Access to stored newsgroup messages

When I read files from newsgroups they are stored automatically, as far as I
can tell, in C:\Users\MyUserName\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Window s Mail. After
a while, I suppose, there is quite a build-up of files here. I would like to
delete them. However, I cannot see or gain access to the
C:\Users\MyUserName\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Window s Mail directory, even
though I am using the administrator account. What must I do to gain access
to this directory? I tried "taking ownership" of the directory, but that
didn't seem to get me anywhere. Help will be appreciated.

"Phil" <phil12345@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:5D0C4690-9225-40A9-B8F5-8CE8F6DFA98B@microsoft.com...
> When I read files from newsgroups they are stored automatically, as far as
> I can tell, in C:\Users\MyUserName\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Window s Mail.
> After a while, I suppose, there is quite a build-up of files here. I would
> like to delete them. However, I cannot see or gain access to the
> C:\Users\MyUserName\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Window s Mail directory, even
> though I am using the administrator account. What must I do to gain access
> to this directory? I tried "taking ownership" of the directory, but that
> didn't seem to get me anywhere. Help will be appreciated.

Open Windows Explorer.
Click Tools | Folder Options | View.
Select Show hidden files and folders.

--
Frank Saunders, MS-MVP OE/WM
Do not send mail.

Hi, Phil.

Yes, Windows Mail stores newsgroup messages for a while, as individual .nws
files. But it also deletes them from time to time.

Unlike email messages, newsgroup posts are stored on the news server, and we
don't control that server. This microsoft.public.windows.vista.mail
newsgroup, for example, is hosted on Microsoft's public news server, which
is freely available to anyone. Microsoft deletes posts from time to time,
but I don't know their schedule. It varies from one newsgroup to the next,
probably depending on the amount of traffic. I show at least one message
here dated 3/30/07.

You also store NG posts on your own computer when you download them. How
long you keep YOUR copies is up to you. Many delete all Read messages each
time they exit the NG. Others - like me - are packrats and keep them for a
long time. OE/WM/WLM all have a similar setting, although the click-path to
it may vary slightly. In WLM, click Tools | Options | Advanced |
Maintenance. Here you can tell it to Purge newsgroup messages in the
background, and to Delete news messages __ days after being downloaded.
Note that this is the number of days after you've downloaded them before
they are deleted on YOUR computer. This has no effect on how long the
server keeps the messages available for you to re-download them - or for
thousands of other users to download them.

My setting is for posts to be deleted 32 days after I've downloaded them.
Since I installed WLM on about June 7 and downloaded lots of messages at
that time, I expect to see many of those messages disappear from my HD next
week.

But I almost never directly delete messages from the Windows Mail folder.
So I don't need to "take ownership" of it.

RC
--
R. C. White, CPA
San Marcos, TX
rc@grandecom.net
Microsoft Windows MVP
(Running Windows Live Mail beta in Vista Ultimate x64)

"Phil" <phil12345@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:5D0C4690-9225-40A9-B8F5-8CE8F6DFA98B@microsoft.com...
> When I read files from newsgroups they are stored automatically, as far as
> I can tell, in C:\Users\MyUserName\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Window s Mail.
> After a while, I suppose, there is quite a build-up of files here. I would
> like to delete them. However, I cannot see or gain access to the
> C:\Users\MyUserName\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Window s Mail directory, even
> though I am using the administrator account. What must I do to gain access
> to this directory? I tried "taking ownership" of the directory, but that
> didn't seem to get me anywhere. Help will be appreciated.

I don't have Windows Mail available to check, but are you sure Tools |
Options | Advanced | Maintenance says 'Purge newsgroup messages' or does it
say 'Purge deleted messages when leaving IMAP folders'?

Delete news messages __ days after being downloaded only removes the message
body and only occurs when you compact folders.

I use a news rule to delete messages sent more than 20 days ago.
I apply the rule manually and compact afterward.
This also deletes messages that dated more than 20 days in the future.
Browse to the server name to apply the rule to all newsgroups under that
server or browse to Outlook Express to apply the rule to all newsgroups.
--
Ronald Sommer

