My Outlook Express has developed an annoying trait. When I click to open the
first email of a new session, it takes about 30 seconds or more before it
will open. After that message is openend, other messages open in just a
couple of seconds, like normal. I suspect it has someting to do with a new
anti-virus program I am using. I have always been a Norton man but the virus
companies are getting to where they charge more to renew your subscription
than I paid for the original software. I can go out and buy a new version of
Norton at WalMart or Sams for less then they want to renew my subscription.
This time I decided to try Bitdefender after hearing so many rave reviews of
it.
Has anyone had a similar problem with a long delay in opening the first
message after OE has been brought up? If so do you know what is causing it?

1: Compact your folders.

2: Turn off e-mail scanning in your anti-virus program. It is a redundant
layer of protection that eats up CPUs, slows down sending and receiving, and
causes a multitude of problems such as time-outs, account setting changes
and has even been responsible for lose of messages. Your up-to-date A/V
program will continue to protect you sufficiently. For more, see:
http://www.oehelp.com/OETips.aspx#3

3: I highly recommend you get rid of Norton and do not replace it with
McAfee.

I suggest AVG Free:
http://free.grisoft.com/doc/2/lng/us/tpl/v5
or:
http://www.grisoft.com/doc/40/lng/ww

When prompted, choose Custom Installation and *uncheck* e-mail scanning when
you see the option.

Norton, and McAfee, products are not Outlook Express friendly, and I don't
know of any OE-MVP that would recommend using them.

General precautions for Outlook Express:

Do not archive mail in default OE folders. They will eventually become
corrupt. 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.

After you are done, follow up by compacting your folders manually while
working *offline* and do it often.

Click on Outlook Express at the top of the folder tree so no folders are
open. Then: File | Work Offline (or double click Working Online in the
Status Bar). File | Folder | Compact all folders. Don't touch anything until
the compacting is completed.

Turn off e-mail scanning in your anti-virus program. It is a redundant layer
of protection that eats up CPUs and causes a multitude of problems such as
time-outs and account setting changes. Your up-to-date A/V program will
continue to protect you sufficiently. For more, see:
http://www.oehelp.com/OETips.aspx#3

In Tools | Options | Maintenance: Uncheck Compact messages in background and
leave it unchecked. {N/A if running XP/SP2}.

And backup often.

Backup & Resto
http://www.insideoutlookexpress.com/backup/

This is a great two click program:

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

"PepperJon" wrote in message
...
My Outlook Express has developed an annoying trait. When I click to open
the
first email of a new session, it takes about 30 seconds or more before it
will open. After that message is openend, other messages open in just a
couple of seconds, like normal. I suspect it has someting to do with a new
anti-virus program I am using. I have always been a Norton man but the
virus
companies are getting to where they charge more to renew your subscription
than I paid for the original software. I can go out and buy a new version
of
Norton at WalMart or Sams for less then they want to renew my
subscription.
This time I decided to try Bitdefender after hearing so many rave reviews
of
it.
Has anyone had a similar problem with a long delay in opening the first
message after OE has been brought up? If so do you know what is causing
it?