Hey,

I just finally broke loose from AOL in the last month, so now I'm
discovering how to work different things. Here are a few basic questions I
hope someone can help me with...

1) When I download (or open) a news message, is the message stored on my
computer? If so, where?
2) I'm using Outlook Express as my news reader. There are some messages that
I open and it's just gibberish. Do I need to trigger a function in Outlook
Express, or should I download and use a different newsreader? (Suggestions
for freeware?)
3) Is there a difference between "Mark All Read" and "Catch-up?" They both
seem to do the same thing.
4) Will the old message headers (those I've marked read) eventually go away?
Is there a way to shorten the amount of time that the headers sit there?
5) What else should I be asking?

Thanks for your help.

Fritz Miller said:

Look up combine & decode in your Help file or
there's an addon for OE's reader. I'm sure someone will point you in
that direction. (I don't/won't use IE/OE.)


http://www.newsreaders.com/win/clients.html
http://www.webattack.com/Freeware/mi...wbrowser.shtml
Compliant readers "Good Net-Keeping Seal of Approval ":
http://www.xs4all.nl/~js/gnksa/gnksa-evaluations.html

Free Agent
http://www.forteinc.com

Xnews (My favorite)
http://xnews.newsguy.com/

Gravity
http://gravity.tbates.org/

Dialog
http://www.40tude.com/dialog/


Newsgroups:

news.software.readers
alt.usenet.offline-reader
alt.usenet.offline-reader.forte-agent
alt.usenet.offline-reader.forte-agent.modified
alt.usenet.offline-reader.xananews
alt.comp.software.newsreaders
alt.comp.software.newsreaders.newsbin
microsoft.public.reader
microsoft.public.internet.news.reader.software

On Tue, 12 Aug 2003 17:52:37 -0500, in
<vjirtkelaffi2b@corp.supernews.com>
Fritz Miller scrawled:

They are held in *.dbx data files in:
c:\windows\application data\identities\{GUID}\microsoft\outlook express\

Courtesy of gangle:
--------------------------

To assemble a multi-part post using Outlook Express,
click part 1, then, while holding down the Ctrl key,
click each of the remaining parts. When you have
highlighted the last part, Right click and choose
"Combine and Decode." Make sure all parts are in
order in the window that pops up, then click "OK."
When all parts have downloaded and been decoded,
a window will appear with the File Icon in the
bottom left corner (OE4) or in the "Attach"
line (OE5 & 6). Right click on the icon, choose
"save as" and, within the browser window that
appears, choose "Desktop" as the place to initially
save it. If you want to keep it, you can later CUT and
PASTE it from Desktop to any folder you want.

IMPORTANT NOTE: In OE4 it is possible to download
a multi-part binary while simultaneously reading or
posting to other NGs, or reading/sending email -- But:
in the "upgraded" OE5 & 6, downloading a multi-part file
makes the program UNUSABLE for most other functions
while the process goes on; so, if you frequently want to
download multi-part binary files, it's more practical
to use a dedicated news reading and posting program,
such as Agent ("Full" Agent @ $29 -- NOT Free Agent):
http://www.forteinc.com/agent/index.htm
or Xnews (free):
http://xnews.newsguy.com/
or Gravity (free):
http://lightning.prohosting.com/~tba...ty/start1.html
for downloading binaries.
Also, for $35, there is Newsbin, which is strictly
for downloading binaries:
http://www.newsbin.com/ .
You could still use OE5 or 6 as an email program
and to view/post to text-only NGs, while using one of
the above programs to retrieve binaries.

Note: OE does not internally decode yEnc messages.
You must use a third-party program to acheive this,
the easiest being yProxy:
http://www.brawnylads.com/software/

Again, I suggest that, for binaries, it would be more
practical to just switch to one of the dedicated newsreaders
mentioned above, which all handle yEnc internally.

'Mark all read' only marks the headers/messages that you have already
downloaded as read. 'Catch-up' marks the group as though you had
downloaded and read *every* available message.

Tools / Options / Maintenance ... clean up now ... Delete / Compact.
NB: Make sure that you do not have 'Compace in the background' selected.
This can cause corruption of the *.dbx files.

How to make decent beer/roast parsnips?

You're squaimed.

--
Basic computer maintenance
http://uk.geocities.com/personel44/maintenance.html

MS info on OE news/mail reader.
http://support.microsoft.com/default...-US;oex#faq558
this link is much better, and exhaustive:
http://www.okinfoweb.com/moe/
You have graduated beyond the first step towards knowledgeable use of the
internet.

Cleverly disguised as a responsible adult
[Taglinator 3.0 unregistered - www.srtware.com]
--
the abominable toner
toner27@REMOVETHIShal-pc.com
http://www.hal-pc.org/~toner27/

"Fritz Miller" <Overfork@cableone.net> wrote in message
news:vjirtkelaffi2b@corp.supernews.com...

°Mike° <ZHNTPDWBLECA@fcnzzbgry.pbz> wrote in message
news:3f6f7f57.22994704@localhost.dot.net...
Forgive me for inserting . . .

And to remove them you right click on the newsgroup name in the Folders
Column and hit Properties > Local File > Remove Messages > Yes - then wait
ages for it to do it - then hit Compact.

You can do the lot at once from the main menu bar. Tools > Options >
Maintenance > Clean Up Now - then its the same dialogue box but it cleans
out all your newsgroup local folders. It's a good idea to do this regularly
otherwise your OE Message Store can become huge!

(They're actually files but for some odd reason OE likes to call them
folders.)

Not if you use the "Mark for download" facility. Look it up in Help. It's
extreemely useful. It'll download the files you've marked in the background
while you browse other groups or look at your emails. The only thing you
can't do is send. Sent messages wait in your Outbox until the automatic
download is finished.

PS: It'll only work if your server supports multiple data streams.

Can also mask the HD starting up as a result of virus activity.
And where can you get a good book on OE.

Answer: The basement of Waterstone's in Gower Street London.