Maximum Size of Mail Folders/Files?

[CWLee]

(Running Vista Ultimate 64-bit, SP-2, IE-7, WM-6, classic
mode, dial-up.)

(Cross-posted since my question is on the cusp of Outlook
Express and Windows Mail.)

Several years ago (1.9.04) Steve Cochran responded to my
question about maximum dbx folder sizes to the effect that
as long as each folder was less than 100 mb one was OK.
Since that time I upgraded from Windows 2000-Pro, SP-4,
IE-6, OE-6, classic mode, dial-up to my current Vista OS.
With that came Windows Mail. I was able to transfer
successfully my hundreds of dbx folders to Windows Mail, and
I'm now wondering about similar size limitations. So my
question is:

What are the suggested upper limits, either in the number of
email messages, or in kb or mb of size, for each folder in
Windows Mail?

Thanks.

--

 

[Steve Cochran]

The situation is much different with WinMail. See
www.oehelp.com/backup.aspx and the section on WinMail. Basically the dbx
files are no longer used, and there is a database now that is separate from
the messages. Messages are stored now as individual eml files and the
database is a Jet (blue) one that stores the folder and message parameters.
So there now is no size limitation per se. During the Vista beta I tested
the effect of large numbers of eml files in one directory (folder) and I was
able to store 130,000 messages in one folder. There was a performance hit,
which one would expect with a size of that magnitude, but the messages were
not lost and the database was not corrupted. So in theory and somewhat in
practice there is no size limitation that you would easily reach.

There are several issues with 3rd party programs and WinMail (see point 3
here: www.oehelp.com/OETips.aspx), in that just about any "anti-" program
(virus, malware, spam) does not work properly with WinMail, so you should
give that some consideration.

And as a general rule, regardless of program, one should regularly backup
their important messages.

cheers,

steve