Windows Mail showing 749 WindowsMail.MSMessageStore processes

I am constantly having a problem with my CPU staying around 100%, so I looked at CPU usage in Task Manager to see that the highest CPU usage was WinMail. I used Process Explorer and found in Windows Mail, there are 749 instances of WindowsMail.MSMessageStore running.

What is this and why are there so many being accessed?

Check this out-

Windows Live Mail Issues

Does it help?

wither 3 said:

Check this out-

Windows Live Mail Issues

Does it help?

Click to expand...

Nope. Not even a little bit. I don't have Windows Live Mail. I have the Windows Mail that came with Vista.

The other day, my computer did have a hiccup couldn't open any program properly. Unfortunately, the first two programs I tried to open were Windows Mail and Firefox. After a reboot, they both started. Firefox lost all of it's previous sessions and Windows Mail rebuilt its Message Store. I found and recovered the backup sessions and fixed Firefox. The only things I've lost are my deleted mails. Of course I've never needed those until today when I was looking for one of them.

The most recent time I started Windows Mail, I got a warning that it couldn't start because a needed file was missing, but then it started fine. This is a picture of my Process Explorer window with a couple of annotations:



I'm thinking that all those entries might be causing the extra CPU usage. Right now though, it doesn't appear to be that bad. But doesn't 749 entries mean something is wrong?

when I searched on what you described, I got the link that I provided. Microsoft has been changing things lately so I don't know if Windows Live mail and WindowsMail are interchangeable. The link descibes the same problem you're having.

Windows Mail came with Vista and is specific to Vista. Some people had problems with Windows Mail, so Microsoft in their infinite wisdom, created a different program with almost the same name, much like Internet Explorer and Windows Explorer. I prefer the native Windows Mail because of the changes they made to create Windows Live Mail. Windows Mail functions better for my purposes. Unfortunately, having the names so similar creates problems whenever I look for answers to mail problems. Then, when I tell my helpers I don't have Windows Live Mail, instead of helping, they suggest I switch. Then I get frustrated with them and say sarcastic comments like "Gee why didn't I think of that." It's about that time that help stops.

The link describes how Windows Live Mail keeps counting up downloaded messages well after they've all been downloaded. What I'm describing has nothing to do with messages. It has to do with processes running. My messages are fine and the program appears to be working, other than a bug that MS has no intention of fixing because they created Windows Live Mail.

But if what I'm describing is a problem, I'd like to fix it. Hopefully, someone here is still using Windows Mail instead of Seamonkey, Outlook, or Windows Live Mail. Then hopefully, that same person can open Sysinternals Process Explorer, look at Windows Mail in their processes, and see if they are having the same experience. If so, then I may not be having a problem. That would be the first step.

ADDENDUM: I just figured out that the lower pane in the picture I posted lists DLLs for the process WinMail.exe. There are 54 Handles of WinMail.exe. I don't know what DLLs and Handles means in Process Explorer, but those are what's there.

sorry I misunderstood. Hopefully someone else will help.

I found this discussion about how Windows Mail works in Vista. I don't know if the information provided will be of any help to recover your old messages.

backup

Did you ever get a resolution to your problem?

wither 3 said:

Did you ever get a resolution to your problem?

Click to expand...

No, I did not. Right now though, I have several other more pressing things to attend to. I was more or less waiting for someone to respond. I'm sure I will revisit this later, but for now it has been put on the back burner while I wait for an answer. I may see if there is a forum for people who use Process Explorer and try to get an answer there.

I guess nobody has tried or has been able to replicate this. Process Explorer is such a common utility, I thought for sure someone would be able to see if they are getting the same result.

No more attempts at helping. I guess I'll let this one go for now. It doesn't seem to be causing a problem that I can notice. But that many processes running simultaneously probably has a significant performance effect. Maybe I'll have to revisit it later unless I'm forced to swith programs by then.