February 1, 2010

 With the size of attachments to emails on the increase due to videos, several pictures, forms, etc., I thought we should discuss email maintenance this month.

Regardless of what email program you use, the program can experience problems if the folder size is larger than 2 gigabytes.  Back when developers started writing the programs, 2 gig was unfathomable.  Today with video files, in particular, and mega pixel pictures, the size of an individual email can be huge.  Outlook Express, Windows Mail, and similar programs, create individual folders for inbox, sent items, outbox, folders you create, etc.  Your address book is in another separate folder.  Outlook creates one file which contains all your data, contacts, email, to do list, calendar, etc.

If you exceed 2 gig in any folder, the program may start doing strange things, or it could just delete the data in the offending folder.  If you save emails, it is best to save the attachments and the email itself to a folder on your hard drive, rather than keeping it in the mail program.  Once you save the information, delete the email.  Also make sure to keep you deleted items folder emptied out.  If you are going to keep an email, make a folder to store it in, then set your email program to empty the deleted items folder when you exit out of the program.  Many people tend to keep email in their deleted items folder.  You should organize the mail program the same way you organize you data files and your filing cabinet.

Another extremely important thing to consider is compacting your mail folders.  Your mail program works similar to some database programs.  For instance if you have 1 gigabyte of data in a folder and you delete half of the data, if you don't compact the folder, the program will still thing the folder is 1 gigabyte in size.  It won't adjust it until it is compacted.  That is why every so often the program asks if you want to compact your folders.  It is usually set to automatically ask at a set interval.  Anytime you delete a lot of stuff, you should manually compact your folders.

Housekeeping makes using your email program easier because you can find items you really need to look and, and the program itself will work much more efficiently.