Member Avatar for mik*2

Hello,
Can someone shed some light on this? I just upgraded my version of "MSN Messenger" on my Win XP Pro pc. Now Outlook Exprees takes almost 1 minute to startup. Does any one have any ideas short of uninstalling msn messenger and reinstalling it?

cheers
mike

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A few targeted checks will usually find whether Outlook Express is slow because of an external helper (IM client, antivirus, startup item), a huge/corrupt message store, or system-wide resource issues like a massive font set. The replies from , and point in those directions — use the steps below to isolate the cause and fix it safely.

  • Quick isolation: disconnect the PC from the network (unplug or disable the adapter) and launch Outlook Express. If it starts quickly offline, the delay is likely account/server or network-related.
  • Clean-boot test: run msconfig (Start → Run → msconfig), choose Selective startup, uncheck Load startup items, then on Services hide Microsoft services and disable the rest. Reboot and test. If OE is fast, re-enable startup items/services in small groups to find the offender.
  • Check the message store: Tools → Options → Maintenance → Store Folder shows the .dbx location. Back up that folder before doing anything. In OE use Folders → Compact All Folders to reduce DBX size; very large or corrupt DBX files slow startup.
  • Try a fresh identity: File → Identities → Add to create a clean OE profile (no add-ons or customized settings). If this launches quickly, migrate accounts/messages selectively from the backup rather than trying to repair everything at once.
  • Other checks: inspect Event Viewer (Control Panel → Administrative Tools → Event Viewer) for errors at the OE start time; remove duplicate/huge font collections (font enumeration can slow apps); temporarily disable antivirus email scanning. For a deeper trace, capture activity with Process Monitor (Sysinternals) to see what files/registry keys OE is waiting on.

Always back up the store folder and any important message files before changes. Work top-to-bottom: quick offline test → clean boot → store inspection → new identity. That sequence usually finds the root cause without reinstalling components.

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Member Avatar for caperjack

It been a long time since this happened to me but this help me ,this will stop msn messenge from starting when you load Outlook express

http://www.dougknox.com/xp/scripts/xp_hide_messenger.vbs

.it maybe because msn messenger is starting when outlook in booting .use dougs file to stop msn from starting .dougs stuff is safe i have used a lot of his fixes .
http://www.dougknox.com/

Member Avatar for mik*2

just done this and it worked a treat....thanks for that

cheers
mike

Member Avatar for caperjack

Your welcome ,glad it worked for you !

Member Avatar for jerrrrrrrrry

I had this problem after installing 2800 fonts on my computer.

After I cancelled the fonts, everything come back to normal : outlook started again in less 1 second.

Jerry

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