop the process until it has completed. Close OutlookExpress when it has completed.After compacting check your Outlook Express folders are as they shouldbe. Then select Start, All Programs, Accessories, System Tools, DiskCleanUp to Empty your Recycle Bin and Remove Temporary Internet Files.Also select Start, All Programs, accessories, System Tools, DiskCleanUp, More Options, System Restore and remove all but the latestSystem Restore point. Run Disk Defragmenter. Hope this helps, Gerry Cornell

If you are talking about a message that says:To free up disk space, Outlook Express can compact messages. This may take up to a few minutes.Automatic compacting of Outlook Express files was introduced in Service Pack 2.If you using Windows XP, there is a registry value called:Compact Check Count It is located in the Registry in a key resembling this:HKCU\Identities\{51909A0B-63EE-4EB3-A9A2-7CFA23C1ADCF}\Software\Microsoft\Outlook Express\5.0Every time you exit OE (not when you open it), the value of the counter increases by one increment. When the value of the counter gets to 101, the next time you close OE you will be prompted to compress the messages.There are two things that will increase the value of the counter.Exiting Outlook Express will increase the value of the counter.If you have Windows Desktop Search installed, it will increase the counter every time it runs which is usually on every reboot. If you are using both Outlook Express and Windows Desktop Search, the counter will get increased more frequently - every time you close Outlook Express and every time Windows Desktop Search launches when you reboot.Even if you are not using Outlook Express and only using Windows Desktop Search, that will still increase the counter, so when the counter gets to 100, Windows Desktop Search will prompt you to compress the messages on the next reboot. This is because Windows Desktop Search is set up by default to search the Outlook Express database whether your are using Outlook Express or not.No matter how the counter is increased, if you are using at least one of those two, you will end up seeing this message sooner or later. But you can stop it when you understand it.You can compress the database when prompted (which will reset the counter to 0).You can edit the registry and reset the counter by hand to buy some time until you see the message again.If you not using Outlook Express and only using Windows Desktop Search you can tell Windows Desktop Search to never look at the Outlook Express database (or uninstall the Windows Desktop Search if you are not using it).Following the Outlook Express best practices for use will prevent you from ever seeing the message in the first place. If you see the message you might want to reconsider how you are using Outlook Express and the risks of data store corruption from casual or improper use (risky behavior).Most folks using Outlook Express and/or Windows Desktop Search at the same time are satisfied with just removing the Indexing Option in Windows Desktop Search and keeping the counter that is built in to Outlook Express so they will be reminded to compact their database once in a while. If you were to somehow choose to never maintain your Outlook Express files, that would be risky for your messages.To remove the Windows Desktop Search Indexing Option for the Outlook Express database do this:Click Start, Settings, Control Panel, Indexing Options, Modify, clear the Outlook Express box, OK, OK, to save your settings and restart the system so the changes will be in effect.Do, or do not. There is no try.I need YOUR votes and points for helpful replies and Propose as Answers. I am saving up for a pony!

See also www.oehelp.com/OETips.aspx#2 steve <parrotice> wrote in message news:Email removed for privacy...I have a lot of emails in Windows XP Outlook Express I want to keep there. How do I stop that message about compacting my files? I do not wish to do so and want to stop the message.