URGENT help, Outlook taking AGES to load....

[Snow-Munki]

Hi,

have a very annoyed client here who said that Outlook takes AGES to load. I just went down there to see and couldn't figure it out

i tried autoarchieve and everyone elses email is ok, this is ok an exchange server btw.

The only thing i can see is that her email folder size is : 547667K

which means 547megs right ! might that be why ?

but the the network connectivety part hardly moves much data across...

any other ideas ? possible virus ?

[nichomach]

Hmmm...is she a laptop user? Is her machine set to use Offline folders? If so, it may not be the size of her mailbox on the server, but the size of the local offline copy of the mailbox on the machine itself; that gets opened when outlook starts so that the mailbox on the server can be synchronised with it.

[Snow-Munki]

umm ok she's a laptop user yeah... the rest of that i don't get

[nichomach]

If it IS that, then maybe she could separate out some of her mail that she doesn't need access to offline into folders which aren't synchronised. This may not initially reduce the size of the OST file (I've frequently seen it not do this), so it may be an idea to delete the OST file (the offline folders) and let Outlook recreate it after the folders have been rearranged.

[nichomach]

umm ok she's a laptop user yeah... the rest of that i don't get

My fault; the way Outlook works with Exchange on a desktop is that all the messages are held on the server, to which the desktop is always connected. That's no use to a laptop user, since they may be away from the server for extended periods. Outlook can make folders available offline, though, so that a mobile user always has access to them. The offline version synchronises with the Exchange Server either when the user's plugged into the LAN where the server resides, or via, for example, dialup. Now the offline folders are stored in a file with a .OST extension, and this is as big as it needs to be to accomodate all the items that Outlook is set to make available offline. So if the entire mailbox is synchronised and this is over 500MB in size, the .OST is likely to be over 500MB as well. This file is opened every time Outlook is opened whether the user is in the office or not, since even when in the office, the offline folders have to be synch'ed so they're available when the user takes the laptop out again. A really big mailbox where everything is made available offline means a big .OST which is going to be a lot slower to open.

[Snow-Munki]

sorry to sound stupid.. really tired here

so basically separate old emails and store them on her C drive...

is that what you mean ?

[nichomach]

Well, she doesn't even have to do that. Is this Outlook 2000, XP or 2003, please?

[Snow-Munki]

really sorry about this btw... thanks very very much...

its Outlook 2000 i believe on a Windows 2000 laptop...

[nichomach]

That's fine. OK, go to View, Folder List. This should show all her folders. If you right click on any of them and choose Properties, there'll be a tab that controls synchronisation, where there's a radio button to make the folder available online only or online AND offline. Choosing this controls whether the folder is synchronised or not. If she creates some additional folders and separates out stuff she doesn't need offline into them, and chooses to make them available only online, they won't get synch'ed. This should keep the offline folders smaller.

edit: The choice will only be available when she's plugged into the LAN and logged into the domain, and thus the Exchange Server, properly.

[Snow-Munki]

thanks will suggest that - try that.. doesn't work on mine but is that b/c i'm using 2003

and i take it to put them all 'online' mode only ?

[Moby-Dick]

is the laptop connecting wirelessly ?
does she have any pst files stored on the server ?

500 meg is pretty big for a mailbox though.

[nichomach]

2003's a lot different; if you're configured to use offline folders, you'd find the options to enable or disable folders under Tools, Options, Mail Setup, Send/Receive - basically you'll see a window with the folders in with tickboxes next to them to enable or disable them.

As far as what she should tick, I'd create new folders for the stuff she doesn't want available offline, and just ensure that they're set to online only.

Once you've done this and synchronised with the smaller folders (hopefully) available on or offline and the stuff she doesn't want offline in the online only folders, see http://support.microsoft.com/default...&Product=out2K for how to compact the offline folders. Look at the section "To Manually Start OST Compaction", which says:

"On the Tools menu, click Services.
Click to select Microsoft Exchange Server, and click Properties.
On the Advanced tab, click "Offline Folder File Settings."
Click Compact Now.
Click OK three times."

I hope this helps.

[Snow-Munki]

no, the laptop is connected via a normal rj45 cable.

hmm dunno where the pst files are stored, i guess its safe to assume its on the server as its on exchange.

do you think the offline / online thing is correct as i don't wanna go over there and look stupid again

and.. using Office 2003 so a lot has changed... is it a simple offline / online button or something ?

[Moby-Dick]

.pst files would be for their archive file - bear in mind that with exchange you dont have a pst (as you would with pop3 etc. - its all in the information store unless you exmarge it off )

[nichomach]

is the laptop connecting wirelessly ?
does she have any pst files stored on the server ?

500 meg is pretty big for a mailbox though.

Good question - I'm assuming that since she's working with an Exchange Server that she's set up to use the Exchange server as the information store for Outlook, which is the default setting.

[Snow-Munki]

hmm yeah .. sorry sounding soo clueless as its not my network... some dude did it all and he's off on holiday so kinda left me to it...

never seen the network nothing... had to ask where the servers were

i've just called to say i'll pop round monday morning and i'll give it a try then