More Problems With Gmx Mail

[MichaelZZ]

Since installing GMX mail a few weeks ago I have had a number of problems. Some of these I have been able to work around and others I have learned to live with.
The one problem for which I cannot seem to find a cure is that incoming emails initially show up in my Inbox in bold type but after a few minutes this reverts to normal (non-bold), suggesting that the message has actually been read. This makes it very difficult to quickly identify any new, unread, messages. I contacted the GMX customer help team and got the reply, "Thank you for your email. You are using a mail application. This might cause the emails to appear as "read". "
I find this unhelpful in the extreme as I was under the impression that GMX is a mail application. Am I wrong? Is there no way of ensuring that unread emails stay in my Inbox with their titles in bold type until I have read them?

If the answer is that marking new, unread messages as "Read" is a quaint little uncorrectable quirk of GMX mail can anyone please suggest an email system that does what I want it to do (as my O2 mail and my Yahoo mail did.)?

[VHG]

Why not just go with Googlemail (gmail)?

Used by millions and supported by one of the largest IT companies in the world.

[MichaelZZ]

Thanks VHG, I might just do that! However as GMX has been promoted on AB as the finest thing since Kellogg's Corn Flakes I am still looking forward to Buenchico's response.

[Fitzer]

Not being familiar with GMX this is just a guess but is there a preview or reading pane, in Outlook for instance having a mail visible in either of these can cause it to show as read after a few seconds

[Buenchico]

A 'mail application' is a program on your computer which allows you to view and send email, such as Outlook Express, Windows Live Mail or Thunderbird. It needs to be used with an email service, such as the one provided by your ISP or by a small minority of free service providers. It is the settings within that program that determine when mail is marked as read, irrespective of who actually provides your email service.

On the other hand, free email services normally use 'webmail', meaning that you access your email account by going to the website of the relevant provider. (i.e.there's no mail application involved, only your web browser).

Most free email services don't permit you to use a mail application (such as Outlook Express, etc) because you won't then see the ads that appear on the provider's website (andpay for the service). However both Gmail and GMX are exceptions. So it seems that you're probably accessing your account via a mail application (rather than using the GMX website, here: http://www.gmx.co.uk/ ) and that the settings within that application need to be altered.

If that's the case, we need to know which mail application you're using. However if you're actually experiencing the problem on the GMX website, it strongly suggests that there's MALWARE on your computer. Download, install and run the free version of Malwarebytes Anti-Malware:
http://www.malwarebytes.org/products/malwarebytes_free/
(NB: When installing, take care to deselect the option to take a free trial of the 'PRO' version).

[Please note that I'm just going out to catch a train, as I'll be working away from home for a couple of days. So I might not not respond immediately to any reply you make. However, if I can find a wifi enabled pub this evening, I'll try to take another look then]

[MichaelZZ]

After much searching around I've discovered that in order to get GMX to do what I would like it to do (keep unread email subject headings in bold until I've read them) I need to make adjustments to the registry.
I don't want to do this so I'm going to leave things as they are and only use GMX for the less important things and run my other, important emails via a system with which I am familiar and which does what I want.
Thanks for your help though Chris.

[Buenchico]

I'm still confused. I use GMX (as webmail in my browser, not through a mail application) and my unread mail headers always remain in bold type.

If you're using webmail I'm still concerned that something nasty on your computer could be working in the background and accessing your email (and also checking on all other links that appear on your screen), possibly looking for information for ID theft or to simply empty your bank account. If so, when that malware accesses your mail, GMX's server will see it as 'read', and mark it accordingly. (The presence of such malware would have nothing to do with your choice to use GMX. It would still do the same with other web-based mail systems).

I strongly recommend that you run a full virus scan AND run Malwarebytes Anti-Malware as well.

[MichaelZZ]

Thanks again for your comments, Buenchico.
I have done as you suggested and run full scans with Malwarebytes as well as Adwcleaner, Microsoft Security Essentials and Malicious Software Removal. None of these found anything.
I have therefore abandoned GMX and have installed Gmail - which seems to be running without problems.
Thanks again for your comments.