The first time I try to open a message after the System has booted it takes
17 seconds with lots of disk activity. Once that message has opened all
subsequent ones in the session open immediately.

I'm sure this time has got gradually longer ever since XP was first
installed. I thought it might be due to the accumulation of messages in my
Sent Mail and Read Mail folders so I cleared them out (after making backup
copies elsewhere) but this has had no effect whatsoever.

Can anyone throw any light on this problem?