Summary: Running more than one email program in Windows XP may result in an incorrect unread message count, but fixing this issue requires some skill.
How do I turn off the unread message count on the Windows XP login screen?
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It's a feature. Really. When you see the Windows XP login screen, underneath each account listed there's frequently a message that says "XX unread messages".
How does it get set? And how do you get rid of it?
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Well, once again, it's the Microsoft Knowledgebase to the rescue with an article: Overview of the Mail Notification Display on the Windows XP Welcome Screen.
In short: email programs that know how to do it can update a registry key with the desired information. My assumption is that most post-XP Microsoft email programs will update that key.
Things get confusing, I'm certain, when you run more than one such program, say both Outlook and Hotmail. Or even more so when you run one that updates the information like Hotmail only occasionally, and some other email program that doesn't as your primary email. In this scenario, the number on the login screen then actually has almost nothing to do with the email you actually care about.
The bad news is that there is no user interface to this feature.
The good news, if you're so inclined, is that you can disable the feature by changing the permissions on a certain registry key. If you're comfortable making a registry change, the Knowledgebase article has instructions.
If you're like me, I just ignore what's on the screen and get on with other issues.
Related:
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Microsoft Knowledgebase - Overview of the Mail Notification Display on the Windows XP Welcome Screen
Article C2210 - October 22, 2004
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!
Posted by: bg at April 27, 2007 3:01 PMThere 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:
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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
Posted by: shalamov at September 29, 2007 8:50 AMThis 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...
Posted by: Doug at January 17, 2008 1:12 AMAndy,
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.)
Posted by: Ryan at September 3, 2008 8:17 AMFirst 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.
Posted by: mrq at October 20, 2008 2:45 AM