From Heinz Tschabitscher,
Your Guide to Email.
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The little icon, your trusted friend that always appeared with a dong!, is suddenly gone? You still hear the sound when new mail has arrived in Outlook Express, but the icon won't show in the Windows system tray?

Chances are your friend is only hiding — or hidden, to be more precise. In an effort to curb toolbar clutter, Windows XP (like later versions of Windows) hides from view icons that you do not use. For Windows, using is equal to clicking. Rejoicing at the icon's sight and heading for the Outlook Express Inbox does not count, unfortunately.

Now, you can make sure the Outlook Express new mail icon is not hidden by using it to go to the newly arrived emails: double-click the icon when it appears. Fortunately, you do not have to change your email habits to still profit from the icon in full view.

Make Sure Windows XP Does Not Hide the Outlook Express New Mail Icon

To prevent Windows XP (and later) from hiding the Outlook Express new mail system tray icon:

• ›› Step by Step Screenshot Walkthrough

• Click with the right mouse button in an empty area of the Windows task bar.
• Select Properties from the menu.
• Click Customize... under Notification Area.
• Locate the You have new e-mail item.
• Make sure Always Show is selected in the Behavior column.
• Click OK.
• Click OK again.