When

[Harry]

When windows mail is closed, only the windows mail icon is on the desktop.
Is there a way to have the "you have mail" icon appear on the taskbar?

 

[DL]

If your mail application is closed its never going to receive mail

 

[Gary VanderMolen]

Windows Mail can't retrieve your mail unless it is running.
However, there is a third party utility that allows you to
minimize it to the tray:
http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/68173-windows-mail-tray-icon.html