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How do I turn off the unread message count on the Windows XP login screen?

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Hi Leo,
Here's an idea. TELL Microsoft to change it. Don't ask them, tell them. I don't want the number of my unread mail messages showing up on the office computer. This feature should be optional.

Posted by: griff at October 28, 2004 3:57 AM

get a copy of TweakUI - go to login and turn it off...or go to repair to fix the misread

lb

Posted by: Logicblock at December 5, 2004 3:02 PM

go to start-run-regedit. go through hkey_current_user-software-microsoft-windows-current_version-unread_folders. delete unread folders. exit out of regedit. restart

Posted by: Walter Lane at July 12, 2005 5:50 PM

how do I get the "Earthlink Start Page" logo off the screen?

Posted by: Judy McCloud at July 31, 2005 5:10 AM

Bill Gates sucks more than Monica Lewinsky! It's things like this that Microsoft forces you to deal with that make me so angry with them. They have this attitude that "We know better than you how you want to use your computer".

Posted by: John Doe at August 25, 2005 10:06 AM

I have followed the instructions of 'Walter Lane' in how to remove the unread messge count present on my start up screen. However, after a while it happened again and so i tried the same method I used previously. But this was the problem; I could no longer delete the folder as it doesn't exist anymore. What can I do? Please help!! The message count is almost in the two digits!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Posted by: dominic at September 10, 2005 3:33 AM

Dominic: if you're comfortable using RegEdit, go to your HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\UnreadMail folder and add a new DWORD value (right click in folder and select New -> DWORD Value) called MessageExpiryDays and leave it set to 0. This should disable the annoying message for you.

If you have multiple login accounts on your PC, then you'll have to repeat this for each user.

Deleting all the subfolders doesn't stop the problem from happening again, as the email clients will just readd themselves.

Cheers,
-Bren

Posted by: Brendan at September 12, 2005 6:03 PM

Hello, just want to know why do i still get
that i have a 1 unread message in email from the window of xp. I deleted all my messages, from
sent,outbox,inbox,and junk etc. I don't have any email in my inbox. I sent an email to myself and i got it and it did not show i have 2 unread email it showed i have only 1 unread message, so i went to my inbox and i saw the test i sent to myself and i deleted. and i went to logoff and it shows i have still 1 unread message. I don't understand why this is going on.

Posted by: Patricia at December 15, 2005 12:01 PM

I have a simmilar problem. My sister signed into MSN messenger on my computer one time and it is showing me she has like 22 new emails.
How can I fix it

Posted by: Nick at December 22, 2005 9:34 AM

This is an example of something that microsoft could make alot easier. I'm glad someone gave me Leo's site. It seems often with microsoft, alot of time is spent just finding an answer for a simple question. It can be like navigating a maze. Then you may or may not find a straightforward clear answer. What they could do, for example, with this issue (and I'm sure others) is just provide a simple menu choice "turn this feature off". Bill Gates should be smart enough to figure out how to do something like that. Thanks.

Posted by: Marian at December 22, 2005 1:29 PM
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