Sounds more like the datbase is corrupt and it's trying to recover as well.
I'd try using a new message store folder and then drag and drop the old
e-mails (.eml) back into Windows Mail when it restarts with a new database.
Windows Mail has a newer (to them) form of database. Each email is stored
separately.
Do the following:
1) Open Control Panel then select Folder Options.
a) click on the Views tab
b) Select "Show hidden files and folders"
c) Uncheck "Hide extensions for known file types"
d) click APPLY then OK.
e) Close Control Panel
2) From Windows Mail
a) Click on the Tools menu
b) click on Options
c) click on the Advanced tab
d) click the Maintenance button
e) click the Store Folders button.
f) make a note of the location of the message stores. It will be
something like:
C:\Users\<account name>\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows Mail
g) close Windows Mail
3) Open Windows Explorer
When it opens, you will see a small black triangle next to the user account
name. Click it to collapse it.
For the following, the triangle will not appear till you put the mouse over
the element in question.
Move the mouse to the "Computer" line. A triangle will appear, click on it
to expand it.
You should see something like "Local Disk (C
"
Click on the triangle to expand it.
Locate "Users" and click on the triangle next to it to expand it.
Locate <username> and click on the triangle next to it to expand it.
Locate "AppData" and click on the triangle next to it to expand it.
Locate "Local" and click on the triangle next to it to expand it.
Locate "Microsoft" and click on the triangle next to it to expand it.
Now, in the right window pane, locate Windows Mail.
Click on it.
In the left window pane, scroll upward till you see "Local Disk (C
"
Now, in the right window pane, hold them left mouse button down on the
Windows Mail folder.
Drag it to the "Local Disk (C
" and release the mouse button.
Select MOVE Here.......
Now, this may take a bit to get done, depending upon how much mail is there.
Give it time.
Now, when it's done, create a new folder name Windows Mail to replace the
moved one in the
C:\Users\<account name>\AppData\Local\Microsoft folder.
Now start Windows Mail.
It will be empty but that's no biggie.
Create a couple of folders in Windows Mail and name them Old Mail, Old
Sent.
Click on the Old Mail folder to open it.
Resize Windows Mail so you can see both Windows Explorer and Windows Mail.
In the Windows Mail folder you will see a Local Folders folder, click the
triangle to expand it.
Locate the Inbox folder.
In this folder you will see a lot of .eml files. These are the old emails.
Drag and drop ONLY the .eml files to the Old Mail folder in Windows Mail.
Do similar for Sent Items to the Old Sent folder.
Now, see if Windows Mail works for you.
