Outlook Express freezing up repeatedly

[David Butler]

I've had a stable system and no problems with OE for a long while. Over the
last month, however, I've been experiencing difficulties where, sometimes in
the middle of typing, the little hourglass will come on and OE will freeze
up, sometimes for two minutes or so. I usually go to task manager and end
the program, and restart, but it's interesting watching it in task manager
while it's frozen because the memory usage column just keeps rising and
rising and rising while it's frozen, from about say 25k to over 200k.

I went to ms' web site and downloaded the explorer/outlook combo package and
reinstalled but it has made no difference.
I was running zonealarm firewall and norton antivirus, but have now updated
to norton internet 2005, which includes its own firewall. I didn't do this
because of the OE problem, but it has made no difference to it. I have run
virus scans, as well as ad scans through ad aware and spybot, but come up
clean. I have also finally gotten around to installing the XP sp2, but it
also has made no difference.

Any help would be appreciated.

 

[Alias]

Go offline and compact your messages. Also, if you have Norton checking your
emails for viruses, disable that feature as it offers no added proctection
and can cause problems like these.

Alias


: I've had a stable system and no problems with OE for a long while. Over
the
: last month, however, I've been experiencing difficulties where, sometimes
in
: the middle of typing, the little hourglass will come on and OE will freeze
: up, sometimes for two minutes or so. I usually go to task manager and end
: the program, and restart, but it's interesting watching it in task manager
: while it's frozen because the memory usage column just keeps rising and
: rising and rising while it's frozen, from about say 25k to over 200k.
:
: I went to ms' web site and downloaded the explorer/outlook combo package
and
: reinstalled but it has made no difference.
: I was running zonealarm firewall and norton antivirus, but have now
updated
: to norton internet 2005, which includes its own firewall. I didn't do this
: because of the OE problem, but it has made no difference to it. I have run
: virus scans, as well as ad scans through ad aware and spybot, but come up
: clean. I have also finally gotten around to installing the XP sp2, but it
: also has made no difference.
:
: Any help would be appreciated.
:
:

 

[David Butler]

But I've been using OE for years without having to do that. Why should I
need to do it now?

 

[Alias]

: But I've been using OE for years without having to do that. Why should I
: need to do it now?

Um, because OE is ****ed up now?

Alias

P.S. If your email address really is (e-mail address removed), you are asking
for a lot of spam by posting it on Usenet.
:
: : > Go offline and compact your messages. Also, if you have Norton checking
: > your
: > emails for viruses, disable that feature as it offers no added
proctection
: > and can cause problems like these.
: >
: > Alias
: >
: >
: > : I've had a stable system and no problems with OE for a long while.
Over
: > the
: > : last month, however, I've been experiencing difficulties where,
: > sometimes
: > in
: > : the middle of typing, the little hourglass will come on and OE will
: > freeze
: > : up, sometimes for two minutes or so. I usually go to task manager and
: > end
: > : the program, and restart, but it's interesting watching it in task
: > manager
: > : while it's frozen because the memory usage column just keeps rising
and
: > : rising and rising while it's frozen, from about say 25k to over 200k.
: > :
: > : I went to ms' web site and downloaded the explorer/outlook combo
package
: > and
: > : reinstalled but it has made no difference.
: > : I was running zonealarm firewall and norton antivirus, but have now
: > updated
: > : to norton internet 2005, which includes its own firewall. I didn't do
: > this
: > : because of the OE problem, but it has made no difference to it. I have
: > run
: > : virus scans, as well as ad scans through ad aware and spybot, but come
: > up
: > : clean. I have also finally gotten around to installing the XP sp2, but
: > it
: > : also has made no difference.
: > :
: > : Any help would be appreciated.
: > :
: > :
: >
: >
:
:

 

[Bruce Hagen]

You *must* compact your folders periodically.

Do not archive mail on default OE folders. They will eventually
become corrupted. Create your own user defined folders for storing
mail and move your mail to them. Empty Deleted Items folder regularly.

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.

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

And see this article. It says OE5, but applies to OE6 too.

Outlook Express Stops Responding and Your Pointer Appears as an
Hourglass:
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=259927

Bruce Hagen
MS MVP - (IE/OE)
~IB-CA~

 

[PA Bear]

Because that's what's *wrong*!

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

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

Your anti-virus application's email scanning feature can also cause such
corruption. Disable it. It provides no additional protection.

 

[David Butler]

You *must* compact your folders periodically.

I never have before, not in *years*.

Do not archive mail on default OE folders. They will eventually
become corrupted. Create your own user defined folders for storing
mail and move your mail to them. Empty Deleted Items folder regularly.

