A knowledgebase article published last week acknowledges performance problems with Outlook 2007, though it says these only occur with mailboxes larger than 2GB:
You may experience one or more of the following performance problems when you are working with items in a large Personal Folder file (.pst) or in a large Offline Folder file (.ost) in Microsoft Office Outlook 2007 … Note When you perform the same operations on the large .pst or .ost file in earlier versions of Outlook, the same performance problems do not occur. These problems may occur if the .pst or .ost file is larger than 2 GB. Additionally, the performance problems are more pronounced when the .pst or .ost file is larger than 4 GB.
I think this is optimistic and that smaller mailboxes are slower too; nevertheless, it does confirm that that the size of the local store is the key issue.
If you use Exchange, the local store is the .PST or .OST file on your workstation or laptop. If you do not use Exchange, a local .PST store is all you have.
Here’s what Microsoft says is the reason:
To accommodate new features, Outlook 2007 introduced a new data structure for .pst and .ost files. In this new data structure, the frequency of writing data to the hard disk increases as the number of items in the .pst or .ost files increases.
Intriguing, especially as I had thought the .pst format was the same in Outlook 2003 and 2007. The big change was from Outlook 2000 to Outlook 2003, when Unicode was introduced and the maximum size increased to 20GB.
I’d also like to know whether Microsoft is just stating the obvious here (bigger file, more disk access); or whether there is some exponential increase in disk writes, suggesting a design fault in the software. I have already noticed that if you show the I/O columns in Task Manager’s performance tab, Outlook 2007 shows some extraordinarily large numbers.
So what’s the fix? The news is not too good. In essence, you have to reduce the size of the local store. You can archive or move items to separate .pst files, or switch off cached mode so you always work online to Exchange.
The article doesn’t say it, but there are significant problems with switching off cached mode. These include hugely increased network traffic, problems with junk mail filtering, and loss of all your mail when using a laptop disconnected from the network.
The most imaginative suggestion is to filter the sychronization. For example, you could filter out messagse with large attachments, or all messages from last year or earlier. These messages will still exist in Exchange, but not in the local store.
Worth a try, but none of the workarounds is really satisfactory. Outlook 2003 worked fine with large mailboxes, Outlook 2007 does not. That’s a blunder.
Help! My new Mesh 4BG ram system came with Vista… Couldn’t run Outlook 2003 (kept asking for password to be able to send every new e-mail) so invested in Outlook 2007. It is so unpredictable, rarely works well, never as fast as 2003 version was on XP. Mostly very slow or totally unresponsive. Various messages (as per others have said above) e.g. failed to download headers, IMAP failed etc etc. Often unable to open messages at all. I’m disgusted with it but feel that calling Microsoft (again) will be a mistake.
Microsoft has solved the problem with 1 call…. the account had converted to an IMAP account when it was entered as POP..no idea how this happened but hopefully am now sorted!
I am frustrated with all the new 2007 stuff!! I really can use some help. I want to move the (outlook.pst file to another hard disk and cannot find it. I tried every search possible. Will someone please tell me where they are hiding it in Outlook 2007?
I installed Office 2007 recently and run it with XP, everything is fine except Outlook. The problem I’ve had is that there is a delayed action to key strokes and text appears spasmodically in batches sometimes several seconds after hitting the keyboard. It’s been driving me crazy and I’ve taken to writing emails in Word and pasting the text into Outlook. I just read No 69 above and removed Dell Media Direct from my machine and bingo, the problem is solved. Thank you Danny.
p.s. Thanks also to Brenda in 68, that’s exactly what mine was doing
this forum seems to have the answers except for this computer illiterate guy, how do delete Dell Media Direct?
Ref: Richard A – Post 78
To see the location of your PST file:
Right click the Top level folder for your mailbox (Normalled called something like ‘Richard’s Mail Folders’ (in the folder list within outlook)
Now Click ‘Properties’ and then select the ‘Advanced’ Button. You can then see the Path in the ‘Filename’ field.
(Tip – cut and paste the path without the filename and enter it into your Start, Run box and press Enter to open the folder. (Start, Start Search box if using Vista)
My outlook (2007)just crashed and upon restart all of my tasks appear twice. If I click on one to mark complete they are both marked complete. I ran an add-in to remove duplicates with no success. It appears to be a single entry that’s displayed twice. Any suggestions on how to solve? Or just go back to 2003?
“Synchronizing message headers” OH MY GOD this is intolerable… what is going on?? how much did I just spend on Office 2007, and everything was so much better before!?!?!
“Synchronizing message headers” OH MY GOD this is intolerable… what is going on??”
I’m having the same issues. Is there a way to stop those headers from Synchronizing?
I did not read all of these post but I am using Outlook 2007 on Vista connected to Exchange 2003 and the speed of synchronizing to the server is beyond ridiculuos. I have my laptop which is running XP and Outlook 2007 with no speed issues at all. In my case it is a Vista + Outlook 2007 problem. It is so bad that I am blowing away my office PC and putting XP back on. I am going to run Vista via a VM mainly because I have to test it for work. IMO, Vista is not ready for prime time and I am discouraging my customers from using it.
I’d just like to add my voice to the frustration. I’m running a Exchange 2K3 environment and outlook 2K7 has issues. I can’t tell you the number of time over the past year Outlook 2K7 has crashed, it has something to do with the preview pain and how it renders some eamils. I’ve got a client in a pop environment I just upgraded to Outlook 2K7 pulling 3 accounts and I’m sick of the calls say how slow this is running on a brand new dual core, gig of RAM.
