XP login screen

The login screen for members of my family that shows up when computer is booted up displays the number of email messages users have unread. I have 48 unread in my inbox, plenty more in other OE folders, but it reads that I have 44 unread messages. My wife has 2 unread, but it does not display any at all for her. Any ideas?

 

It is actually a Registry setting that does that. You can use TweakUI to change it, or go into the Registry and check the settings.

MORE INFORMATION

Warning Serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly by using Registry Editor or by using another method. These problems might require that you reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that these problems can be solved. Modify the registry at your own risk.

This e-mail hyperlink is only displayed if the e-mail client that your computer is running populates the following registry key: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\UnreadMail
You cannot disable this feature in the user interface, nor can you configure the Welcome screen to populate the unread message count from only a particular e-mail program. For example, you might not want your e-mail messages from UserID@hotmail.com displayed on the Welcome screen. To work around this behavior, you can set the permissions on the following registry key to read-only for the System account: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\UnreadMail
When the program tries to update the registry key as new mail arrives, it will not have sufficient permission to do so and the Welcome screen will not be updated. To do this:

1.Start Registry Editor (Regedit).
2.Navigate to the following folder in the registry: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\UnreadMail
3.Right-click the UnreadMail folder, and then click Permissions.
4.Click the System account, and then click to select the Deny check box for Full Control.
5.Click OK.
6.Quit Registry Editor.To block only one of the e-mail clients from updating the Welcome screen, permissions to the registry key under UnreadMail" that specify the e-mail account must have System permissions set to read-only.

For example,assume that you have the two following registry keys under the UnreadMail key: UserID@msn.com
UserID@hotmail.com
To block UserID@msn.com from being displayed on the screen and to retain UserID@hotmail.com, set the permissions on the UserID@msn.com key:

1.Start Registry Editor (Regedit).
2.Navigate to the following folder in the registry: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\UnreadMail
3.Expand the UnreadMail folder.
4.Click the e-mail provider that you do not want to be displayed on the Welcome screen.
5.Right-click the folder, and then click Permissions.
6.Click the System account, and then click to select the Deny check box for Full Control.
7.Click OK.
8.Quit Registry Editor.

 

is the fact that the welcome screen does not display unread messages for her revealing there is an error in the computer registry?

 

It was never a good idea in itself, and it's not well implemented, so I wouldn't draw any conclusions from it.

Easiest way is to use TweakUI or ignore it.

 

does Tweak UI fix it, or just turn it off?

 

It allows you to have it show or not. You can get it from Microsoft in the XP Powertoys section.

 

We have TweakUI here.

PowerToys For XP

TweakUI for other Windows versions.