How to Remove the Windows XP Logon Screen New Mail Count

Switch users in Windows XP or log out and you've got new mail — except, when you open your email program or service, there is none.

The unread mail count you see on Windows XP's Welcome screen is fed by Outlook, Outlook Express, Mozilla Thunderbird and maybe a few other email programs. If yours is not one among them, the number you see is not a reflection of the unread mail you have. You might as well turn off that alert altogether.

Of course, you can also disable the logon screen mail count if its numbers are for real — distressingly so maybe.

Remove the Windows XP Logon Screen New Mail Count

To stop Windows XP from displaying the number of unread messages on the logon screen:

• Download, install and start TweakUI.
• Expand the Logon category.
• Select Unread Mail.
• Make sure Show unread mail on Welcome screen is not checked.
• Click OK.

As an alternative to using TweakUI, you can edit the Windows registry directly:

• Press Windows-R.
• Type "regedit" (exluding the quotation marks).
• Click OK.
• Go to the HKEY_CURRENT_USER\­Software\­Microsoft\­Windows\­CurrentVersion\­UnreadMail key.
• Double-click MessageExpiryDays.
• Enter "0" under Value data:.
• Click OK.
• Close the registry editor.