DescentBB

Outlook/Express file compression

I have a friend who uses Outlook or Outlook Express, I don't.

He asked me what is the function under "File"/ "Compress all Folders" in his inbox mean.

Help all of you Outlook users.

O & OE use their own "database" format for accounts -- they stuff all messages into one big file. If you delete a message, only its index is deleted, not the message itself. "Compressing" simply means cleanup..

Does that mean when they compress they actually delete the file?

Compressing won't delete any files.

Then are they just using their form of WinZip? And is there any downside to it.

ould he have to "uncompress" later?

I don't want to tell someone it's OK to use if I don't know all the facts.

Thanks

its OK to use it.

All it does is reduce the file size of each folder. Its a space saving mechanism. Unless he's really short on disk space it isn't going to help much. I doubt his mail store directory is over 100megs.