HELLO MS ARE YOU OUT THERE…..??
MS WE HAVE A PROBLEM……..!!!!
PLEASE FIX THIS, KB933493 DOES NOTHING …. !!
Time to roll back to Office 2K3, you’re leaving us no choice……
I purchased Outlook 2007 because of the much nicer GUI, compared to 2003. However, I too have suffered from the ‘Recurring’ problem. I am using a Dell XPS M1710, with Vista Ultimate.
The tip for removing Dell MediaDirect, works. I could not believe it.
Easy to remove. Just use the ‘Programs and Features’ control panel in Vista.
Removing Dell MediaDirect seams to work. I’m running an HP DX2300 any ideas? Anyone else running an HP with or without Outlook 2007 problems???
FYI MS released Office2K7 SP1. Unfortunatly I’ve rolled my problem system back to Office2K3 so I won’t beable to see if the SP has fixed this problem. Please check out the SP and post your findings here, hopefully SP1 will fix the problem.
Thanx
It’s much, much better. But not as good as I remember with Office2K3. Fundamentally crummy design, apparently.
Thanks so much Bazza for your entry. Totally fixed my problem was tearing myhair out!
As soon as I saw Cisco I realised that the problem would be with our router as we have only upgraded to it in the last year.
Dave.
@Bazza, post#27
“netsh interface tcp set global autotuninglevel=disabled”
my memory ussage went from 165 megs, to 46 megs with this fix.
Thanks for your insight.
C
Blue Circle On Windows Explorer Or Saving any 2007 Office File
I know there is a site just for Vista but no one there knows about this problem and if you are on XP thinking about Vista, then you need to know this issue.
I get a spinning blue circle (replaces the XP hour-glass) when expanding windows explorer in the COMPUTER folder or the C: folder . After those expansions then all expansions work instantly. Blue circle also occurs when trying to save on any 2007 MS Office document. It takes 45 seconds to a minute before I get the expansion of the browser window open so i can save a file in the correct location.
This is on a new HP Pavilion with 4 gig of RAM and the spinning blue circle happens on systems other than MS Office. I happens when the software is trying to browse the windows explorer. It is impossible to work with this kind of performance delay.
Any thoughts or ideas to fix will be sincerely appreciated.
@Jack
I’d try disabling indexing, see if it helps:
http://www.itwriting.com/blog/?p=251
(if it doesn’t, re-enable it).
Also check for disk errors in event log. Some disk errors manifest as slowness in Explorer.
Tim
When I try to install the patch in 39 above I get the following error “The expected version of the product was not found on your system”.
Why? I am running Office 2007
THANK YOU DIRK! and the others that pointed his MESSAGE #10 out.
SEE MESSAGE NUMBER 10
SEE MESSAGE NUMBER 10
SEE MESSAGE NUMBER 10
If at all possible his message should be moved to the top of page!
I’ve had this problem with my computer for weeks now and was pulling my hair out and I’m nearly bald already. The thought of having to read all these messages after being to so many help forums was not appealing to me. Yet some how just scanning through the messages I saw a short one thanking Dirk and his…
MESSAGE NUMBER 10!
THANKS AGAIN DIRK, and the persons message that pointed out…
MESSAGE NUMBER 10 to me.
Russ
I have a slightly difference problem, which I have not seen is shared with anyone thus far….
I use Vista / Outlook 2007, running on a HP nc6400 laptop, 1.5gb ram and a core duo processor. Vista rating is 3.0.
The issue that I have is related to networks I believe. In my office there are two ethernet networks, and one wireless. On all three office networks, I can only get the most sluggish possible download speed of emails from my POP3 accounts. They literally take hours to download somewhere around 800KB in a typical synch assuming no attachments.
SENDING email on all office networks is perfect speed, just as normal. I should also point out that Internet Browsing through all office networks is full, normal 8meg speed. It’s only the downloading of email!
Confusingly, when I am at home, and connected to my home wireless network, which is run through a Belkin N1 MIMO wireless router, incoming and outgoing email is perfect, and absolutely no problems at all! Sending and receiving emails goes at full speed!
Further confusing, is when I connected to my T-Mobile, mobile broadband dongle, AGAIN, email sending and receiving is FULL SPEED!
How does that work then? For some reason, I only get downloading speed issues when connected to an office network. I should also note that internet browsing is full speed on all five of the networks, and is never a problem.
Even more confusing than that is, on my older P4 laptop, which was running XP Pro SP2 and Outlook 2007, there were NO emailing receiving speed issues at all, when connected to the same office networks that are currently giving me jip on the Vista laptop.
Therefore, I cannot work out whether the downloading email issue is connected to my network, vista OR Outlook 2007??
What do you think?? It’s killing me!
Richard
Did you try:
netsh interface tcp set global autotuninglevel=disabled
from an administrator command prompt? See 27 above.
Tim
Tim
Thanks for this pointer! I had read this post, but to be honest, didn’t properly understand it!!
I’ve just spoken to my IT manager who reckoned it was perfectly safe to follow – I followed it, and it has fixed the problem!
Easy as that.
I still don’t fully understand that if that TCP/IP setting was enabled, why I was getting full speed downloads on my home network and not on my business?? After all, the setting would have been enabled whether I was at home or at the office, but worked on one and not the other…
The only thought that I have had about this, is the Vista network settings that you are asked for when you join a new network – i.e. it asks you to select either;
home
office
or public
settings – I am wondering if this default enabled setting occurs because I did select “office” settings for the two office networks, and “home” settings for the home and mobile broadband networks – this is the only difference I can find!
Thanks for the steer though.
Richard