"R. C. White" <rc@grandecom.net> wrote in message
news:OQAYkP4vHHA.4332@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...
: Hi, Phil.
:
: Yes, Windows Mail stores newsgroup messages for a while, as individual
..nws
: files. But it also deletes them from time to time.
:
: Unlike email messages, newsgroup posts are stored on the news server, and
we
: don't control that server. This microsoft.public.windows.vista.mail
: newsgroup, for example, is hosted on Microsoft's public news server, which
: is freely available to anyone. Microsoft deletes posts from time to time,
: but I don't know their schedule. It varies from one newsgroup to the
next,
: probably depending on the amount of traffic. I show at least one message
: here dated 3/30/07.
:
: You also store NG posts on your own computer when you download them. How
: long you keep YOUR copies is up to you. Many delete all Read messages
each
: time they exit the NG. Others - like me - are packrats and keep them for
a
: long time. OE/WM/WLM all have a similar setting, although the click-path
to
: it may vary slightly. In WLM, click Tools | Options | Advanced |
: Maintenance. Here you can tell it to Purge newsgroup messages in the
: background, and to Delete news messages __ days after being downloaded.
: Note that this is the number of days after you've downloaded them before
: they are deleted on YOUR computer. This has no effect on how long the
: server keeps the messages available for you to re-download them - or for
: thousands of other users to download them.
:
: My setting is for posts to be deleted 32 days after I've downloaded them.
: Since I installed WLM on about June 7 and downloaded lots of messages at
: that time, I expect to see many of those messages disappear from my HD
next
: week.
:
: But I almost never directly delete messages from the Windows Mail folder.
: So I don't need to "take ownership" of it.
:
: RC
: --
: R. C. White, CPA
: San Marcos, TX
: rc@grandecom.net
: Microsoft Windows MVP
: (Running Windows Live Mail beta in Vista Ultimate x64)
:
: "Phil" <phil12345@hotmail.com> wrote in message
: news:5D0C4690-9225-40A9-B8F5-8CE8F6DFA98B@microsoft.com...
: > When I read files from newsgroups they are stored automatically, as far
as
: > I can tell, in C:\Users\MyUserName\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Window s Mail.
: > After a while, I suppose, there is quite a build-up of files here. I
would
: > like to delete them. However, I cannot see or gain access to the
: > C:\Users\MyUserName\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Window s Mail directory, even
: > though I am using the administrator account. What must I do to gain
access
: > to this directory? I tried "taking ownership" of the directory, but that
: > didn't seem to get me anywhere. Help will be appreciated.
:

Hi, Ron.

Your message headers say you are using OE6; I'm using WLM beta. So neither
of us is using WM at the moment. And WM is what the OP is using and asking
about. The three programs have many similarities, but also some subtle,
evolutionary changes.

In WLM, I DO have the line to "Purge...IMAP folders", as you said. But a
couple of lines below that is what I described: "Purge...in the
background", with the "Delete... days after..." option under that. (See
attached GIF, from Vista's new Snipping Tool.) As I recall, OE6 and WM have
the same or very similar options.

To Phil, the OP: Your original question was about how to delete newsgroup
messages to conserve space. There have been quite a few posts here asking
the opposite question: how to preserve newsgroup posts that we want to keep
permanently (or semi-permanently). I think the WM/WLM Team is still working
on this feature. At the moment, WLM does not allow us to move or copy NG
posts, so there's no good way to save ones that we want to keep. I think
(but I'm not sure) that when we Synchronize All (or Synchronize Account),
WLM will delete from our computer all the posts that have been deleted from
the server. And when we Unsubscribe from a newsgroup, WLM deletes that NG's
posts; if we re-subscribe to that group, WLM downloads them again.
Similarly, when we Remove a news Account, WLM deletes everything about that
account, including the messages we've downloaded and stored; if we Add the
account again, WLM starts fresh with it. The WLM Help file tells us how to
save emails, but skimps on such advice for news messages.

While it may be possible to locate, gain control over, and delete messages
from the database by using Windows Explorer and other tools, the best way to
get rid of a lot of newsgroup posts is probably to Unsubscribe from a
newsgroup or Remove a news account. (We could also temporarily change the
"Compact the database..." option to every 1 run.) When WLM finishes its
housekeeping after all that, the messages and headers should be gone. Then,
if we want, we can add the account again, subscribe to some NGs, and set
OE/WM/WLM to download only a few (the default is 300) headers and New
messages only.

I haven't yet been motivated to explore how to trim the database since, at
the moment, I have "more disk space than I'll ever need" - just like when I
got that humongous 1 GB HD a few years ago. ;^}

RC
--
R. C. White, CPA
San Marcos, TX
rc@grandecom.net
Microsoft Windows MVP
(Running Windows Live Mail beta in Vista Ultimate x64)

