Fix, Repair and Reset Incorrect or Invalid Unread Mail Count in Windows XP Welcome Screen

Windows XP ‘friendly’ Welcome Screen where users can pick their user name and login to Windows. On this page, there is a hyperlink that display the number of unread email messages, right under the user name. The hyperlink will reveal which email accounts the messages are from and the count of the unread mails from each of e-mail providers contains. Only users with supported email clients such as Microsoft Outlook, Outlook Express and Windows Live (MSN) Messenger will be shown this unread e-mail messages feature.

However, the unread email messages count can sometimes be wrong, incorrect or invalid. For example, there is still number of unread mails been shown even though all emails have been read. There are various reasons why the number of the count can be wrong. One of the condition that commonly cause the incorrect count of unread emails on Welcome Screen during logon is usage of computer by multiple users, especially when somebody else login to their Windows Live Messenger (MSN Messenger) or Hotmail using your user account. And the unread mail counts will display the combined total of all supported mail clients, including count from other users’ messenger account.

To correct and reset the unread email messages count on the hyperlink of Welcome Screen, the most easy way is to use TweakUI PowerToys, which the TweakUiPowertoySetup.exe setup file can be downloaded from Microsoft Download Center. After installing the TweakUI, run the program, and scroll down to select Repair on the left pane. In the dropdown box on the right pane, select Repair Unread Mail Count and click Repair Now button.

Microsoft Knowledge Based Article 304148 details instructions and step-by-step guide to block and prevent new email accounts from been updated to the Welcome Logon Screen, or to block one email account from being displayed on the screen, but retaining other mail accounts. Users can paly around the registry permission trick so that no new email account is added even though another user uses your computer to sign in to his or her messenger service. However, dealing with registry is probably for advanced users only, and users have the advantage to prevent and stop incorrect unread mail counting from happening again.

It’s also possible to get rid of the display of unread email messages count altogether on Welcome Screen.

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This entry was posted on Tuesday, March 11th, 2008 at 2:23 am and is filed under Tips & Tricks. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.