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

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Hi there. I have an opposite problem. How do I turn on the unread message counter on the Welcome Screen? I already tried the following:

(1) Install Tweak UI and enable the unread email counter on welcome screen.
(2) Repair Unread email message option in Tweak UI.
(3) Checked Registry that the email counter key has a value.

Please help. Thank you so much.

Andy

try putting no value in, not zero but blank

Have you checked the registry key permissions?

Not a real solution, i know, but you can just not use the regular windows welcome screen (user accounts -> change the way users log on or off -> clear the field "use the welcome screen")
Then the mail count does not annoy you every time windows is started up.
(Furthermore the classic logon is more secure, in case someone is a bit paranoid ;-) )

PS: Really good site, I have to say. Helped me a lot, thanks!

There is real problem with the permissions tweak - if proper logging is enabled, each access to the key with modified permission will result in unnecessary spamming the security log...

There is better way to achieve that:

Open notepad and create file disable_unread_msg_display.reg with the following content:

---
REGEDIT4

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\UnreadMail]
"MessageExpiryDays"=dword:00000000
---

Now import it by double-clicking it in Windows Explorer or by running it from Command Line. This file will create zero REG_DWORD value "MessageExpiryDays" under the UnreadMail key and will effectively cause all messages to be naturally "expired", thus not displayed...

Good Luck

This may all be well and good, but is there a way to by pass the login screen altogether? I mean with only one user on my computer I hate having to now click an icon to launch Windows XP. This didn't happen till after a windows update...before update, I could powerup and Windows Xp loaded to desktop, now I have to jump thru and extra hoop...anyone have a clue as to how to shut this feature off please post...

Andy,

An easy way to have the login screen count your messages is to buy a microsoft webcam. When you install the camera it will do all sorts of fun things like show the email count for you business email on your home computer and make all microsoft programs your defaults (itunes became windows media, open office became word, etc.)

First of all, Andy: I have no idea what you are talking about?!?!?!?!?!

Second - you can turn off the welcome (logon) screen by accessing control panel-> user accounts and then it's there somewhere check it out (it's in the form of a check box) but also it can be done trough the registry and it's pretty easy to find if you google it, I have done it a couple times myself.

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