To free up disk space, Outlook Express can compact messages. This may take up to a few minutes.

Anonymous
2010-01-04T16:48:32+00:00

Every few minutes the message :

"To free up disk space, Outlook Express can compact messages.  This may take up to a few minutes."

This is irrelevant for two reasons :

(1) I do not use Outlook Express, and therefore have no messages to compact.

(2) I do not need to free up disk space as I am currently using only five per cent of a very large disk.

Could someone please tell me how I get rid off this very irritating message.

Windows for home | Previous Windows versions | Internet and connectivity

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Anonymous
2012-06-10T21:36:30+00:00

Here are the things I did that resolved the issue for me:

I reset Compact Check Count to 0, and I uninstalled Windows Search 4.0. 

As for Outlook Express: I don't use it.

Thank you for the reply...and thanks for the advice & info.

http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_xp-performance/outlook-express-can-compact-messages-how-do-i-turn/b7e41d7f-d0db-4930-9c64-19e3c7b7d5cf?tm=1339359499078&page=1#_self

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Anonymous
2010-01-17T22:00:57+00:00

Try resetting the compact count in the registry:

  1. Start the registry editor.
  2. Open this key:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Identities{identity}\Software\Microsoft\Outlook Express\5.0

where identity is a string of letters, numbers, and dashes. 3. Set the value of Compact Check Count to 0. 4. Close the registry editor.

For more information, see Why You Should Let Outlook Express Compact Messages When It Asks You .

Warning: Incorrectly editing the registry might damage your system and prevent Windows from starting. Before doing it, back up your important data, make a restore point, and make sure you know how to repair a damaged system.

Boulder Computer Maven

Microsoft Most Valuable Professional

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  1. Anonymous
    2012-03-07T12:10:02+00:00

    With the update-a-day from Microsoft, you would think Microsoft would have fixed this problem by now!!  Why have this counter at all if outlook express is not being used which subject people to screwing up their registry? 

    Sounds like some brainy thing to do, gone bust and Microsoft is too lazy to fix.

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  2. Anonymous
    2012-02-27T00:38:59+00:00

    This was very helpful!  I tried the registry solution but it didn't work.  I never knew what items the Indexing option indexed!  LOL!  This solution actually clarified what could be indexed and how to change the options.

    Thanks Hoosier21!

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  3. Anonymous
    2011-12-12T13:23:46+00:00

    That's ridiculous.  I've been dealing with this issue and its problems for over 14 years.  See www.oehelp.com/OETips.aspx#2  The bak file is a backup of the dbx file that is made before the compaction starts.  It was introduced at my instigation, because the dbx files were getting wiped out during compaction, as it is a process extremely susceptible to failure, augmented by antivirus software.

    You do not understand the issue at all, so do not be giving false information to people.  If you do not compact the folders, they get larger and larger and larger and then get corrupt and all the messages are lost.  That's what happens if people follow your advice, which ensures people will lose their messages. 

    steve

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