OE6 Search Problem:Unable to open results for 1 minute

Hi,

Admittedly I have about 50,000 emails stored in
about 6 folders so a Compact is definitely needed,
but it takes so long and basically nukes the machine
while it's taking place I'm pushing back on wanting
to do that right now....

My problem, I search for some emails in these folders
and will get a list of results of emails that match the
search criteria. If I try and open one of the emails from
the (finished) search results list, it will display:

"Message could not be displayed Outlook Express
encountered an unexpected problem while displaying
this message. Check your computer for low memory
or low disk space and try again."

I've got tons of memory and diskspace so I don't
believe that's the real reason for the message. If I go
to the appropriate folder and find one of the emails
that is in the results list and open it from the folder,
it opens just fine. ALSO, if I want a minute or so,
it can be opened from the search results list too.

I've seen a few sites that offer various solutions, some
that involve re-installing OE, or creating a new profile
and other things that sound like they're only needed
for a corrupted installation or corrupted DBX files.

These emails aren't corrupted, I can open them if I
either (a) wait a minute, (b) look them up in the folder
instead of trying to open from the search results page.

~dd

The Out of memory issue will be resolved by compacting. I suggest you create
more folders and move messages to them in order to keep the folders smaller
in size. Try compacting again and if still no joy, compact the folders
individually.

Click on Outlook Express at the top of the folder tree so no folders are
open. Then: File | Work Offline (or double click Working Online in the
Status Bar). File | Folder | Compact all folders. Don't touch anything until
the compacting is completed.

If you compact more often, it should be a breeze. I compact about twice a
week and it takes less than 10 seconds.

Since you are using XP/SP2, you should also download this patch. It will be
a part of a cumulative update at some time, but I would get it now.

Patch KB918766:
http://tinyurl.com/mx3r2

This patch addresses some of the issues that were caused by KB911567.

Address Book problems.
Unsent templates appearing as sent.
Manually compacting will now reset the registry counter to Zero in WinXP/SP2
and also sends a copy of your dbx files to the recycle bin as a temporary
backup.

To complete the fix for .eml templates, a registry change is needed. See:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/918766

Tom Koch also has this information at his site, along with a downloadable
Zip file to do the registry change for you. See:
http://www.insideoe.com/#kb918651

General precautions for Outlook Express:

Do not archive mail in default OE folders. They will eventually become
corrupt. Create your own user defined folders for storing mail and move your
mail to them. Empty Deleted Items folder regularly. Keep user created
folders under 100MB, and Default folders as empty as is feasible.

After you are done, follow up by compacting your folders manually while
working *offline* and do it often.

Click on Outlook Express at the top of the folder tree so no folders are
open. Then: File | Work Offline (or double click Working Online in the
Status Bar). File | Folder | Compact all folders. Don't touch anything until
the compacting is completed.

Turn off e-mail scanning in your anti-virus program. It is a redundant layer
of protection that eats up CPUs and causes a multitude of problems such as
time-outs and account setting changes. Your up-to-date A/V program will
continue to protect you sufficiently. For more, see:
http://www.oehelp.com/OETips.aspx#3

In Tools | Options | Maintenance: Uncheck Compact messages in background and
leave it unchecked. {N/A if running XP/SP2}.

And backup often.

Backup & Resto
http://www.insideoutlookexpress.com/backup/
--
Bruce Hagen
MS-MVP Outlook Express
~IB-CA~

" d d" wrote in message
...
Hi,

Admittedly I have about 50,000 emails stored in
about 6 folders so a Compact is definitely needed,
but it takes so long and basically nukes the machine
while it's taking place I'm pushing back on wanting
to do that right now....

My problem, I search for some emails in these folders
and will get a list of results of emails that match the
search criteria. If I try and open one of the emails from
the (finished) search results list, it will display:

"Message could not be displayed Outlook Express
encountered an unexpected problem while displaying
this message. Check your computer for low memory
or low disk space and try again."

I've got tons of memory and diskspace so I don't
believe that's the real reason for the message. If I go
to the appropriate folder and find one of the emails
that is in the results list and open it from the folder,
it opens just fine. ALSO, if I want a minute or so,
it can be opened from the search results list too.

I've seen a few sites that offer various solutions, some
that involve re-installing OE, or creating a new profile
and other things that sound like they're only needed
for a corrupted installation or corrupted DBX files.

These emails aren't corrupted, I can open them if I
either (a) wait a minute, (b) look them up in the folder
instead of trying to open from the search results page.

~dd

Thanks a lot Bruce. I tried compacting some folders
that I haven't added any emails to and they did work
really fast, so I'm gonna have to bite the bullet and
compact my "work_2006" folder with 15,000 in it.

