My pc keeps asking me whether I want to compact my mail in outlook express to free up disc space.

I have numerous folders where I file messages into.

What is the effect of compacting the inbox and folders will I still be able to look at and retrieve the messages in the folders etc.

If unable to retrieve how can I turn off the message which pops up everytime I open OE.

Thanks

Mine occasionally asks me and I always click yes. Everything is still accessible.

I think its the same as archiving your files as in office outlook.

This just means taking the emails from the outlook.pst file and storing them in a archive.pst file on your computer. (Outlook Data Files)

All the files will remain in the same places in outlook, just stored in a different file on your computer.

No, it compacts the personal folders files and doesnt archive anything. Archiving is in outlook, not outlook express. Do the compact, it will speed up outlook express and also free up some disk space and you will lose nothing. All its doing is removing the dead space from the file that deleting emails etc, create.

No, it compacts the personal folders files and doesnt archive anything. Archiving is in outlook, not outlook express. Do the compact, it will speed up outlook express and also free up some disk space and you will lose nothing. All its doing is removing the dead space from the file that deleting emails etc, create.

What he says....

Both outlook and outlook express have "datafiles" where they keep all their emails/contacts etc... everything. but say you have 1000 emails and delete 500 of them. the datafile does not get any smaller.. you have to run a "compact" to shrink the database... think of it as a defragmenter for outlook.

Microsoft exchange (corporate email server) is exactly the same.. good practice to do a offline defrag occasionally to tidy things up and speed it up a bit... btw mannyo, how often do you do that to your exchange servers?

mannyo, how often do you do that to your exchange servers?

Not as often as I would like, last time was about 6 months ago. If you do it often it doesnt take that long.