[39Magnolia57]

Some recent problems have developed with Outlook Express on my computer.

1) When I first turn the computer on (it gets turned off every night) and log into OE for messages, it takes up to 15 - 20 minutes just to get 5 or 6 messages. If I close it and come back later anytime before turning the computer off for the night, they come in just fine. We have a high speed cable connection. I also have McAfee Security Center which was preinstalled on my computer.

2) Yesterday this was the first message I got when I logged on and the messages finally all come through, "Message could not be displayed "Outlook Express encountered an unexpected problem while displaying this message. Check your computer for low memory or low disk space and try again." This note was displayed in all my messages. My computer has a 130 gig hard drive with well over 100 gig free. And it also has 2 gig of RAM.

I have noticed that if I log out of OE and log back in, I can get the messages. But if I leave OE on, eventually all my messages will have that same error again.

I keep the message folders pretty well cleaned out and compact the folders fairly regularly. I've done the cleanup of the disk and defragged. All this made no difference.

In addition to McAfee - the computer also has Windows Defender, Spybot Search and Destroy, Spyware Blaster, and Ad-Aware SE. Am I paranoid?? Yep - Ever since the WinFixer was somehow installed on another computer I had in 2005. You folks helped me with that problem. Anyway, these programs are updated and scans are run frequently.

Could McAfee be the problem? Any advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I am not a geek by any means, just a home user, and these kinds of problems really throw me. I need detailed instructions, please. BTW, I did check out the Microsoft website and couldn't find anything relevent there.

Thanks in advance.

Phyllis Miller

Edited by 39Magnolia57, 31 August 2007 - 11:23 AM.

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I would argue Windows Defender is probably conflicting with McAfee (although IMO neither program is all that good anyway). Is it full-blown McAfee Internet Security Suite or is it just the McAfee Security Center?

[Neil Jones]

I would argue Windows Defender is probably conflicting with McAfee (although IMO neither program is all that good anyway). Is it full-blown McAfee Internet Security Suite or is it just the McAfee Security Center?

[39Magnolia57]

It's the McAfee Security Center, and was preinstalled on my computer. Unfortunately, it wasn't an option, it was there.

I was thinking about uninstalling it and downloading AVG for my antivirus protection. And you say Windows Defender isn't much good? Maybe I should think about dumping it as well. We have two computers here at home and a router for the cable. It is my understanding that with a router you don't need a firewall. Do you agree?

[Neil Jones]

Not necessarily. A hardware firewall is more secure but in most routers its far more transparent that it would appear. A software firewall has more finite control over what can and what can't go on but then of course it takes up more system resources with the potential to block everything if one is not careful.

[39Magnolia57]

What do you think of Spybot Search and Destroy, Spyware Blaster, and Ad-Aware? These are all free versions that were downloaded. If I dump the McAfee and Windows Defender, I would think about downloading the free version of Zone Alarm for the firewall, and AVG for virus protection. Are you familiar with those programs?

And another question - WindowsXP has a built-in firewall and antivirus program which McAfee disabled. Are these good enough and how would I enable them? A Spybot S & D scan alerted me to the fact that they even existed - the scan picked up the fact that they had been disabled. Gee, maybe I answered my own question - Spybot S & D would fix the problems it found.

Thank you for your replies, Neil. I appreciate you taking the time to give me some opinions.

[TweetyBird]

I began to experience the same problem the same time as the original poster and have followed this thread trying to find a solution. I am running Windows XP MCE 2002 SP 2 with 1GB RAM, 55.3 GB free disk space, 38% system resources free. I have defragged, compressed all Outlook Express folders, emptied temporary internet files, checked to make sure that none of the dbx files are marked as read only and scanned for viruses and spyware. I have tried disabling email scanning for viruses as a test. I've deleted a lot of messages and compressed again. Nothing abnormal has taken place during the compressions. Nothing I've done has worked. The disk space allotted for temporary internet files is 252 mb. I am using McAfee Internet Security Center with virus scan, spam filter, firewall, parental controls, privacy service and site advisor. They are all the current versions and up to date. I noticed that the last update to site advisor was on 8/29, the day before my problems began and have wondered if I got a faulty update, but then again, that is for IE, not OE. I have no other antivirus software, etc. that would be causing conflicts. I have found that if I shut OE down everytime I'm done with email and bring it back up again next time I want to use it rather than letting it run in the background that it at least cuts down on the errors. Sometimes, when I try to delete a message from my inbox, it will not delete. If I close the program and open it back up I can delete it just fine. If I leave the program running and click on another message, I get either a message cannot be displayed error or a folder cannot be displayed error. The errors can affect all of my folders in both of my user accounts, only one folder in one account, or all folders in only one account. There seems to be no rhyme nor reason to it. Has anyone found a solution yet? Or, is it just something I am going to have to live with? Thanks for all of your help and I apologize if I should have opened my own thread on this. I am a new user on this board.

[Major Payne]

TweetyBird: If you even experience a similar or the same problem, it is always advisable to open your own thread as your solution may not be the same because of many factors. It will also allow more consetrated help on your behalf alone.

Since you've posted just wait to see whether you get a response that may help you.

Ron

[39Magnolia57]

TweetyBird - Your problems are exactly like mine. I noticed that we are both using McAfee Security Center and am beginning to wonder if that might be the problem. My husband is also experiencing the same problems on his computer, and he also has the McAfee Security Center.

