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
    2011-09-07T08:00:01+00:00

    Hoosier21's instructions resolved the issue for me, with no issues at all since - thank you!

    Really strange that this would be an option is enabled on Search when I don't have (and never have had Outlook Express) installed.

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  2. Anonymous
    2011-08-16T15:48:30+00:00

    I wanted to let anyone who may follow me to this site because they have the same problem know that the post I've quoted worked perfectly!  Recently, this started happening with me, and after trying numerous other things, THIS is exactly what worked.  While I'm pretty sure you aren't even around anymore, I still want to say, thanks so much, Hoosier21.  :)

    I started getting this message and Bing'd the message, where I arrived at this board.  In the meantime I left the message up.  While reading this string I noticed that in my system tray my "Indexing" icon (the magfnifying glass) had not yet loaded.  After clicking "cancel", it then appeared.

    I right clicked the maginfying glass in my sys trey (or is it tray), clicked on "Windows Search Options..." and there I saw an option to index Outlook Express.  Highlight, click on Modify and remove the check mark beside Outlook Express.  Click OK and that should do it.

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  3. Anonymous
    2011-08-13T11:31:29+00:00

    Well, you have now found another program that generates the problem.  Who knows what that program was for?  Its certainly not installed with Windows, so as we have been saying, some sort of 3rd party program was responsible.

    steve

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