[Solved w/ v0.96] Built in Mail app tile not working after install

mail till not working after install

Hello

I don't use the built-in mail app however I just rely on it's tile as an email notifier on the start screen and more so on the lock screen.

Since installing, this tile doesn't 'work' weather I have the mail app opened on the desktop or closed (including appearing and not appearing as a recent app when pressing WIN+TAB).

When I uninstall ModernMix the tile then works.

If it has to be a fight between the mail app tile and ModernMix, of course modern mix win's!  But it would be handy if the reason for this was found out.  Another solution for this could be to have some way to quickly disable ModernMix without uninstalling it for these and other problems people will undoubtedly have since this was only released yesterday.

 

Apart from that, loving it!

By the way, would anybody know any other email app that has a live tile?  The only ones I know are

Yahoo: hardly worth it with the lengthy wait until the tile refreshes and further wait for notification to leave once mail is read
Gmail Alerts: worse with a minimum 15 minute refresh rate

 

5,794 views 11 replies
Reply #2 Top

The QA team is looking into this.  Thanks.

Reply #3 Top

I experienced this twice immediately after installing Modern Mix. This problem seems to go away after a reboot or log off/log on.

Edit: And the live tile stops working again when the configuration UI is launched...

Reply #4 Top

I've done a bit of playing about with it (the mail app anyway) and have it working in ModernMix mode (the live tile but not while the mail app is open).

 

There are two processes in the task manger when ModernMix is running - 1. Under 'Apps' that bundles all current open apps and 2. Under 'background processes'.

End both of them (unfortunately ending 1. closes all current apps)

Confirm that your mail app tile is now working.

Go into the ModernMix Program File and open 'MMix_32.exe'.  Now open any app (or do vice versa - then the open app appears on task bar)

Finally go back in to task manager and end that ModernMix task under 'background processes'

 

I now can open up apps in ModernMix and my mail app tile is alerting me to new emails.  The whole thing seems to break though if you reopen the mail app.  That's alright for me, I just want the mail app to notify of new mail on start screen and lock screen.  This is no use if you actually use the mail app.  I would suggest installing the gmail touch app, set up your email to hook to gmail.

 

*Some* apps not opening in ModernMix mode though by doing that (small minority for me anyway, had to try a good few to see it happening), presumably because I shut that 'background' process.  I'm willing to live with that though, I really need/want that mail app tile working on the lock screen because I have it on during work.

Reply #5 Top

Quoting jasonquinn25, reply 4

There are two processes in the task manger when ModernMix is running - 1. Under 'Apps' that bundles all current open apps and 2. Under 'background processes'.......

Just to say, the above looks like an insane long way of just closing the 'ModernMix' background process.  I tried that this morning when other apps where running but mail live tile didn't work. 

Now as I play about with it, whether I run 'MMix_32.exe' from program files, or turn it off in task manager, my live mail tile is working all the time.  That's only as long as the mail app remains unopened.  Once it is opened, this cycle breaks, and I have to perform the steps in previous post.

So not being a computer wizz, I take it the 'ModernMix' background process is "having a fight with" the mail 'Communications Service' background process that mail needs to detect new messages.

Reply #7 Top

Yes, maximised, minimised, closed and appearing on the "recently opened apps bar" (!) and closed and not appearing on the 'recently opened apps bar'.

 

As I said, the whole thing wouldn't matter if somebody bloody made a decent email app!  The only ones with live tile capability, as far as I have found, are Yahoo Mail and Gmail Alerts.  The Gmail Alerts one is not working as far as I can see, having uninstalled/reinstalled it multiple times, it works on the first run but it keeps signing itself out and even if it was working, there is a 15 minute refresh time.  The Yahoo Mail app would be perfect apart from it's lengthy refresh time.  There's certainly a 10 minute wait anyway.  And the stupidest of all is that when you read and delete the email inside the app, the notice is still on the live tile and lock screen for another 10 minutes.

Anyway, the above seems to do the trick for the mean time!

Reply #8 Top

It's not a Windows 8 live tile, but the best email notifier I've found is called PopTray.  It sets in the tray and shows how many emails have arrived in each of your email accounts.  You set the refresh interval and can color code individual email accounts.

You can preview mail and delete mail, if you wish, right from the notifier.

It hasn't been updated in a while, but still works perfectly.  Works just fine on Windows 8 with modern mix.

Not a live tile, but might fit your needs.

Bob

Reply #9 Top

I'm having this problem too. Stardock, to test it, you'll need to connect to an email account via the Mail live tile, and then under the account settings, allow notifications for that account. Personally I use the Mail tile as an alert system coupled with a quick email filtering system. I.e., I rely on the pop-up alerts provided by the Mail app to notify me of incoming mail in real time, and from time to time I open the app to quickly delete rubbish I don't want to keep. I use a proper email programme for replying/correspondence etc.

 

So, for me, ModernMix has broken my email triage system, which was working very efficiently for me! I'm actually more hard pressed to decide which to keep and which to ditch (if it can't be fixed). I don't really feel like installing a tray process eating CPU cycles when Windows 8 provides a native, optimized system to do it more cleanly.

 

Don't get me wrong, I'm really enjoying ModernMix -- it's Windows 8 as it should have been from the outset. Great product! Hopefully these are just small issues which can be ironed out before the final version.

Reply #10 Top

I've discovered a simple workaround for this issue, which is working for me.

 

Make sure the desktop is open and a normal desktop programme of some kind is running. Now open the Mail app in full-screen mode. Now press Windows + . (Windows key and the period/full stop key). This will put the mail app into split-screen mode. In the other half of the screen, click on your running desktop programme. Now press Win + . again. The Mail app should disappear (but is still running in the background). Now send yourself a test email from another programme/webmail (without opening the Mail app again), and you should find your pop-up notifications have been restored. Unfortunately, next time you open the app, the notifications are suppressed. But getting them back is as quick as Win + ., Click, Win + .

 

Let me know if it works for you! I've had several notifications come through as I write this.