Email notification sound – play my own message

I set up my email notification sound using a recorded message. It works but only when I open the email program. Is it possible to set it up so it warns me of a delivered email even though Window Live Mail is not open?
Clive Tear

Craig, great going. Not many people know how to use new email notification sounds alert properly, let alone creating their own email alert files… though it’s quite simple. Anyway, coming to your query, since the email notification sound has been set up in Windows Live Mail you need to have the software running to play the file. But, and here’s a little tip, you can always minimize Windows Live Mail to the system tray – let the program run in the background.

You still get to hear the email notification sound when Windows Live Mail is minimized

Minimizing Windows Live Mail to the system tray was easy in Vista. All you needed to do was to right-click the program icon in the tray, select “Hide window when Inbox is minimized” and then minimize the main window. That’s it!

But this option is not present in Windows 7. Come to think of it, there is actually no need because Windows Live Mail icon can be pinned to the Taskbar. Though this icon is larger that the one in the system tray, the result is more or less achieved. But for those who want the good old functionality of Vista, there is a way to minimize Windows Live Mail to the system tray in Windows 7 – read for details.

The email notification sound will play even though Windows Live Mail has been minimized because it’s still running in the background.

Conclusion: There is no way you can play email notification sound unless you have Windows Live Mail running. But the email client window can be minimized to the system tray so that Windows Live Mail runs in the background. This will result in the desired affect.