Optimizing Outlook Express 5.x
Outlook Express 5 constantly stores and accumulates every KB of the posts that you view. The larger your file sizes get, the poorer OE performs. Automated Clean Up is supposed to keep you clean and green, but unfortunately doesn't seem to do its job well and by many accounts, corrupts files. If you were just cruising the "Plain Text" newsgroups, the automated function would probably do OK.
Menu Options
  1. "Most" people recommend that you disable the automatic clean up function.
  2. Go to Tools/Options/Maintenance and uncheck the box for Compact Messages In The Background.
  3. Now that you have removed the automated function, there are some routine maintenance chores to be done every day or two.
Maintenance Options
Maintenance
  1. Go to news.annexcafe.com folder and then use the right-mouse click button on the annexcafe.uk.webdesign.html folder and select properties.
  2. Every day or two, select Remove Messages. This will remove the message bodies, the heaviest portion of the posts that you have already viewed, while leaving the message headers for reference, if you want to look back at something.
  3. Unfortunately, after a few days, even the headers alone will add up to several megabytes and then it is necessary to select Delete which will remove all message headers and message bodies, but continues the next download where you left off, keeping your place.
  4. Reset does the same as Delete but starts over from scratch and the next time you go to a newsgroup, it will be as if you had just subscribed and will redownload posts you have already read.
  5. After every Remove or Delete you must Compact. Although you have removed the headers and/or the bodies, the file size does not change unless you select Compact to remove unused space. (The remaining 58.7 KB is OE's index information.)
  6. One other sinister player in this game is the Sent Items Folder. It does not clean itself out. The posts in this folder should also be deleted by simply selecting Edit/Select All and then choosing Delete. Follow this up by repeating the process in the Deleted Items Folder. After deleting the posts in these folders, you must also Compact again, by selecting File/Folder/Compact All Folders.
One last thing to clean up is your Temp folder.
Open Windows Explorer and go to C:\Windows\Temp and get rid of EVERYTHING in that folder.
Yes, that's right, EVERYTHING.
No, don't ask.
!!!!EVERYTHING!!!!
I know some of that looks important, but you don't need it.
Kill it all!
If OE is open when you do this, some files won't delete. Just close OE and IE and try again.
Another Last Thing <g>
Open Internet Explorer and go to
Tools/Options/General
Select the Delete Files button in the Temporary Internet Files Section. Then select Settings and move the slider bar to its lowest setting. Then go to the Advanced tab and in the security setting put a check in the box for Empty Temporary Internet files
Now your Outlook Express Program will be clean, mean and ready to operate at its prime efficiency.
Barry
Brynk@Elnet.com
ICQ # 8787584