When this happens:

1. Close OE.

2. Reopen OE and compact all folders again (ALT+F+F+F).

cf. http://www.insideoe.com/files/maintain.htm#compact

This usually happens if (a) you've created a new local folder or renamed an
existing folder during the current OE session and/or (b) you haven't been
compacting all OE folders on a very regular basis.

General OE Caveats to avoid such problems:

- Don't use Inbox or Sent Items to archive messages. Move them to local
folders created for this purpose.

- Empty Deleted Items folder daily.

- Disable Background Compacting [removed in WinXP SP2] and frequently
perform a manual compact of all OE folders while "working offline". More at
http://www.insideoe.com/files/maintain.htm

- WinXP SP2 only: Do not cancel Automatic Compacting, should it occur, and
do not attempt to close OE via Task Manager or shutdown your machine if
Automatic Compacting is taking place.

- Disable email scanning by your anti-virus application. It can cause
corruption (i.e., loss of messages), it provides no additional protection,
and even Symantec says it's not necessary:

QP
Disabling Email Scanning does not leave you unprotected against viruses that
are distributed as email attachments. Norton AntiVirus Auto-Protect scans
incoming files as they are saved to your hard drive, including email and
email attachments. Email Scanning is just another layer on top of this. To
make sure that Auto-Protect is providing the maximum protection, keep
Auto-Protect enabled and run LiveUpdate regularly to ensure that you have
the most recent virus definitions.
/QP
http://service1.symantec.com/SUPPORT...02111812533106
--
~Robear Dyer (PA Bear)
MS MVP-IE, Mail, Security, Windows Desktop Experience - since 2002
AumHa VSOP & Admin http://aumha.net
DTS-L http://dts-l.net/

ajlopez wrote:
Hi!

I'm trying to compact my input folder. I started OE, mark work offline,
close OE, start again, compact manually input folder, it works for 5
minutes, showing a first windows with a bar progress. After that window,
other window appears, I guess it says copying... at the end, I have an
error:

the folder is currently in use by Outlook Express or by another
application

I have 4g of free disk space at begin, 2.6g at the end of the second
window,
then back to 4g after the error.

Any cues? Any log to view the detailed error?

I tried many times, same error