Thank you for your reply. Hopefully we will get some feedback.

[TweetyBird]

39Magnolia57 - Have you or your husband found a solution yet? I've searched the web and found others with the same set of problems that began around the same time as ours but nobody has found a solution yet. I have noticed that I am more likly to get the "message cannot be displayed" error after opening a message with a few pictures in it but there is still nothing consistent.

TweetyBird

[Carol.]

TweetyBird and 39Magnolia57..

Do you have the email scanning feature turned off? It doesn't neeed to be on. Have you both tried all the suggestions in:

An Outlook Express Basic Repair Kit
File Corruption in Outlook Express

If you've tried all of the above, and created a New Identity, having the message and behavior persist in the newly Named Identity, you may be experiencing the same as the poster in this thread. There are alot more threads, and alot more people with the problem - myself included. It's been suggested, in order to get the problem recognized and addressed by the "powers that be", to post your problem at the MS Outlook Express Newsgroups. You will need to start a post/thread of your own. (It's discouraged to post in the middle of thread, with a "me too".) The worst that's going to happen is, you may actually get it fixed.

While McAfee may be accused of causing the problem by some, there are many people experiencing the same behavior, who are using a different AV. It's possible it's contributing to it, but not likely the cause. (IMO) I urge you to post there. The more people who post the problem, the better chance we have of getting it fixed.

With all the above said, please keep in mind, an ""Outlook Express encountered an unexpected problem while displaying this message. Check your computer for low memory or low disk space and try again" error, doesn't necessarily mean it's the same problem as pointed out it the thread. OE could be damaged or corrupt. It's always a possibility.

Frustrated.. and tired of the problem......
Carol

Edited by Carol., 05 October 2007 - 08:29 AM.

[TweetyBird]

Carol

I haven't done ALL of the things suggested in the link you posted only because I am not comfortable doing some of them myself, but I have been following the threads in other forums. I am hesitant to post in some of them because they request an email address which is displayed for all to see. The one things I have noticed in my situation is that the problem usually occurs after opening a message that has several pictures in it. I can read the messasge, but often times when I try to delete it, it will not delete. If I continue on, I will get the "message (or folder) cannot be displayed" error. If I close OE then reopen it, all is fine and I can then delete the message if I want to. This may happen immediately after reading the message with pictures or, sometimes, a few messages later. McAfee Internet Security Suite is the only protection I have - no others such as SpySweeper, AdAware, etc. I hope we can all find a solution soon. For now, I usually try to delete any message with pictures right away or close out and then delete before I get the error.

TweetyBird

[Carol.]

I am hesitant to post in some of them because they request an email address which is displayed for all to see.

Hi TweetyBird..

They request an email address, as they did when you registered here, but it would NEVER be displayed. And especially so, at the Newsgroups. I wouldn't post there if it was. If you click on the Help file, you'll see where you can click on "About email addresses and privacy". Part of which reads:

"To help prevent spam in your regular e-mail account, the default display e-mail address when you post a message in a discussion group is [email protected]. The following are the display e-mail address options you can choose from:Use a false display e-mail address we generate for you The default address [email protected] will be used when you post a message if you do not change your display e-mail address.Use a modified display e-mail address Use a different version of your e-mail address that others will understand, but that spam tools can't automatically pick up. For example, if an actual e-mail address were [email protected], we would recommend modifying it to one of the following:"

In other words, the default setting will display a false email address, as it reads above. If you're uncomfortable about it, once you register and sign in, look to right of where you see "sign out", there's an "edit my profile" box. Go to your profile, where you can double-check to see there's already a tick mark next to "use a false address we generate for you".

I experience the same thing with the larger emails. It's frustrating. You want to delete some of your larger messages, or even save them if you wish, yet you don't want the error messages coming up all the time. Give the Newsgroups one more shot. Let them know the error message, and that you've tried most of what has been suggested. If you're uncomfortable doing so, keep an eye on this thread. It's on-going. If there's anything I can help you with, I'll do my best and try.
Carol

[Carol.]

TweetyBird and 39Magnolia57..

Two months after last posting and three months after the "specific" problem" arose, a solution has been found. I suspect you have either moved on, or were aware of the most recent finding's. On the outside chance it's neither, this information should help. The specific problem was for those who were frequently getting the following error, when using Outlook Express.

""Message could not be displayed. Outlook Express encountered an unexpected problem while displaying this message. Check your computer for low memory or low disk space and try again."

The problem was found to be caused by McAfee's SiteAdvisor. I was the one of the last to remove it. One of the last to be convinced. Not everyone with SA installed is having the problem. Mostly those who participate in newsgroups, and some such I who don't. My curiosity piqued when I looked in SA's last install log, only to find the problem began with OE, two hours after SA's latest version was installed. If you don't have McAfee's SiteAdvisor installed, either as a standalone as I have, or as part of McAfee's Suite, you didn't have this "specific"problem to begin with. If you choose not to uninstall SiteAdvisor, the only viable option is to read message's in plain text. As much I hated to uninstall SA, I disliked reading in plain text even more. If you have it as part of a Suite, you have the option to remove just SA. However, SiteAdvisor leaves many files after's it's uninstall. It's best to use their cleanup tool.

The history of the problem, along with it's resolution can be found within this Newsgroup Thread. I hope this is of help to someone, who finds themself in the same situation.

Carol

Edited by Carol., 05 December 2007 - 12:42 AM.