Outlook Express compact message?

[Magicman]

When I start of restart my laptop, there is a message box that always comes up.  "To free up disk space, Outlook Express can compact messages.  This may take up to a few minutes."  OK     Cancel

I do not use Outlook Express, and have never allowed this action because, I don't know what it would do.

Any insight or suggestions?

[pigman]

Be brave and click on OK and see what happens. :D  It won't take long to compact the zero messages. ;)

[Magicman]

I've though about the option that I could do a System Restore if it messes something up.

I guess what I don't like is something that I think I don't have, is trying to make me do something that I don't now that I need or understand.  I just don't like stuff messing with me.  I just like things that I don't understand to be simple.

[Radar67]

Outlook express comes with all Windows Systems. At one point, it has been opened on your computer since it is asking to compact messages. I use OE and it will not harm your machine to click OK on the Compact Messages screen. You should see items in your recycle bin when the action is complete. You can empty them with no issues.

[Ianab]

What happens with many programs, Outlook Express included, is that new messages are just added to the end of the data file. So it keeps getting bigger. When you delete files, it just marks them as deleted, but doesn't actually shrink the data file at all.

So every so often it wants to sit down and recreate the whole file again, ditching all that unused space. This may take a few minutes, which is why it doesn't do it every time you delete something. It may be that you have a 1gb file, but only 100mb of actual data left in it. Run the compact and you get that space back, and the program no longer has to mess about with a 1gb data file.

Ian

[Magicman]

I did it, and it put 7 "bak" files in the Recycle Bin.  One was a McAffee file, so I guess that I'm still killing the Witch.   ;)

Thanks for the suggestions.  

[Mooseherder]

I use outlook express for my e-mailing and storing of e-mail folders.
Every so often the compact message pops up.
If I let it run with clicking okay it'll make my PC run to a crawl with the other programs I got open.
I'm usually multi tasking at all times. ;D
I'll usually hit the OK click when going to bed and letting it do it's compaction that way.
That usually takes 15 minutes and I ain't getting aggravated waiting.