Are you a pop3/imap or microsoft exchange user? in any event here are some
of my ancient history thoughts on Outlook 2000...
1) ICQ instant messenger used to cause this slow down because it could
integrate with Outlook (it installs a COM addin that looks at the sender
name and then try to figure out if they are online.)
2) You have some sort of 3rd party internet security tool (e.g. Antivirus)
that is trying to scan the message and/or attachments as you flip thru them.
Getting this disabled will improve performance.
3) You have a 3rd party internet security tool that is scanning the *.PST
file in real-time. (Best advise is to exclude database type files from
antivirus software. A PST file is like a database.)
4) The *.PST file on the hard drive could be badly fragmented. (When is the
last time you defragged the hard drive or ran chkdsk to see if there are any
bad sectors.)
5) This applies to Outlook 2000 in Internet Mail Only mode and a huge long
shot, but after applying SP3 for Outlook 2000 reminders could peg the
processor to 100% utilization. There is a post update (dated dec 18th) that
corrects this issue. I've never heard it causing a slow message open issue,
but considering that it could peg the processor, you never know and deserves
an honarable mention.
6) Last but not least, if the PST file you are accessing is located on a
mapped drive, then you are running an unsupported (or better state not
recommened) configuration. (Lots of little weirdo issues with PST file
access across a LAN/WAN drives.)