Okay, well, again, I've had OE and been updating it with newer versions for
*years* without this happening.
Still, I did what you said, created new folders, moved all the items in
regular OE folders out, and did the compacting thing. Results so far - no
difference. OE continues to freeze up every time I use it, usually every
five-fifteen minutes, and has to be shut down through task manager - unless
I have the patience to wait 2-3 minutes. It seems to me like it's going into
some kind of a loop or conflicting with some other process. Something has
become corrupted anyway.

 

[Bruce Hagen]

<quote> I've been experiencing difficulties where, sometimes in
the middle of typing, the little hourglass will come on and OE will
freeze
up, sometimes for two minutes or so.

Have you checked out the link I provided?

Outlook Express Stops Responding and Your Pointer Appears as an
Hourglass:
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=259927

 

[PA Bear]

You can lead a whore to culture, but...

 

[David Butler]

Stick it up your ass, okay, pal?

You can lead a whore to culture, but...

 

[David Butler]

Yes thanks, but I'm not sure they're the exactly same. In that case the
pointer changes to an hour glass when you open OE. In my case it happens
later, while I'm typing or in a newsgroup, then, if I leave it be, will go
away, then come again later, etc. Still, if it is that, I'm not going to try
messing with the registry. I'll call in someone I know who's more of a
computer geek than me and let him look at it. Then again, since it's only
happening on one of my outlook identities maybe I'll abandon it and create
another.

 

[Alias]

: Stick it up your ass, okay, pal?

That kind of whore, eh? How kinky!

Heh.

Alias
:
: : > You can lead a whore to culture, but...
: >
: > Bruce Hagen wrote:
: >> <quote> I've been experiencing difficulties where, sometimes in
: >> the middle of typing, the little hourglass will come on and OE will
: >> freeze
: >> up, sometimes for two minutes or so.
: >>
: >> Have you checked out the link I provided?
: >>
: >> Outlook Express Stops Responding and Your Pointer Appears as an
: >> Hourglass:
: >> http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=259927
:
:

 

[Wab]

I do sometimes wonder why people post problems here then don't check out
all the advise that is given............then moan that the problem is
still there.

Perhaps I'll have to find another newsgroup to post this problem to.

Kind regards

Wab

 

[Wab]

The newsgroup part of your reply makes me think of a problem I had.
I subscribe to some of the ms public groups [such as this one] and in
general the files are quite large as the number of posts are large.
Do you set OE to download newsgroup stuff every so often? In which case
that may be the problem.

To this end I now use a different news reader [and it can be an e-mail
client too if you want it it be] called Thunderbird.

Have had no problems since.

Kind regards

Wab

 

[Bruce Hagen]

Trying out a new ID would be a good idea.

 

[David Butler]

I do sometimes wonder why people post problems here then don't check out
all the advise that is given............then moan that the problem is still
there.

Maybe you should check why you don't read things before spouting bullshit. I
did exactly what I was told and it had no affect. Now I don't have a big
problem with that. It's hard to figure things out over the internet and I'm
grateful for any attempt to help. What I don't like is when someone comes
off like God and gets impatient that I dare to question the advice given,
ask for clarification, or in any way hesitate to rush right off and do what
I'm told. "Don't question me! I am the great and mighty Oz! Go forth and
complete the task for which I have set thee!"

Not that that bothers me very much, really. I have been around on the
net a while now. But a snarky post tends to draw a snarky reply from me.
That's the internet. <shrug>

 

[David Butler]

The newsgroup part of your reply makes me think of a problem I had.
I subscribe to some of the ms public groups [such as this one] and in
general the files are quite large as the number of posts are large.
Do you set OE to download newsgroup stuff every so often? In which case
that may be the problem.

Not sure what you mean by "setting OE to download newsgroup stuff" every so
often. I think it's set to update new messages continuously when it's open,
and since I'm on a cable line it's usually open. I subscribe to a lot of
newsgroups, but most of them aren't that large - ie, no binary newsgroups,
for example. And to reiterate, I've been using OE in various versions, for
years, without anything like this coming up. That's why I suspect it's some
kind of file corruption, probably not with OE itself but with my personal
records, ie, my profiles. That would explain why downloading and
reinstalling OE didn't have any affect.

To this end I now use a different news reader [and it can be an e-mail
client too if you want it it be] called Thunderbird.

Thanks. Actually I've just downloaded Opera. I am getting a little annoyed
at these problems which come up with OE from time to time, and since the
mail and newsgroup reader is incorporated into Opera I thought I'd give that
a shot.

 

[David Butler]

: Stick it up your ass, okay, pal?

That kind of whore, eh? How kinky!

Where've you been, guy? Anal sex isn't kinky any more, man, not unless
you're doing it with goats or something.