Windows version? Is the machine fully up-to-date at Windows Update?

One or more of your current Identities may be damaged (especially likely:
the default Main Identity). Try one or more of your accounts in a new Named
Identity (File Identities Add new identity). Assuming all is well, (1)
compact all folders in the old identity, (2) import messages from the old
identity into the new one, and then (3) delete the old one (File
Identities Manage Identities).

To avoid such corruption in futu

- 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 [N/A in 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 attempt to close OE via Task Manager or shutdown
your machine if Automatic Compacting is taking place.

- WinXP SP2 only: If your machine is fully up-to-date at Windows Update,
installing the following patch (KB918766) will help to avoid such data loss
in the futu
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/d...2-98af2256ccc3

This patch will be included in the next Cumulative Update for Outlook
Express/WinXP SP2.

- Your anti-virus application's email scanning feature can also cause
corruption. Disable it. It provides no additional protection.
--
~Robear Dyer (PA Bear)
MS MVP-Windows (IE/OE, Shell/User, Security), Aumha.org VSOP, DTS-L.org

Brian Murphy wrote:
I'm having this same assenine problem all the time now. I also had this
problem 2 or 3 years ago on a different computer and hired a guy to fix
it, and he couldn't.

Anytime I try to switch identities now, it is totally non-responsive. It
just closes and ignores me like my kids do when I tell them to get
dressed. Oftem after awhile goes by, a window with the blue border on the
top saying Outlook Express pops up and it says: "Outlook Express
could not be started because another instance of it is still running on
your computer. Please log off of Windows, then restart Outlook Express.
If the problem persists, save your work, and then restart your computer."

WTH is this? I have done this 25 times already today and last night, and
it keeps happening. I have about 5 important email accounts here via
Comcast and I need to check them all, and now switching leads to be
having to restart my computer each time.

Any idea how I can fix this? I don't think it has anything to do with
spyware as I seem to be clean as I just did full runs. I sense, as this
happened a few years ago, that as my computer gets fuller, this happens.