Outlook Express problems?

outlook express: inbox problems

• I run W2000 and Outlook Express 6.0 and use POP3 as mail protocol. A copy of the mails is left on the mailserver for backup purposes. I use McAffe 4.5.1 as a virus scan software. Usually the system runs stable, but sometimes strange things happen: all the mails in my Outlook Express Inbox disappear (and can´t be found anywhere in the Outlook folders). I´ve setup Outlook to keep all mails forever, so automatic deleting can not be the problem. Could there be trouble with the virus scanning software ? Or are there any ideas why this can happen ?

• Answer:

  Till... Thank you for accepting my work on this question. I am happy to comply with your wish and post the information I provided as a formal answer: ------------------------------------------------------- Have you tried File -> Folder -> Compact All Folders? I do this on a regular basis, and can still get a reduction in used space of 3+%. If you don't do it on a regular basis, your results could be quite spectacular. To see how much space your mail is occupying, use Windows Explorer and go to: C:\Documents and Settings\[username]\Local Settings\Application Data\Identities\[GlobalIdentifier#]\Microsoft\Outlook Express and right-click on that folder, selecting Properties. This will give you how the total size of the folder-files (.dbx) in that directory, and the total disk space used to hold them. Do this before and after compacting, and you can guage the difference. If you run into an error during compacting, make a note of it. This could tell you which folder may be corrupted and need to be repaired. ------------------------------------------------------- I'm glad you had the spectacular results I anticipated with this technique. The compaction feature in Outlook Express is not widely known and is therefore little-used. Using it on a regular basis is recommended, both for limiting the space required for storage, and for detecting corrupted folders and addressing them in a timely manner. sublime1-ga