Windows Mail complaints

[Paul H]

Windows Mail is driving me crazy. I used OE on my XP Pro, with no problems.
I successfully moved my folders to Windows Mail, and set up the accounts. No
problem. But (a) When I click "Create Mail", I sometimes have to wait for up
to a minute for the window, which does come up immediately, to change from
"not responding" to a state that lets me begin to compose the email. Also,
(b) After a spell check, OE remembered the words I told it to "Ignore all",
but in Windows Mail every subsequent spell check in that email, including
when I "Send" makes me deal with the same words again. Not "show-stoppers",
but super annoying. I have Vista Home Premium on a very fast laptop. Anyone
have a solution, or are these just bugs I have to live with until they are
fixed? Thanks, Paul

 

[Steve Cochran]

The first situation may be related to antivirus software. Check that it is
not set to scan email. See www.oehelp.com/OETips.aspx#3

steve

 

[MICHAEL]

Windows Mail is driving me crazy. I used OE on my XP Pro, with no problems.
I successfully moved my folders to Windows Mail, and set up the accounts. No
problem. But (a) When I click "Create Mail", I sometimes have to wait for up
to a minute for the window, which does come up immediately, to change from
"not responding" to a state that lets me begin to compose the email. Also,
(b) After a spell check, OE remembered the words I told it to "Ignore all",
but in Windows Mail every subsequent spell check in that email, including
when I "Send" makes me deal with the same words again. Not "show-stoppers",
but super annoying. I have Vista Home Premium on a very fast laptop. Anyone
have a solution, or are these just bugs I have to live with until they are
fixed? Thanks, Paul

Paul,

As Steve said, problem (a) may be related to an AV. However, I have
had the same problem and it is not AV related. I left you a reply in the
vista.general group, I will paste it here. Sorry, I couldn't offer more help.
Just know, your "delay problem" is not unique.

From vista.general:

There is a "delay" for a lot of folks using Windows Mail when
composing and replying. I have seen this delay since RC2,
and not in any prior beta build.
Like you said, the window may pop up right away, but you can't do
anything for awhile. Do you also have a delay when you try
to highlight text in a reply window to cut or copy? I do.
This used to drive me crazy trying to figure out what the problem
was. I've tried numerous things. I have found that after having
WinMail open for about 30 minutes to an hour, the "delay" goes away.

I never thought I would say this, but Windows Mail is far worse than
Outlook Express ever was. I don't care what supposedly was done
to it to make it "better", but it really blows. I am amazed WinMail was
put into Vista in this condition. I really feel like I am using a beta product.
Pathetic is the only word I can muster to describe Windows Mail.

Luckily, I use Outlook for email and only use WinMail for newsgroups.


Take care,

Michael

 

[Paul H]

Thanks Steve. Wouldn't AV software cause a delay on "send", not "Create"? I
hesitate to turn off my CA email protection, because it catches things that
I receive.


The first situation may be related to antivirus software. Check that it is
not set to scan email. See www.oehelp.com/OETips.aspx#3

steve

 

[Gary VanderMolen]

Do you have a lot of Contacts? This may cause a delay since WinMail
evidently has to load the Contacts into memory when you begin composing.
Try this: Tools, Options, Send, uncheck "Automatically complete e-mail
addresses when composing."

Gary VanderMolen

 

[MICHAEL]

I've tried that, too. Even though I only have a
few contacts listed in Windows Contacts, mine are
all kept in Outlook.

Changing that setting, obviously, did nothing for me.


-Michael

 

[Gary VanderMolen]

Something is not right with your WinMail.
On my laptop it takes less than one second after clicking on
Create Mail for that window to open.

As a test, you might try moving the \AppData\...\Windows Mail directory elsewhere.
This will regenerate all the standard folders from scratch.

Gary VanderMolen

 

[Steve Cochran]

Antivirus scanning of email is redundant and not necessary. As Michael
indicates that might not be the issue in your circumstance.

steve

 

[MICHAEL]

Something is not right with your WinMail.

You can say that again. But, I'm not the only one.

On my laptop it takes less than one second after clicking on
Create Mail for that window to open.

That's the way it should be.

As a test, you might try moving the \AppData\...\Windows Mail directory elsewhere.
This will regenerate all the standard folders from scratch.

Been there, done it... a few times.

The strange thing- after having WinMail open for awhile,
from 30 minutes to an hour, the problem goes away. The
more I use it, like making new posts or replies, the faster the
problem goes away. I can't explain it, I've stopped trying.
All I can tell you is what I see and experience. Others have
reported slow responding compose and reply windows.
The window itself may pop up fast, but you can't do anything
for 10 to 30 seconds. The outline of the compose/reply window
is there, but it stays all white for 10 to 30 seconds.
Also, until the problem "fixes" itself after 30 to 60 minutes, I even
get a delay "not responding" notice when trying to select text to
copy or cut in the compose/reply window.

