Outlook Express - To Compact or not to Compact ?

Discussion in 'other software & services' started by Kas, May 7, 2009.

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  1. Kas

    Kas Registered Member

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    A huge amount of information exists on the net about compacting messages in OE. It is all very sound and interesting, but leaves the reader in a paranoid limbo as to whether the risk of losing all their messages or some of them is worth it.

    Microsoft/OE advice is that compacting is an essential system routine and should be done every 100 shutdowns. If not done, then OE will gradually slow in response until eventually it fails and will need re-installing.

    If done properly, MS say all saved messages will be available and can be accessed and read as normal.

    The gist I get is that compacting only affects DELETED messages. These are those we actually delete from the DELETED ITEMS folder. They are still retained on the disk and compacting actually deletes them. Sounds good, but a mountain of complaints exists about "lost" messages.

    A countless number of users have met with catastrophic results from compacting little short of an OE melt-down. Many people avoid it like the plague defying the "slow down" or ultimate system failure prospect in great trepidation. A kind of " it always happens to the other guy" syndrome.

    Hence, the picture is one of a clinically clean theoretical procedure to one of a virtual Chamber of Horrors. Nobody seems to know what to do.

    If we compact - how do we do it SAFE to ensure no loss of messages ?
    A precise A to Z SAFE procedural step by step guide is needed here.

    If we do not compact - presumably OE gets slower and slower until it dies of a heart attack.

    Well ! How do we play it Coach ?
    KAS
     
  2. bgoodman4

    bgoodman4 Registered Member

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    How about backing up the file before you compact it. This way you can have an off PC copy on a drive somewhere and you can always restore it if you need to.
     
  3. Tarq57

    Tarq57 Registered Member

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    I was one of these "victims". Lost the lot. Admittedly, it was my own darned fault for running Ccleaner and deleting the contents of the recycle bin immediately after compacting. Something else irregular had happened, too, along the lines of the computer being commanded to shutdown, and the "compact messages?" dialogue appearing before the shutdown was properly underway. Can't remember exactly.Was able to recover maybe 20% of the messages lost, and it wasn't just deleted messages I lost; it was the whole lot.
    Googling the issue revealed quite a lot of similar problems, although I believe that most of the time it works OK.
    Now use Thunderbird. And a useful application called MozBackup
    which does what it says.
    There are other applications around that back up OE - in fact you may be able to backup its contents just using the OS - I can't remember.
     
  4. Kerodo

    Kerodo Registered Member

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    In theory, compacting should just remove the deleted messages by copying only the good messages to the new message base file. When you delete a message, it's still there, but just marked or flagged as deleted, and hence not shown etc.

    Outlook Express tends to be somewhat flakey though. I have seen compacting successes, but I have also seen it hang in the middle of the compacting process with undesirable results. So who knows what may or may not happen.

    I would back up the message file(s) as mentioned above, and give it a shot. If it explodes, then restore from the backup. If you don't compact, things do get slower and slower, as OE has to wade thru more and more messages, deleted and regular, and eventually this becomes pretty annoying.
     
  5. Kas

    Kas Registered Member

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    This thread subject is covered by volumes of comprehensive data on the net. Even other Forums cover it in explicit detail. So far, the reaction from Wilder's has been pathetic to say the least. I expected better.

    OK, it seems that we are forced to compact our messages to prevent Armageddon happening.

    How do we back up our messages ? Not all of us are computer boffins.
    YES, we can download a number of freebie backup programs and HEY PRESTO we have a backup - If they work without screwing up our entire OE records. How then do we recover the disaster caused by compacting in using these backup`s?

    Where is this life saving backup stored and how do we restore the mayhem that compacting has caused ? Does the restored backup simply over-write the crap existing in our OE ? Or do we have to delete this crap before restoring the backup ? In this event, how do we delete the crap in OE so that the restored backup gives us what we had in the first place ? In a nutshell - HOW THE HELL DO WE DO IT ?

    So you see, giving bland statements as to what to do is not good enough for people who are not Windows addicted robots. We need elementary guidance, not instructions to do this or do that in a professional role. It is an A to Z step by step guidance that is needed.

    The object of a Forum is to provide help to those who are not so qualified in the art of computer technology as addicted computer geeks.

    Ordinary users ask for simple and clear guidance from those who are skilled in the wonderful world of Windows, not to be faced with a barrage of comments they do not understand. It is no use giving a reference to some link, this is useless to the uninitiated.

