Access to stored newsgroup messages

[Phil]

When I read files from newsgroups they are stored automatically, as far as I
can tell, in C:\Users\MyUserName\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows Mail. After
a while, I suppose, there is quite a build-up of files here. I would like to
delete them. However, I cannot see or gain access to the
C:\Users\MyUserName\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows Mail directory, even
though I am using the administrator account. What must I do to gain access
to this directory? I tried "taking ownership" of the directory, but that
didn't seem to get me anywhere. Help will be appreciated.

 

[Frank Saunders, MS-MVP OE/WM]

When I read files from newsgroups they are stored automatically, as far as
I can tell, in C:\Users\MyUserName\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows Mail.
After a while, I suppose, there is quite a build-up of files here. I would
like to delete them. However, I cannot see or gain access to the
C:\Users\MyUserName\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows Mail directory, even
though I am using the administrator account. What must I do to gain access
to this directory? I tried "taking ownership" of the directory, but that
didn't seem to get me anywhere. Help will be appreciated.

Open Windows Explorer.
Click Tools | Folder Options | View.
Select Show hidden files and folders.

 

[R. C. White]

Hi, Phil.

Yes, Windows Mail stores newsgroup messages for a while, as individual .nws
files. But it also deletes them from time to time.

Unlike email messages, newsgroup posts are stored on the news server, and we
don't control that server. This microsoft.public.windows.vista.mail
newsgroup, for example, is hosted on Microsoft's public news server, which
is freely available to anyone. Microsoft deletes posts from time to time,
but I don't know their schedule. It varies from one newsgroup to the next,
probably depending on the amount of traffic. I show at least one message
here dated 3/30/07.

You also store NG posts on your own computer when you download them. How
long you keep YOUR copies is up to you. Many delete all Read messages each
time they exit the NG. Others - like me - are packrats and keep them for a
long time. OE/WM/WLM all have a similar setting, although the click-path to
it may vary slightly. In WLM, click Tools | Options | Advanced |
Maintenance. Here you can tell it to Purge newsgroup messages in the
background, and to Delete news messages __ days after being downloaded.
Note that this is the number of days after you've downloaded them before
they are deleted on YOUR computer. This has no effect on how long the
server keeps the messages available for you to re-download them - or for
thousands of other users to download them.

My setting is for posts to be deleted 32 days after I've downloaded them.
Since I installed WLM on about June 7 and downloaded lots of messages at
that time, I expect to see many of those messages disappear from my HD next
week.

But I almost never directly delete messages from the Windows Mail folder.
So I don't need to "take ownership" of it.

RC
--
R. C. White, CPA
San Marcos, TX
(e-mail address removed)
Microsoft Windows MVP
(Running Windows Live Mail beta in Vista Ultimate x64)

 

[Ron Sommer]

I don't have Windows Mail available to check, but are you sure Tools |
Options | Advanced | Maintenance says 'Purge newsgroup messages' or does it
say 'Purge deleted messages when leaving IMAP folders'?

Delete news messages __ days after being downloaded only removes the message
body and only occurs when you compact folders.

I use a news rule to delete messages sent more than 20 days ago.
I apply the rule manually and compact afterward.
This also deletes messages that dated more than 20 days in the future.
Browse to the server name to apply the rule to all newsgroups under that
server or browse to Outlook Express to apply the rule to all newsgroups.
--
Ronald Sommer

: Hi, Phil.
:
: Yes, Windows Mail stores newsgroup messages for a while, as individual
..nws
: files. But it also deletes them from time to time.
:
: Unlike email messages, newsgroup posts are stored on the news server, and
we
: don't control that server. This microsoft.public.windows.vista.mail
: newsgroup, for example, is hosted on Microsoft's public news server, which
: is freely available to anyone. Microsoft deletes posts from time to time,
: but I don't know their schedule. It varies from one newsgroup to the
next,
: probably depending on the amount of traffic. I show at least one message
: here dated 3/30/07.
:
: You also store NG posts on your own computer when you download them. How
: long you keep YOUR copies is up to you. Many delete all Read messages
each
: time they exit the NG. Others - like me - are packrats and keep them for
a
: long time. OE/WM/WLM all have a similar setting, although the click-path
to
: it may vary slightly. In WLM, click Tools | Options | Advanced |
: Maintenance. Here you can tell it to Purge newsgroup messages in the
: background, and to Delete news messages __ days after being downloaded.
: Note that this is the number of days after you've downloaded them before
: they are deleted on YOUR computer. This has no effect on how long the
: server keeps the messages available for you to re-download them - or for
: thousands of other users to download them.
:
: My setting is for posts to be deleted 32 days after I've downloaded them.
: Since I installed WLM on about June 7 and downloaded lots of messages at
: that time, I expect to see many of those messages disappear from my HD
next
: week.
:
: But I almost never directly delete messages from the Windows Mail folder.
: So I don't need to "take ownership" of it.
:
: RC
: --
: R. C. White, CPA
: San Marcos, TX
: (e-mail address removed)
: Microsoft Windows MVP
: (Running Windows Live Mail beta in Vista Ultimate x64)
:
: : > When I read files from newsgroups they are stored automatically, as far
as
: > I can tell, in C:\Users\MyUserName\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows Mail.
: > After a while, I suppose, there is quite a build-up of files here. I
would
: > like to delete them. However, I cannot see or gain access to the
: > C:\Users\MyUserName\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows Mail directory, even
: > though I am using the administrator account. What must I do to gain
access
: > to this directory? I tried "taking ownership" of the directory, but that
: > didn't seem to get me anywhere. Help will be appreciated.
:

 

[R. C. White, MVP]

Hi, Ron - and Phil.

OK. I'm now running WM, temporarily. (Yes, we can do that in Vista - run
WM and WLM beta side by side. We just have to be careful about our "leave
messages on the server" settings. And our Sent Items will be in two
separate folders. I suppose we COULD set both apps to use the same Message
Store - but I'm not brave enough to try that!)

In WM, the "Maintenance" page is identical to the one I snipped from WLM and
attached to my earlier post.

OE won't run in Vista, and I don't want to dual-boot into WinXP to check
this out, so I can't confirm my recollection that the OE Maintenance page
also is identical, or nearly so.

Now I'll go back to WLM...

RC
--
R. C. White, CPA
San Marcos, TX
(e-mail address removed)
Microsoft Windows MVP
(Running Windows Mail in Vista Ultimate x64)