Why has my hard disk space disappeared after compressing?

Q Every so often on my Windows XP PC, a message flashes on the screen asking me if I would like to compact files in Outlook Express to save disk space. I have tended to click Yes before nipping off to have a cup of coffee while the application does its job.

Out of curiosity, the last time I allowed it to proceed I decided to check the free space on my hard disk before giving the go-ahead. It showed 15.6GB.

I then allowed Outlook Express to go about its compacting business. When it had finished the process I checked the free space again; it showed 14.8GB remaining.
I feel like I have been cheated out of 0.8GB of free space!

Surely compacting should result in an increase in space? How do I disable this compacting reminder and how do I get my disk space back?
Tom Jones

A Though it won't generally be more than a few megabytes, compacting the Outlook Express message database should indeed lead to an increase in disk space. So what's going on here?

We have a sneaking suspicion that you may have some Norton-branded security software installed on your PC. A feature of various Norton tools is the Norton Protected Recycle Bin: this essentially capture all sorts of files and deletions that the standard Windows Recycle Bin would otherwise let pass (such as emails deleted during compaction).

The upshot is that in compacting the Outlook Express message database, the Norton Protected Recycle Bin is busy filling itself up with useless data. In our opinion, the Norton Protected Recycle Bin is best switched off.

In fact, Norton developer Symantec has itself abandoned the idea of the Protected Recycle Bin and removed it from Norton 360, the latest version of its software.

However, the precise method of disabling it depends on the Norton product used. You didn't tell us this but we'll assume it is Norton Systemworks, as this was for many years the most popular application bearing the Norton brand.

Option one is to uninstall Systemworks entirely. But, if you'd like to keep it installed, the Norton Protected Recycle Bin part of it can still be disabled.

To do this, right-click the standard Recycle Bin icon on the Windows Desktop and choose Properties. Click the Global tab and choose the ‘Use one setting for all drives' option.

Now click the Recycle Bin tab followed by Standard Recycle Bin. In the Title field, type Recycle Bin.

Now click the Norton Protection tab, select the relevant drive (typically C:) and then click to remove the tick from the Enable Protection box. Finally, click the Empty Protected Files button. Click OK to close the dialogue box then restart your PC.