OE Folder compaction/in use problem solved (I think)

This is a report of a problem and an apparent solution in case anybody else has the same problem.

I have used Outlook Express on Windows XP Professional for years with no problems. Lately, however, after exiting OE, the following message box occurs: "To free up disk space, Outlook Express can compact messages. This may take up to a few minutes. OK or Cancel"

If I check OK, then OE goes through all my OE message folders and compacts them. But after the end of that process, the following message box occurs: "(Red button with white X) The folder is currently in use by Outlook Express or by another application. OK or Cancel" Regardless of whether I press OK or Cancel, the process quits with no apparent further problems. This entire process now occurs every time the initial compacting message occurs. As far as I know, there is no other application or program running, and I don’t know which folder is causing the second message to appear.

In any event, there doesn’t seem to be any problem or error with any other part of OE. All of my message folders continue to be present, and OE appears to function normally. However, these error messages have only started to occur in the last several months. Longer ago, they didn’t appear at all.

After reading several threads here on WindowsBBS, I did a manual compaction by:
1. Clicking file>work offline
2. Clicking file>folder>compact all folders.

After this process was complete, there was NO error message. I’m not sure why this worked, but it seemed to.
The only other comment that I can think of is that several months ago, I also added AVG Free 8.0 which scans email for viruses. I suppose the "other application" in the original error message could be AVG, but I don’t know that for sure, and even if it is, it’s not clear why the manual compaction would work without error.

So that’s all I know for now. Thanks to those who commented on other similar problems.

 

When the compaction takes place on my rarely used XP machine it is a Local folder I created that produces the message. I’ve never bothered to establish why but it seems to equate to PeteC’s AntiSpam folder.