"Ron Sommer" <rsommer@nospam.ktis.net> wrote in message
news:exG0EI8vHHA.3560@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...
>I don't have Windows Mail available to check, but are you sure Tools |
> Options | Advanced | Maintenance says 'Purge newsgroup messages' or does
> it
> say 'Purge deleted messages when leaving IMAP folders'?
>
> Delete news messages __ days after being downloaded only removes the
> message
> body and only occurs when you compact folders.
>
> I use a news rule to delete messages sent more than 20 days ago.
> I apply the rule manually and compact afterward.
> This also deletes messages that dated more than 20 days in the future.
> Browse to the server name to apply the rule to all newsgroups under that
> server or browse to Outlook Express to apply the rule to all newsgroups.
> --
> Ronald Sommer
>
> "R. C. White" <rc@grandecom.net> wrote in message
> news:OQAYkP4vHHA.4332@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...
> : Hi, Phil.
> :
> : Yes, Windows Mail stores newsgroup messages for a while, as individual
> .nws
> : files. But it also deletes them from time to time.
> :
> : Unlike email messages, newsgroup posts are stored on the news server,
> and
> we
> : don't control that server. This microsoft.public.windows.vista.mail
> : newsgroup, for example, is hosted on Microsoft's public news server,
> which
> : is freely available to anyone. Microsoft deletes posts from time to
> time,
> : but I don't know their schedule. It varies from one newsgroup to the
> next,
> : probably depending on the amount of traffic. I show at least one
> message
> : here dated 3/30/07.
> :
> : You also store NG posts on your own computer when you download them.
> How
> : long you keep YOUR copies is up to you. Many delete all Read messages
> each
> : time they exit the NG. Others - like me - are packrats and keep them
> for
> a
> : long time. OE/WM/WLM all have a similar setting, although the
> click-path
> to
> : it may vary slightly. In WLM, click Tools | Options | Advanced |
> : Maintenance. Here you can tell it to Purge newsgroup messages in the
> : background, and to Delete news messages __ days after being downloaded.
> : Note that this is the number of days after you've downloaded them before
> : they are deleted on YOUR computer. This has no effect on how long the
> : server keeps the messages available for you to re-download them - or for
> : thousands of other users to download them.
> :
> : My setting is for posts to be deleted 32 days after I've downloaded
> them.
> : Since I installed WLM on about June 7 and downloaded lots of messages at
> : that time, I expect to see many of those messages disappear from my HD
> next
> : week.
> :
> : But I almost never directly delete messages from the Windows Mail
> folder.
> : So I don't need to "take ownership" of it.
> :
> : RC
> :
> : "Phil" <phil12345@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> : news:5D0C4690-9225-40A9-B8F5-8CE8F6DFA98B@microsoft.com...
> : > When I read files from newsgroups they are stored automatically, as
> far
> as
> : > I can tell, in C:\Users\MyUserName\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Window s
> Mail.
> : > After a while, I suppose, there is quite a build-up of files here. I
> would
> : > like to delete them. However, I cannot see or gain access to the
> : > C:\Users\MyUserName\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Window s Mail directory,
> even
> : > though I am using the administrator account. What must I do to gain
> access
> : > to this directory? I tried "taking ownership" of the directory, but
> that
> : > didn't seem to get me anywhere. Help will be appreciated.

Hi, Ron - and Phil.

OK. I'm now running WM, temporarily. (Yes, we can do that in Vista - run
WM and WLM beta side by side. We just have to be careful about our "leave
messages on the server" settings. And our Sent Items will be in two
separate folders. I suppose we COULD set both apps to use the same Message
Store - but I'm not brave enough to try that!)

In WM, the "Maintenance" page is identical to the one I snipped from WLM and
attached to my earlier post.

OE won't run in Vista, and I don't want to dual-boot into WinXP to check
this out, so I can't confirm my recollection that the OE Maintenance page
also is identical, or nearly so.

Now I'll go back to WLM...

RC
--
R. C. White, CPA
San Marcos, TX
rc@grandecom.net
Microsoft Windows MVP
(Running Windows Mail in Vista Ultimate x64)