Then I'll have to compact it once a week instead of
the schedule OE currently has for itself which is that
it prompts you once in a blue moon.

I'll report back once everything's compacted to see if
it solved the issue. It certainly sounds like it could be
the problem. Especially considering that after a minute
or so, the search results do start working normally. It's
probably busy indexing the emails or something.

~dd

Bizarre results. I compacted everything, but I'm
still seeing the issue. I can, however, specify the
issue a little more.

I have folder structure like this:

saved
|__work
|__ 2000
|__ 2001
|__ 2002
|__ 2003
|__ 2004
|__ 2005
|__ 2006

If I search from any of the individual year folders
for an email from a certain person, and I click on
one of the result emails immediately, then it opens
just fine.

If I search from the "work" folder and have the
"Include subfolders" checkbox set, I get the
results from all 7 folders naturally, but when I try
to open one of the results, I get the error mentioned
earlier. If I sit and wait for a minute or so and try
again to open it, then it's just fine.

~dd

I don't know what else to add.
--
Bruce Hagen
MS-MVP Outlook Express
~IB-CA~

" d d" wrote in message
...
Bizarre results. I compacted everything, but I'm
still seeing the issue. I can, however, specify the
issue a little more.

I have folder structure like this:

saved
|__work
|__ 2000
|__ 2001
|__ 2002
|__ 2003
|__ 2004
|__ 2005
|__ 2006

If I search from any of the individual year folders
for an email from a certain person, and I click on
one of the result emails immediately, then it opens
just fine.

If I search from the "work" folder and have the
"Include subfolders" checkbox set, I get the
results from all 7 folders naturally, but when I try
to open one of the results, I get the error mentioned
earlier. If I sit and wait for a minute or so and try
again to open it, then it's just fine.

~dd

" d d" wrote in message
...
Hi,

Admittedly I have about 50,000 emails stored in
about 6 folders so a Compact is definitely needed,
but it takes so long and basically nukes the machine
while it's taking place I'm pushing back on wanting
to do that right now....

My problem, I search for some emails in these folders
and will get a list of results of emails that match the
search criteria. If I try and open one of the emails from
the (finished) search results list, it will display:

"Message could not be displayed Outlook Express
encountered an unexpected problem while displaying
this message. Check your computer for low memory
or low disk space and try again."


Try using FileMon to get more details of this symptom?



I've got tons of memory and diskspace so I don't
believe that's the real reason for the message. If I go
to the appropriate folder and find one of the emails
that is in the results list and open it from the folder,
it opens just fine. ALSO, if I want a minute or so,
it can be opened from the search results list too.

I've seen a few sites that offer various solutions, some
that involve re-installing OE, or creating a new profile
and other things that sound like they're only needed
for a corrupted installation or corrupted DBX files.

These emails aren't corrupted, I can open them if I
either (a) wait a minute, (b) look them up in the folder
instead of trying to open from the search results page.


Don't forget that Search creates and perhaps reuses its own .dbx
You could at least clean those out in case they are the cause of the
problem. Note that FileMon would show if new ones are created
for each search or if old ones are reused. If the latter and the one
that you are getting assigned is corrupt or too big it could explain
your symptom. Etc.


Good luck

Robert Aldwinckle
---

"Robert Aldwinckle" schreef in bericht
...
" d d" wrote in message
...
Hi,

Admittedly I have about 50,000 emails stored in
about 6 folders so a Compact is definitely needed,
but it takes so long and basically nukes the machine
while it's taking place I'm pushing back on wanting
to do that right now....

My problem, I search for some emails in these folders
and will get a list of results of emails that match the
search criteria. If I try and open one of the emails from
the (finished) search results list, it will display:

"Message could not be displayed Outlook Express
encountered an unexpected problem while displaying
this message. Check your computer for low memory
or low disk space and try again."


Try using FileMon to get more details of this symptom?



I've got tons of memory and diskspace so I don't
believe that's the real reason for the message. If I go
to the appropriate folder and find one of the emails
that is in the results list and open it from the folder,
it opens just fine. ALSO, if I want a minute or so,
it can be opened from the search results list too.

I've seen a few sites that offer various solutions, some
that involve re-installing OE, or creating a new profile
and other things that sound like they're only needed
for a corrupted installation or corrupted DBX files.

These emails aren't corrupted, I can open them if I
either (a) wait a minute, (b) look them up in the folder
instead of trying to open from the search results page.


Don't forget that Search creates and perhaps reuses its own .dbx
You could at least clean those out in case they are the cause of the
problem. Note that FileMon would show if new ones are created
for each search or if old ones are reused. If the latter and the one
that you are getting assigned is corrupt or too big it could explain
your symptom. Etc.


Good luck

Robert Aldwinckle
---