Compact message store

[Guest]

why can't i find an answer about compacting message store? Should I do it or
not?

 

[Michael Jennings]

"The Windows Mail database periodically needs compacting and defragmenting to
function with maximal performance," according to Dr. Cochran here at this link:

http://www.oehelp.com/WMUtil/Default.aspx

 

[Terry]

why can't i find an answer about compacting message store? Should I do it or
not?

Bobbie,
I updated to a Vista 64 machine a week ago. Previously, I ran the
compacting function on an XPpro machine several times but following the last
run noticed that it lost six weeks of Sent Items at which point I
discontinued using it. Suggestion: use it at your peril. An experienced
tech later confirmed that problem(s) can arise.

 

[PA Bear [MS MVP]]

@terry *only*! ...

Why it happens:

http://insideoe.tomsterdam.com/problems/bugs.htm#mailgone
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/IE/community/columns/filecorruption.mspx

Recovering the missing data: http://www.oehelp.com/OETips.aspx (#2 and #4)
and http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=918069 (see Notes section under
Resolution)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
DBXpress (faster, more powerful, with even greater functionality than
DBXtract)
http://www.oehelp.com/DBXpress/Default.aspx
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Avoiding Such Corruption in Future:

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

- Empty Deleted Items folder daily.

- Frequently perform a manual compact of all OE folders while "working
offline". More at http://www.insideoe.com/files/maintain.htm

- 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) and provides no additional protection:

Why you don't need your anti-virus to scan your email
http://thundercloud.net/infoave/tutorials/email-scanning/index.htm
--
OE-specific newsgroup:
news://msnews.microsoft.com/microsoft.public.outlookexpress.general

~Robear Dyer (PA Bear)
MS MVP-IE, Mail, Security, Windows Desktop Experience - since 2002


Terry wrote:

 

[Gary VanderMolen]

Compaction serves a different purpose in Windows Mail than it does in OE.
OE stores a folder's worth of messages in a .dbx file. Compaction removes
the space taken up by deleted messages. OE's .dbx files are somewhat fragile
and can cause data loss if preventative measures aren't taken.

WM stores each message in an individual .eml file, no message compaction
needed. What does need compacting is the database which has pointers
and flags for the messages.