"R. C. White" <rc@grandecom.net> wrote in message
news:eJepkp9vHHA.2004@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...
> Hi, Ron.
>
> Your message headers say you are using OE6; I'm using WLM beta. So
> neither
> of us is using WM at the moment. And WM is what the OP is using and
> asking
> about. The three programs have many similarities, but also some subtle,
> evolutionary changes.
>
> In WLM, I DO have the line to "Purge...IMAP folders", as you said. But a
> couple of lines below that is what I described: "Purge...in the
> background", with the "Delete... days after..." option under that. (See
> attached GIF, from Vista's new Snipping Tool.) As I recall, OE6 and WM
> have
> the same or very similar options.
>
> To Phil, the OP: Your original question was about how to delete newsgroup
> messages to conserve space. There have been quite a few posts here asking
> the opposite question: how to preserve newsgroup posts that we want to
> keep
> permanently (or semi-permanently). I think the WM/WLM Team is still
> working
> on this feature. At the moment, WLM does not allow us to move or copy NG
> posts, so there's no good way to save ones that we want to keep. I think
> (but I'm not sure) that when we Synchronize All (or Synchronize Account),
> WLM will delete from our computer all the posts that have been deleted
> from
> the server. And when we Unsubscribe from a newsgroup, WLM deletes that
> NG's
> posts; if we re-subscribe to that group, WLM downloads them again.
> Similarly, when we Remove a news Account, WLM deletes everything about
> that
> account, including the messages we've downloaded and stored; if we Add the
> account again, WLM starts fresh with it. The WLM Help file tells us how
> to
> save emails, but skimps on such advice for news messages.
>
> While it may be possible to locate, gain control over, and delete messages
> from the database by using Windows Explorer and other tools, the best way
> to
> get rid of a lot of newsgroup posts is probably to Unsubscribe from a
> newsgroup or Remove a news account. (We could also temporarily change the
> "Compact the database..." option to every 1 run.) When WLM finishes its
> housekeeping after all that, the messages and headers should be gone.
> Then,
> if we want, we can add the account again, subscribe to some NGs, and set
> OE/WM/WLM to download only a few (the default is 300) headers and New
> messages only.
>
> I haven't yet been motivated to explore how to trim the database since, at
> the moment, I have "more disk space than I'll ever need" - just like when
> I
> got that humongous 1 GB HD a few years ago. ;^}
>
> RC
>
> "Ron Sommer" <rsommer@nospam.ktis.net> wrote in message
> news:exG0EI8vHHA.3560@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...
>>I don't have Windows Mail available to check, but are you sure Tools |
>> Options | Advanced | Maintenance says 'Purge newsgroup messages' or does
>> it
>> say 'Purge deleted messages when leaving IMAP folders'?
>>
>> Delete news messages __ days after being downloaded only removes the
>> message
>> body and only occurs when you compact folders.
>>
>> I use a news rule to delete messages sent more than 20 days ago.
>> I apply the rule manually and compact afterward.
>> This also deletes messages that dated more than 20 days in the future.
>> Browse to the server name to apply the rule to all newsgroups under that
>> server or browse to Outlook Express to apply the rule to all newsgroups.
>> --
>> Ronald Sommer
>>
>> "R. C. White" <rc@grandecom.net> wrote in message
>> news:OQAYkP4vHHA.4332@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...
>> : Hi, Phil.
>> :
>> : Yes, Windows Mail stores newsgroup messages for a while, as individual
>> .nws
>> : files. But it also deletes them from time to time.
>> :
>> : Unlike email messages, newsgroup posts are stored on the news server,
>> and
>> we
>> : don't control that server. This microsoft.public.windows.vista.mail
>> : newsgroup, for example, is hosted on Microsoft's public news server,
>> which
>> : is freely available to anyone. Microsoft deletes posts from time to
>> time,
>> : but I don't know their schedule. It varies from one newsgroup to the
>> next,
>> : probably depending on the amount of traffic. I show at least one
>> message
>> : here dated 3/30/07.
>> :
>> : You also store NG posts on your own computer when you download them.
>> How
>> : long you keep YOUR copies is up to you. Many delete all Read messages
>> each
>> : time they exit the NG. Others - like me - are packrats and keep them
>> for
>> a
>> : long time. OE/WM/WLM all have a similar setting, although the
>> click-path
>> to
>> : it may vary slightly. In WLM, click Tools | Options | Advanced |
>> : Maintenance. Here you can tell it to Purge newsgroup messages in the
>> : background, and to Delete news messages __ days after being downloaded.
>> : Note that this is the number of days after you've downloaded them
>> before
>> : they are deleted on YOUR computer. This has no effect on how long the
>> : server keeps the messages available for you to re-download them - or
>> for
>> : thousands of other users to download them.
>> :
>> : My setting is for posts to be deleted 32 days after I've downloaded
>> them.
>> : Since I installed WLM on about June 7 and downloaded lots of messages
>> at
>> : that time, I expect to see many of those messages disappear from my HD
>> next
>> : week.
>> :
>> : But I almost never directly delete messages from the Windows Mail
>> folder.
>> : So I don't need to "take ownership" of it.
>> :
>> : RC
>> :
>> : "Phil" <phil12345@hotmail.com> wrote in message
>> : news:5D0C4690-9225-40A9-B8F5-8CE8F6DFA98B@microsoft.com...
>> : > When I read files from newsgroups they are stored automatically, as
>> far
>> as
>> : > I can tell, in C:\Users\MyUserName\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Window s
>> Mail.
>> : > After a while, I suppose, there is quite a build-up of files here. I
>> would
>> : > like to delete them. However, I cannot see or gain access to the
>> : > C:\Users\MyUserName\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Window s Mail directory,
>> even
>> : > though I am using the administrator account. What must I do to gain
>> access
>> : > to this directory? I tried "taking ownership" of the directory, but
>> that
>> : > didn't seem to get me anywhere. Help will be appreciated.