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is there a MSF file max size ?

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Lynn McGuire

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Dec 2, 2010, 3:20:51 PM12/2/10
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I have a MSF file that is 3,126,530 KB. Is that too big ?

If not, what is the max size of MSF files ?

Thanks,
Lynn

Mike Easter

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Dec 2, 2010, 3:34:06 PM12/2/10
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Lynn McGuire wrote:
> I have a MSF file that is 3,126,530 KB. Is that too big ?
>
> If not, what is the max size of MSF files ?

The .msf is an index of the corresponding named file without an
extension - so one would expect its non-.msf file to be much larger.

The problem with files used by a database getting too big is the
potential for corruption.

I think large bunches of mail should be subdivided into logically
smaller collections and regularly compacted.

http://kb.mozillazine.org/Compacting_folders

http://kb.mozillazine.org/Limits_-_Thunderbird Thunderbird stores each
folder in a separate text file, using the mbox format... The maximum
size of a folder is 4GB unless ...


--
Mike Easter

John McWilliams

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Dec 2, 2010, 4:40:34 PM12/2/10
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On 12/2/10 PDT 12:20 PM, Lynn McGuire wrote:
> I have a MSF file that is 3,126,530 KB. Is that too big ?
>
> If not, what is the max size of MSF files ?

Don't know that there's a practical one, but occasionally rebuilding
them may speed things up, and may obviate later corruption.

One used to have to manually delete them, but now 'rebuilding' does that
for you from the contextual menu of the particular NG.

--
john mcwilliams

Lynn McGuire

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Dec 2, 2010, 6:36:59 PM12/2/10
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Yes, I got it wrong. My MSF file is 35 MB. The folder file is
3,126 MB.

I compacted and that folder file is now 2,100 MB. Much better.
Good to know that the folder can be up to 4 GB in size.

Thanks,
Lynn

Mike Easter

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Dec 2, 2010, 6:54:56 PM12/2/10
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Lynn McGuire wrote:
> Mike Easter wrote:

>> I think large bunches of mail should be subdivided into logically
>> smaller collections and regularly compacted.

> I compacted and that folder file is now 2,100 MB. Much better.


> Good to know that the folder can be up to 4 GB in size.
>
> Thanks,

YW.

I would still be thinking about splitting that up.

Is that your Inbox or something? (Personally) I don't think the inbox
should be used for storage.

It always ends up accumulating stuff you want to keep and is typically
the first thing that gets corrupted and makes you unhappy. The inbox
gets beat up on a lot; many factors make it vulnerable to bad things
happening.

Backing up is one thing; making it less likely to corrupt is another.


--
Mike Easter

Lynn McGuire

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Dec 2, 2010, 7:38:17 PM12/2/10
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Nope. It is a folder of status emails from my website. I deleted a lot
of superfluous emails out of it today, that is why it compacted so much.

Thanks,
Lynn

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