Does your mail program seem to be taking longer to log on to your Internet service provider's mail server and retrieve messages? This may be happening because your program leaves copies of messages on the ISP's server after retrieving them, creating an overstuffed mailbox that takes a long time to access and might even bounce mail back to senders with a message that your mailbox is full.

Most mail programs come set up to delete downloaded e-mail automatically. In Netscape Messenger, pull down the Edit menu and select Preferences. Highlight Mail Server under Mail & Groups, and in the Mail Server Type box, confirm that the line Leave messages on server after retrieval isn't checked.

In Outlook Express, select ToolsûAccounts, click the Mail tab, select the service, click the Properties button, click the Advanced tab, and choose among message removal options in the Delivery section.

But if you're using filtering rules to winnow out spams or messages with large file attachments, make sure those unwanted message aren't lingering on the ISP server. Temporarily deactivate any filtering rules you've set up, and then log on to the server to download any existing mail.