When I exit Outlook Express, I get a pop up message asking if I want to
compact my messages. I've looked but can find no way to turn that message
off permanently. Is there a way to disable it altogether?

My thanks for your time.

Mary Leek

With SP2, automatic background compacting was removed due to problems it
caused. Now you will get a prompt to compact after 100 OE closings, which
you should do.

You can't turn it off, but you can reset the counter to 0, (zero).

Go to: StartRunRegeditOK and find this key.

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Identities\{GUID for Identity}\Software\Microsoft\Outlook
Express\5.0. In the right hand pane and find *Compact Check Count* and set
the value to 0, (zero). This will reset the prompt, and you won't see it
again for another 100 closings.

However, if you do not compact your folders from time to time, you stand a
good chance of your .dbx files becoming corrupt and very possibly lose your
messages.

Please read on.

Why does OE insist on compacting folders when I close it?:
http://www.insideoe.com/faqs/why.htm#compact

Compacting your folders periodically is a must to keep OE functioning well
and at some point, you may lose all your saved messages if you don't. When
you delete messages, they are only marked for deletion and the space they
had used, remains until you compact, or the space is eventually overwritten.
See:
www.oehelp.com/OETips.aspx#2

With SP2, automatic background compacting was removed due to problems it
caused. Now you will get a prompt to compact after 100 OE closings, which
you should do and don't touch anything until it has finished. See this for
more information:
http://www.insideoe.com/files/maintain.htm#compact

To keep things running smooth, and for faster compacting:

Do not archive mail in default OE folders. They will eventually become
corrupt and you may lose mail. Create your own user defined folders for
storing mail and move your mail to them. Empty Deleted Items folder
regularly. Keep user created folders under 100MB, and Default folders as
empty as is feasible.

And this is a very good option:

Steve Cochran has added a button in his new version of OE Tool that will not
only Compact All Folders, but at the same time, resets the "Compact Check
Count" to zero whenever you compact manually. You will see the prompt again
if you do not compact before 100 closings.

http://www.oehelp.com/OETool/

You should still check: Work Offline before you compact.

And backup often.

Backup and Resto

http://www.insideoutlookexpress.com/backup/

http://www.oehelp.com/backup.aspx

http://www.oehelp.com/OEBackup/Default.aspx
--
Bruce Hagen
MS MVP - Outlook Express
~IB-CA~

"Mary Fowler Leek" wrote in message
...
When I exit Outlook Express, I get a pop up message asking if I want to
compact my messages. I've looked but can find no way to turn that message
off permanently. Is there a way to disable it altogether?

My thanks for your time.

Mary Leek

"Mary Fowler Leek" escribió en el mensaje
...
When I exit Outlook Express, I get a pop up message asking if I want to
compact my messages. I've looked but can find no way to turn that message
off permanently. Is there a way to disable it altogether?

My thanks for your time.

Mary Leek

There is a new patch that addresses these issues. See the Update part of
point 2 he

www.oehelp.com/OETips.aspx#2

and

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/918069/en-us

steve

"Mary Fowler Leek" wrote in message
...
When I exit Outlook Express, I get a pop up message asking if I want to
compact my messages. I've looked but can find no way to turn that message
off permanently. Is there a way to disable it altogether?

My thanks for your time.

Mary Leek