I have tried everything.


-Michael

 

[Guest]

Michael,
You're absolutely RIGHT !!!!!!
So far (after a month and a half) it's the only thing that really SUCKS in
Vista. How I miss my old, great Outlook Express. Far better than any other!!!!
This guy, Steve Cochran - made it a little better - by making a program that
makes WM accept several identities... pass it on if you can:
http://www.oehelp.com/WMIDs/Default.aspx

Marcelo

 

[Guest]

Windows Mail is driving me crazy. I used OE on my XP Pro, with no problems.
I successfully moved my folders to Windows Mail, and set up the accounts. No
problem. But (a) When I click "Create Mail", I sometimes have to wait for up
to a minute for the window, which does come up immediately, to change from
"not responding" to a state that lets me begin to compose the email. Also,
(b) After a spell check, OE remembered the words I told it to "Ignore all",
but in Windows Mail every subsequent spell check in that email, including
when I "Send" makes me deal with the same words again. Not "show-stoppers",
but super annoying. I have Vista Home Premium on a very fast laptop. Anyone
have a solution, or are these just bugs I have to live with until they are
fixed? Thanks, Paul

 

[Guest]

I have the same problem with Windows Mail "Not Responding" it does eventually
come back and sometimescomes back faster than other times but is never very
fast as compared to OE. I have tried most of the suggestions and still think
that the performance is terrible.

Has anyone out there who has had the "Not Responding" problem solved it
without changing to a different mail client.

Joel

 

[Gary VanderMolen]

Some of the responders here have reported that the slowness
goes away if they open Windows Calendar and then close it,
while Windows Mail is open. The speed improvement only lasts
for the current session.

Gary VanderMolen

 

[Guest]

Hi Gary,

I tried that and it might have made a slight improvment but I don't think
so. There must be someone out there that has a real solution to this problem.
Have you been able to identify other solutions that might help, or have you
found other places to look for help. I assume that someone has spoken or
tried to get Microsoft help here.

Joel

 

[Gary VanderMolen]

No one has come forward with a real solution.
We can only hope that Microsoft monitors this newsgroup
and takes corrective action when a lot of users report the
same problem.

Gary VanderMolen

 

[Gary VanderMolen]

I take it back what I said about "corrective action."
I have a sick feeling that I now know the reason why MS is
stonewalling all the WinMail complaints. They will sit tight
until WLMD comes out of beta, then they'll say, "Oh, you
don't like Windows Mail? Switch to WLMD."

Gary VanderMolen

 

[Frank Saunders, MS-MVP OE/WM]

I take it back what I said about "corrective action."
I have a sick feeling that I now know the reason why MS is
stonewalling all the WinMail complaints. They will sit tight
until WLMD comes out of beta, then they'll say, "Oh, you
don't like Windows Mail? Switch to WLMD."

I also think that's what's happening.

 

[Guest]

Your sick feeling might just be right, but actually Vista is turning out to
be one sick feeling for me in general or possibly a sick joke from Microsoft.
I get BSOD almost every time I resume from suspend. But, most of the time I
get a hang when I shutdown. So I usually opt of a suspend and resume crash
rather than a restart since it is actually a faster way to get to a prompt.
Possibly the best solution is to go back to XP. I never had these kinds of
problems with XP or OE. Has anyone moved back to OE after Windows Mail

 

[Otto Normalverbraucher]

Your sick feeling might just be right, but actually Vista is turning out to
be one sick feeling for me in general or possibly a sick joke from Microsoft.
I get BSOD almost every time I resume from suspend. But, most of the time I
get a hang when I shutdown. So I usually opt of a suspend and resume crash
rather than a restart since it is actually a faster way to get to a prompt.
Possibly the best solution is to go back to XP. I never had these kinds of
problems with XP or OE. Has anyone moved back to OE after Windows Mail

Yes you can just drag your email across as eml files into OE, I did this
when I went back to XP temporarily.
I now have a new laptop designed for Vista & it's very fast with no
problems...much more reliable than XP IMO.

 

[Otto Normalverbraucher]

You can't use OE in WinMail unless you do it via Virtual PC or somesuch.

I think the issue is the same as it was for OE in that there is no
income brought in by OE or WinMail, so there is no priority to fix
anything in it.

I don't know that they are actively trying to force people to use WLMD
this way, but the effect is the same.

This lack of responsibility on their part drives away users and MVPs who
attempt to support such users. Especially when those at MS are totally
unresponsive to persistent requests from users and MVPs to correct, fix
and improve the product, while instead they introduce new "features"
that break previous functionality and other bugs that they refuse to fix
in a timely manner.

There is no feedback loop, as they totally ignore feedback.

steve

I don't know why people don't vote with their feet...it's not like there
aren't any better free alternative email clients out there.
We all know WM is an abomination so why use it?