    Try explaining how a pocket torch works and apply the same principle to the question being asked in this thread. Pretend you are talking to a dumb-arse, in fact you probably are. But take pride in knowing that you have helped somebody.

    There are only TWO things of importance in using Windows/IE/OE and they are ;-
    1) Personal Security
    2) OE messages - sent - received - etc.
    Everything else is just a cybernetic plaything, like a kids computer game for adults.
    Compacting of OE messages is a problem that seriously affects millions of users, it is not just an irrelevent piece of MS choreography that is to be accepted as part of life, a kind of "have a nice day" syndrome, it has actually wrecked countless users vital records.
    KAS
     
    Last edited: May 8, 2009
  6. Tarq57

    Tarq57 Registered Member

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    How Scorpionic, to start a question, then berate those who are interested enough to reply for not supplying the information you wanted, in the form you wanted, and to then advise those who responded concerning the wealth of information available concerning this.

    I see this is as a little disingenuous.

    Clearly you want some of us to "pick our games up". Fair enough.
    Pick yours up.
    You issued the challenge, how about providing the starter kit?
    Could even become a sticky, if it's well put together.
     
  7. bgoodman4

    bgoodman4 Registered Member

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    Well, if the truth be told I thought it was a bit dense of you to ask a question that had such an obvious answer but you asked it and a number of us replied. Stupid us for not realising you were a handicapped individual who would not be smart enough to let us know that you were looking for a detailed step by step outline about how to do what ever we were suggesting. If you needed this sort of help it would have been real easy for you to ask for it instead of craping on the folks who were offering help. Since you found so much in the way of explicit help elsewhere I suggest you not waste your time on this forum. You would be doing us all a service if you did so.
     
  8. bgoodman4

    bgoodman4 Registered Member

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    Anyone who was not too lazy to find the ans to this question themselves would have googled "back up outlook express e-mail" and had the answer in a jiffy. Thats what I did when I wanted an answer to this question. Instead this bozo asks for help and then complains that the help offered was not detailed enough for their taste. IMO you were far to kind with your response to his last post.
     
  9. Tarq57

    Tarq57 Registered Member

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    Actually, looking at it again, I don't think I was too kind in my response, but I'm now a bit regretful that I've been a bit insulting to Scorpios. (A lot of my friends are Scorps. Well, one, anyway.)

    I think maybe I've learned not to reply to this poster again, though.
    What's the point?
     
  10. Kerodo

    Kerodo Registered Member

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    Exactly.... that's my thought on it also....
     
  11. Boost

    Boost Registered Member

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    I've given up providing any sort of information to this Kas, as he or she really never seems to appreciate anyone's input.
     
  12. LenC

    LenC Registered Member

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    Same here. I posted a response to one of his/her posts a while back and received a rambling, ornery and foolish PM - which I trashed.
     
  13. LockBox

    LockBox Registered Member

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    Outlook Express has been around how many years now? It's an easy answer, but no way am I going to answer as Kas always is rude about how Wilders responds or doesn't respond or this or that. It's terrible forum etiquette.

    www.google.com
     
  14. Kas

    Kas Registered Member

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    This is my last post on this site, I can get better information by simply searching the web. Asking Wilders Wonders is futile.

    I apologise for being direct and "rude", but I expect the people on this site to be articulate, intelligent and semi-professional, after all it is a "technical" Forum and not all people are as conversant with Windows and IE etc. as some of the addictive, patronising and conceited responders I have witnessed.

    If you cannot read an initial post and respond in a precise way, then it is a waste of my time asking the question.

    Let me tell YOU know-it-all`s - OE compacting is a horrendous problem to many 1,000`s of users. They have suffered loss of data and terrible problems. It is NOT a simple matter to poo-poo with an attitude of irrelevance.

    The net is full of catastrophic tales of grief regarding OE compacting.

    If this Forum cannot appreciate the gravity of this problem, then I personally am better off elsewhere. Perhaps you are all happier discussing less important matters.
    Goodbye and have a nice day. I sincerely wish you all the best of luck with your OE when it grinds to a halt.
    KAS
     
  15. crash79`

    crash79` Registered Member

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    Thank goodness.
     
  16. Tarq57

    Tarq57 Registered Member

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    Seem to recall seeing that before once or twice.

    I'll believe it when I see it.
     
  17. LenC

    LenC Registered Member

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    Bye Bye Kas - you will be missed
     
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