# Solved: "Free Up Disk Space" OE warning ?? Stop the Madness!



## blongo

Big Kudos to anybody who can solve this one! Very little/nothing on Google or microsoft support site. 
Here's the problem: 

I'm helping a family member who has a new Dell PC with Windows XP Home, Outlook Express 6. 
Every time they close Outlook Express, the following Warning pops up: 
To free up disk space OE can compact messages. This may take a few minutes. There are 2 options - OK and Cancel. 

Here is the rub: We've closed the warning, or we've clicked OK, or we've clicked cancel, we've checked the box that says don't ask me again....these warnings continue to come up next time (EVERY time) Outlook Express is closed. 

This is a senior citizen who has, maybe, 20 email messages and no shortage of memory or disk space. I want to prevent this warning from coming up ever again. How do I do it? Is there some default I can change somewhere?


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## EBSchrader

In OE, click on Tools/Options/Maintenance. Check out the various settings to see if something will cure the problem. As a suggestion, be sure the waste basket is checked to empty on exiting OE. If it isn't checked, it may be very full!


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## EAFiedler

Hi *blongo*

With Service Pack 2, Outlook Express is set to ask about Compacting messages after every 100th closing of Outlook Express. Before Service Pack 2, the default behavior had Outlook Express set to compact messages in the background which has lead to the corruption of the message store.
Compact the messages manually, reset the Registry value which keeps track how many times Outlook Express has been closed.

Why does OE insist on compacting folders when I close it?

Close all programs and as a precaution create a Restore Point first.

Look for this key in the Registry:
*HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Identities\{GUID}\Software\Microsoft\Outlook Express\5.0*
Double click the *Compact Check Count* 
Select the Base option for *Decimal* and change the value to 0
This should change both the Hexadecimal and decimal values to zero.
Close the Registry.

Let us know if the message stops occurring.


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## blongo

EAFiedler,
THANK YOU!!! Your registry suggestion did the trick. Everyone is very happy now.

You're the best!:up:


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## EAFiedler

Glad to hear it. 

Outlook Express needs its store folder compacted every now and then.
http://insideoe.tomsterdam.com/files/maintain.htm

So Compact your messages manually, I have the best results after rebooting, starting Outlook Express and then immediately compacting messages.
File > Work Offline
File > Folder > Compact All Folders

Walk away from the computer until the process has completed.
I usually set mine to run before retiring for the night.
Then return Outlook Express back online:
File > Work Offline

Keep the *Inbox* folder empty, move messages you want to keep to folders of your own creation in Outlook Express.


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