Your headers tell me you're running WinXP SP2 (Microsoft Outlook Express
6.00.2900.2180).

"Compacting in the background" has been removed in OE6 running WinXP SP2.

"Automatic Compacing" has been enabled in OE6 running in WinXP SP2.
Independent of how many times or how often you compact all folders manually,
Windows will notify you that it will compact all folders every 100 times you
close OE and this cannot be disabled. When you encounter this, just let it
happen: Don't try to close OE via Task Manager or shut down the machine
until it finishes...or risk losing part or all of your message store.

Please post further OE questions to one of these OE newsgroups:
--
OE6-specific newsgroup:
news://msnews.microsoft.com/microsof...tlooke xpress
OE General newsgroup:
news://msnews.microsoft.com/microsof...xpress.general

~Robear Dyer (PA Bear)
MS MVP-Windows (IE/OE, Shell/User, Security), Aumha.org VSOP, DTS-L.org


Dean wrote:
> << Your anti-virus application's email scanning feature can also cause
> corruption. Disable it. It provides no additional protection.>>
>
> I assume, in the case of AVG Free, you're referring to scans of both
> incoming and outgoing?
>
> Also, that your advice is the same for Outlook, not just OE?
>
> Lastly, I'm not sure if I have sp2. It says it's 6.00.2900,2180, then in
> parens it says "xpsp_sp2_rtm..." If I don't have SP2, kindly tell me how
> to disable background compacting?
>
> > General OE Caveats:
> >
> > - Don't use Inbox or Sent Items to archive messages. Move them to local
> > folders created for this purpose.
> >
> > - Empty Deleted Items folder daily.
> >
> > - Disable Background Compacting [N/A in SP2] and frequently perform a
> > manual compact of all OE folders while "working offline". More at
> > http://www.insideoe.com/files/maintain.htm.
> >
> > - Do not attempt to close OE via Task Manager or shutdown your machine
> > if Automatic Compacting is taking place (WinXP SP2 only).
> >
> > - Your anti-virus application's email scanning feature can also cause
> > corruption. Disable it. It provides no additional protection.
> > --
> > Dean wrote:
> > > ...OE seems to crash about once a day, but that's not so bad
> > > really!