# Help me with Windows XP 'users' stuff... **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 20, 2003, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-with-windows-xp-users-stuff/208605 "2003-10-20T23:37:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Teelo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8491ac/32.png) [@Teelo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Teelo)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2003, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-with-windows-xp-users-stuff/208605/1 "2003-10-20T23:37:35Z")
Alright, our computer has three users, myself, my brother and my parents. As you turn on the computer it arrives at the magical log in screen where you select which “user” you want to log in with. Under each name, there is a number count of unread e-mails. Click on my brothers, and you see his e-mail address in a little bubble window. Click on mine, and you see my e-mail address in a little bubble window. (sorry, thats the best explanation I can do!) However, clicking on my parents shows 29 unread e-mails and not their e-mail address, but _My Own._ First of all, I don’t have 29 unread e-mails not do I want their user to be tied with my e-mail. How the bleeping bleep does one change this and find those unanswered e-mails?!?!😕 ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2003, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-with-windows-xp-users-stuff/208605/2 "2003-10-21T03:05:22Z")
Unless you really, really have to have them, steer clear of those multiple identities. They’re a hassle from square one, and they slow everything down. You can still have multiple email addresses without them. XP is just fine, but that multiple user part is truly foktop. ---
**Author:** ![Rex\_Fenestrarum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rex_fenestrarum/32/7265_2.png) [@Rex\_Fenestrarum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rex_Fenestrarum)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2003, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-with-windows-xp-users-stuff/208605/3 "2003-10-21T06:13:27Z")
> [@](#): > > XP is just fine, but that multiple user part is truly foktop. I call FUD. NT\2000\XP have _always_ been multi-user OSs, much like Unix. Just 'cos some you don’t understand it doesn’t mean it’s “foktop”. ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2003, 11:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-with-windows-xp-users-stuff/208605/4 "2003-10-21T11:15:46Z")
In response to the OP, my WAG is that your parents have the wrong email settings configured in Outlook Express or Windows Messenger, whichever one they use for email. You might want to log in to their account and check their Outlook Express settings to make sure that your email account isn’t in there and that their own account is in there and set as the “Default Account”. I don’t know if that’s the problem for sure though, sorry. And about the multiple identities, I’ve been using them for a little more than a year without any problems. If it starts getting slow, just make sure the other people aren’t running too many programs and also try to log them off (with a full “Log Off”, not just the “Switch User” function) whenever possible. If it’s a family computer, using multiple users is probably a lot less of a hassle than having to deal with multiple people’s files and settings all interfering with yours under the same account. ---
**Author:** ![critter42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7ba0ec/32.png) [@critter42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/critter42)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2003, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-with-windows-xp-users-stuff/208605/5 "2003-10-21T15:36:24Z")
Here is the information on mail notification on the Welcome screen straight from Microsoft. [http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=304148](http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=304148) critter42 ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2003, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-with-windows-xp-users-stuff/208605/6 "2003-10-21T17:13:37Z")
Did you check your parents’ .NET Passport settings? Log in as them then go to CONTROL PANEL - USERS - [USERNAME] - Change my .net passport settings. They might be unknowlingly using your passport settings. **critter42** thanks for that article, I was looking for that very info yesterday!!! ---
**Author:** ![Teelo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8491ac/32.png) [@Teelo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Teelo)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2003, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-with-windows-xp-users-stuff/208605/7 "2003-10-21T21:44:43Z")
**Asknot** I find multiple users to be really great! Settings can be personal preference, weather it be mouse, desktop, games etc. And we can have private folders etc. This is the only “problem” that I have encountered so far. **nobodyimportant** Thanks, I will definetly check that out in a few minutes. **Critter** Your link may be the answer to my problem, i’m very thankful for your help! ---
**Author:** ![Teelo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8491ac/32.png) [@Teelo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Teelo)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2003, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-with-windows-xp-users-stuff/208605/8 "2003-10-21T23:02:24Z")
Alright. Following the web pages instructions, I was able to get rid of the e-mail notification under my user name, and my parents. The webpage realises that you may have more than one e-mail under a user so it explains how the computer can be set to only check ones you want. When I specifically deny the ones I don’t want to be read, it goes ahead and denies them all somehow. (Keep in mind, i’m not right clicking the mother folder, but the individual ones, like the instructions say.) So, now it won’t check my e-mail or my parents with out adding those 29 “ghost” e-mails to my parents, and of course not mine even though it says they are in my e-mail. What is going on? This should be working as far as I can tell. ---
**Author:** ![Toddly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/22d042/32.png) [@Toddly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toddly)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2003, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-with-windows-xp-users-stuff/208605/9 "2003-10-22T02:35:18Z")
Sound to me like some left over digits in Outlook.You may have to reset the counter in the program.Take a look at this explanation and try it. I have always like Power Toys. It is a nice little program. [Link](http://www.winnetmag.com/Article/ArticleID/25767/25767.html) Good Luck ---
**Author:** ![Teelo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8491ac/32.png) [@Teelo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Teelo)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2003, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-with-windows-xp-users-stuff/208605/10 "2003-10-22T03:14:58Z")
Ah, with a little screwing around, everything is perfect! Thanks all. 🙂