How to disable OE6 "compact message" prompt?

You want Outlook Express to compact your messages, otherwise you risk
data corruption and loss of some or all of your messages.

Compaction means consolidating the available space from deleted
messages. OE offers to compact after every 100th time you've closed the
program.

This is such a well known feature of Outlook Express - search the web to
read more about it.

---
Ted Zieglar
"Backup is a computer user's best friend."

wrote:
> Whenever we exit Outlook Express (at least after entering the Inbox),
> we get a prompt asking if we want to compact messages (Ok or Cancel).
>
> Is there some way to disable that prompt?
>
> We are using Win XP Pro SP2 with recent updates. IE6 version is
> 6.0.2900.2180.xpsp.050622-1524. OE6 version is
> 6.0.2900.2180.xpsp_sp2_rtm.040803-2158.
>
> To get the latest OE6 updates (if any), do we update Windows or update
> Office or update something else entirely (what?)?
>
 >> Stay informed about: How to disable OE6 ""compact message"" prompt? 

wrote in message

: Ted Zieglar wrote:
: > You want Outlook Express to compact your messages, otherwise you risk
: > data corruption and loss of some or all of your messages.
:
: The user of OE is a novice. I get a call for every "strange" warning
: message -- and every message is strange, no matter how many times I
: explain it.
:
: In short, I want to disable the prompt. How do I do it?
:
: > Compaction means consolidating the available space from deleted
: > messages. OE offers to compact after every 100th time you've closed the
: > program.
:
: OE has "offered" to compact message __every__ time we used the program
: today (about a dozen times). I cannot speak for the 88 times before,
: but the user made a note of other times before.

OE offers to compact at every closing after 100 closings until you allow the
compaction which resets the count to zero.
The compaction should be allowed to complete without switching to another
program.

This program has a compaction key that resets the counter after the
compaction.
http://www.oehelp.com/OETool/Default.aspx

If you used a program 12 times each day, why don't you minimize instead of
closing?
--
Ron Sommer

:
: With a 145 GB, 90% unused so far, space is not an issue. Usability is.
:
: If there is an option to always compact messages without OE prompting,
: I will consider it. We simply want to get rid of the prompt.
:
: > This is such a well known feature of Outlook Express - search the web to
: > read more about it.
:
: Thanks. I will. I tried OE Help, but of course that was no help at
: all.
:
 >> Stay informed about: How to disable OE6 ""compact message"" prompt? 

wrote in message

> Whenever we exit Outlook Express (at least after entering the Inbox),
> we get a prompt asking if we want to compact messages (Ok or Cancel).
>
> Is there some way to disable that prompt?
>
> We are using Win XP Pro SP2 with recent updates. IE6 version is
> 6.0.2900.2180.xpsp.050622-1524. OE6 version is
> 6.0.2900.2180.xpsp_sp2_rtm.040803-2158.
>
> To get the latest OE6 updates (if any), do we update Windows or update
> Office or update something else entirely (what?)?
>

Compacting of folders is necessary or they will become corrupted or else so
large that they can no longer be used. Deleting a message does not reclaim
the space. The message is marked as deleted but is still there until the
folder is compacted. That is why programs such as DBXtract work.

If a user closes compacting while compacting is in progress data loss will
probably occur.

Open OE and close it and let it compact the messages. After doing this it
won't ask again until you have closed OE 100 times.

If you have WinXP SP2 you will want this update:
There are two articles, KB918766 and KB918651, but the latter is not
currently available. The download link is
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=86b68a78-f325...95-98c2

It places the backup in Recycled, overwriting any earlier backup of the
sane folder(s). To use it, copy it to the store folder, delete the one you
want to replace and then rename the BAK file to DBX. (It's a bit more
complicated if the messed up DBX file isn't there or contains messages that
are hew that you want to keep.

--
Frank Saunders, MS-MVP OE/WM
http://www.fjsmjs.com
 >> Stay informed about: How to disable OE6 ""compact message"" prompt? 

wrote:
> Whenever we exit Outlook Express (at least after entering the Inbox),
> we get a prompt asking if we want to compact messages (Ok or Cancel).
> Is there some way to disable that prompt?

People, you are missing the point. This is not a debate compaction.
Fine, let OE compact whenever it wants to.

The question is: how to I get rid of the prompt?

The user is flustered by every little prompt, and she has a memory like
a gnat (the opposite of "like an elephant" :->).

Is there a way to configure OE so that it will compact automagically
and silently?
 >> Stay informed about: How to disable OE6 ""compact message"" prompt? 

HeyBub wrote:
> wrote:
> > The question is: how to I get rid of the prompt?
>
> You can't.

Thanks for the confirmation.
 >> Stay informed about: How to disable OE6 ""compact message"" prompt? 

wrote:
> wrote:
>> Whenever we exit Outlook Express (at least after entering the Inbox),
>> we get a prompt asking if we want to compact messages (Ok or Cancel).
>> Is there some way to disable that prompt?
>
> People, you are missing the point. This is not a debate compaction.
> Fine, let OE compact whenever it wants to.
>
> The question is: how to I get rid of the prompt?

You can't.

It's your lot in life to say "Hit 'OK' "

Imagine, just imagine, how much more difficult your life will be if you
WERE, somehow, to disable the message and your user encountered the
inevitable corruption.
 >> Stay informed about: How to disable OE6 ""compact message"" prompt?