Resolved "to free up disk space outlook express can compact messages"

We use Outlook, not outlook express. That's why this is puzzling, and I was hoping to get some direction on this. I've found some answers on google that suggest it's caused by indexing services.

The message that this user gets whenever they log in is: "To free up disk space, Outlook Express can compact messages. This may take up to a few minutes." Okay/Cancel -- I have the user cancel.

Here's what I have done:
• services.msc - disabled indexing service, from the original "manual. "
• "properties" for C: - unchecked the box for "allow indexing services to... "
• Control Panel > Internet Options > Email : verified that is says "OUTLOOK" and not "OUTLOOK EXPRESS "
• Control Panel > Add/Remove Programs, but there was no OE to remove
• Control Panel > Indexing Options, there were originally several Outlook Express entries here, one for each user who had ever logged onto the machine, but I removed them, and the only entry that remains is "Microsoft Office Outlook\[user] ", and has remained like that for 2 reboots

Those are the fixes I came across in my searches, but none of those fixes seems to have remedied the problem. Are there recommendations for something else to try?

 

It's weird. I compared registry keys between my computer and the one with the original problem. They're both running XP SP3, and neither have ever installed or used OE.

I can't just reset the counter, because I'll get a call every time that counter reaches 100 and wants to compress something that doesn't exist.

Is there a tool to remove symptoms of OE, like Norton has their tools to remove traces of old versions of its anti-virus? Or maybe just installing/uninstalling outlook express would cure it? I'm looking for a permanent solution... =\

 

It was listed under Windows Components, and it had a checkmark next to it. But even after correcting that, I was still getting the message about compacting. To wit, I reset the counter in the registry to zero and rebooted the computer.

The "compact check count" is still incrementing. Which means, in another 99 logins, I'll get called in to "fix" this again.

Super bonus points for reminding me it was an actual part of XP, instead of just something you can download free from MS (my mistake, thanks for pointing it out). But the problem still isn't resolved.

What sort of cleanup should I be looking at to make this permanent, now that I've disable OE, by unchecking it in the Windows Components list?

EDIT:
I went back through the checklist to make sure nothing else had changed when I dropped OE and changed the registry. Under indexing properties > modify, there are still several OE entries for other users who had logged into the machine, but they are unchecked. Do I need to remove the indices that windows created before I disabled indexing?

 

Even better news! I've had some extra time, so I took it to reboot a couple more times and test something out. After disabling the OE and then resetting the counter to zero, it incremented to one, right? It hasn't incremented past that, even when I open regular outlook.

Awesome, thanks! And I'll consider this resolved!