Messages reported but nothing there?

[Roj]

Can anyone advise, please?
I subscribed to this group (
microsoft.private.security.spyware.announcements)
in the past 2 days after down-loading Spybot - fine.
Now, when I log in, I told I have new messages - still fine.
I read those that show am but there are five which never show- Ugh?
I hit catch-up, the five reported missing disappear but after moving to the
next group
(microsoft.privtae.security.spyware.general) I am told they are back, but
still nothing shows for the five.
However, now the second group is showing the same trick but with just two
un-seeable messages.
Continued 'catch-up' clears them momentarily but they come back.

I really don't like unseeable messages which can't be cleared, it makes me
nervous.
So, What? why? Please advise.

Oh, yes, apologies for posting to both groups but this seems to be a common
problem - for me on both these groups, anyway, if not for others.
Cheers,
roj

 

[Bill Sanderson MVP]

If you are using Outlook Express, or perhaps the equivalent in Vista, this
is normal--nothing to worry about.

 

[Roj]

Thanks for reply, Bill.
Yes, Outlook Express has been my mailer, for around 10-ish years now.
This is the first time I have been left with un-seeable, un-deletable
messages,
hence the nervousness, since it is only these two groups that have produced
this effect.
Cheers,
Roj

 

[Bill Sanderson MVP]

This phenomenon will be unique to particular servers, and groups on a
server. Because there may be more than one server, it may even alternate or
come and go. The NNTP standard allows the server to provide an estimate,
rather than an exact count, of articles available. Some other newsreaders
don't have this difficulty, with these same servers.



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[Anonymous Bob]

This phenomenon will be unique to particular servers, and groups on a
server. Because there may be more than one server, it may even alternate or
come and go. The NNTP standard allows the server to provide an estimate,
rather than an exact count, of articles available. Some other newsreaders
don't have this difficulty, with these same servers.

I subscribe to 5 newsgroups in OE. This is the only server that exhibits
this strange behavior.

Bob Vanderveen

 

[Bill Sanderson MVP]

I've heard people suggest that it is unique to various things, but I have
also seen this issue on a Verizon NNTP server. It is confusing because it
CAN be "fixed" at the server. I think if they reload whatever the message
collection is called, it will go away, for a period of time. However, the
basic issue is with the client software, and it is purely one of appearance.

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