About 'UnreadMail' MRU items in Windows XP...

[javacool]

In many cases the Windows XP logon screen displays the number of unread e-mails in all of an individual's e-mail accounts.

Windows stores information on every e-mail address you have ever used with various e-mail programs and with MSN/Windows Messenger. This information includes a count of the number of unread e-mail messages (at last check), the last time the account was accessed, and the application used to access the account. Even if you stop using an e-mail account, the information is still stored in the Windows registry.

MRU-Blaster can clear this 'UnreadMail' information. This will NOT delete any e-mails you haven't read or any e-mails in your inbox - it doesn't touch your e-mail account at all. Instead, deleting these MRU items simply removes the UnreadMail count information from the registry. This is a safe procedure and also removes yet another 'treasure trove' of information about you from your computer.

Best regards,

-Javacool

[LowWaterMark]

That's quite a good addition Javacool, especially since that particular count has a bad habit of being wrong - so much so that there are fixes out there that try to fix the count for you. (I've never had that count correct on my system. ::) )

[javacool]

-{ Quote: " quoting: LowWaterMark link=board=33;threadid=8830;start=0#57538 date=1051570808]
That's quite a good addition Javacool, especially since that particular count has a bad habit of being wrong - so much so that there are fixes out there that try to fix the count for you. (I've never had that count correct on my system. ::) )
" }-

Agreed - I've also heard reports that people got so tired of the count that they started deleting unread messages in their inboxes. ;D

But the biggest issue is that by looking at that key, if it hasn't ever been cleaned, anyone could determine nearly every e-mail address you have accessed on your computer. (And a program could do the same thing to harvest e-mail addresses...)

EDIT: Windows doesn't seem to ever get rid of this information. It does seem to disregard it after a number of days, but the information is not deleted. Who knows why. ::)

Best regards,

-Javacool

[Philidor]

And here I was feeling pleased with myself for finding the knowledge base article that tells how to turn that feature off.
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb%3Ben-us%3B304148
By the way, mine recorded hotmail, not the count in Outlook Express. I kept trying to fix it looking at the wrong e-mail account.
Nice work!

[r00ted]

I love MRUBlaster it rox ;) But 1 thing, about this UnreadMail MRU deletion. I have disabled the UnreadMail count thru 1 of the registry keys, from a tweak over @ tweakxp I think was the site ;) Soo....will having the MRU blaster set to "wipe" the "UnreadMail" MRU mess with that registry tweak I have applied? :P

[kimbaughman]

Hello,
I hate to fly in the face of tradition, but I actually liked the unread mail counter from XP. Note the past tense "liked" because MRU blaster removed it. Is there any way (short of reinstalling XP) that I can recover that file (or registry key or whatever; I am not savvy in computer lingo). I did not see a backup file on MRU blaster to restore deleted files. Thanks.

[javacool]

-{ Quote: "Hello,
I hate to fly in the face of tradition, but I actually liked the unread mail counter from XP. Note the past tense "liked" because MRU blaster removed it. Is there any way (short of reinstalling XP) that I can recover that file (or registry key or whatever; I am not savvy in computer lingo). I did not see a backup file on MRU blaster to restore deleted files. Thanks." }-

Hi,

If you open the "Settings" area of MRU-Blaster and uncheck the item named "UnreadMail Count (Win XP Logon) the count should reappear the next time you access your e-mail accounts with Outlook (Express) or log into MSN/Windows Messenger. :)

Best regards,

-Javacool