Your current Identity may be damaged, especially if its the default Main
Identity. Try one or more of your accounts in a new Named Identity (File
Identities Add new identity). Assuming all is well, (1) compact all
folders in the old identity, (2) import messages from the old identity into
the new one, and then (3) delete the old one (File Identities Manage
Identities).

To avoid such corruption in futu

- Don't use Inbox or Sent Items to archive messages. Move them to local
folders created for this purpose.

- Empty Deleted Items folder daily.

- Disable Background Compacting [not available in SP2] and frequently
perform a manual compact of all OE folders while "working offline". More at
http://www.insideoe.com/files/maintain.htm

- WinXP SP2 only: Do not shut down your machine while Windows is
automatically compacting your message store.

- Your anti-virus application's email scanning feature can also cause such
corruption. Disable it. It provides no additional protection.
--
~Robear Dyer (PA Bear)
MS MVP-Windows (IE, OE, Security, Shell/User)

Frank D. Nicodem, Jr. wrote:
"Bruce Hagen" wrote in message
...
Are you using Trend Micro by any chance? This refers to the icon as well
as sound.

New email sound in Outlook Express is not functioning after installing
Trend Micro Anti-Spam (TMAS) 3.52 - Pilot:
http://esupport.trendmicro.com:80/su...&id=EN-1031616

Thanks for the info. However, Trend Micro Anti-Spam is not installed on
this system. (I'm using the free AVG anti-virus, anti-spyware
application.)

What's most puzzling is that the problem isn't permanent. For instance,
earlier this morning, I had new E-mail but no icon showed up in the System
Tray. Later in the afternoon, however, when more new E-mail arrived, the
icon suddenly showed up! So I guess I'd call it some kind of "glitch", as
opposed to a full-out "bug".
--------------------------------------
Frank D. Nicodem, Jr.