diff --git a/addressbook/preferences.php b/addressbook/preferences.php
index 5c3638bf14..20db00d6b7 100644
--- a/addressbook/preferences.php
+++ b/addressbook/preferences.php
@@ -25,6 +25,9 @@
         while ($pref = each($ab_selected)) {
           $phpgw->common->preferences_add($phpgw_info["user"]["userid"],$pref[0],"addressbook","addressbook_" . $pref[1]);
         }
+        if ($mainscreen_showbirthdays) {
+           $phpgw->common->preferences_add($phpgw_info["user"]["userid"],"mainscreen_showbirthdays","addressbook");
+        }
         Header("Location: " . $phpgw->link($phpgw_info["server"]["webserver_url"] . "/preferences/index.php"));
      }
   }
@@ -39,7 +42,7 @@
   echo "<p><b>" . lang("select addressbook columns to display") . ":" . "</b><hr><p>";
 ?>
   <form method="POST" action="<?php echo $phpgw->link(); ?>">
-   <table border="0" align="center">
+   <table border="0" align="center" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="1">
     <?php
       // I need to create a common function to handle displaying multiable columns
     
@@ -65,8 +68,13 @@
          if ($j == count($abc)) {
             echo "</tr>";
          }
-      }      
+      }
+      $tr_color = $phpgw->nextmatchs->alternate_row_color($tr_color);
     ?>
+    <tr bgcolor="<?php echo $tr_color; ?>">
+     <td colspan="2"><?php echo lang("show current users on navigation bar"); ?></td>
+     <td><input type="checkbox" name="mainscreen_showbirthdays" value="True"<?php if ($phpgw_info["user"]["preferences"]["addressbook"]["mainscreen_showbirthdays"]) echo " checked"; ?>></td>
+    </tr>
     <tr>
      <td colspan="3" align="center">
       <input type="submit" name="submit" value="<?php echo lang("submit"); ?>">
diff --git a/index.php b/index.php
index 60dc10212e..34a7b45e92 100755
--- a/index.php
+++ b/index.php
@@ -30,6 +30,9 @@
   $phpgw->common->phpgw_header();
   $phpgw->common->navbar();
 
+  $phpgw->common->read_preferences($phpgw_info["user"]["loginid"],"addressbook",True);
+  $phpgw->common->read_preferences($phpgw_info["user"]["loginid"],"email",True);
+  $phpgw->common->read_preferences($phpgw_info["user"]["loginid"],"calendar",True);
 
   if ($phpgw_info["user"]["permissions"]["admin"] && $phpgw_info["server"]["checkfornewversion"]) {
      $phpgw->network->set_addcrlf(False);
@@ -69,7 +72,7 @@
       break;
   }
 
-  if ($phpgw_info["user"]["permissions"]["email"]
+  if ($phpgw_info["user"]["apps"]["email"]
   && $phpgw_info["user"]["preferences"]["email"]["mainscreen_showmail"]) {
     echo "<!-- Mailox info -->\n";
 
@@ -91,7 +94,11 @@
     echo "<!-- Mailox info -->\n";
   }
 
-  if ($phpgw_info["user"]["permissions"]["addressbook"]
+  if ($phpgw_info["user"]["preferences"]["addressbook"]["mainscreen_showbirthdays"]) {
+     echo "addressbook pereferences";
+  }
+
+  if ($phpgw_info["user"]["apps"]["addressbook"]
   && $phpgw_info["user"]["preferences"]["addressbook"]["mainscreen_showbirthdays"]) {
     echo "<!-- Birthday info -->\n";
     $phpgw->db->query("select DISTINCT firstname,lastname from addressbook where "
@@ -107,11 +114,11 @@
       $phpgw->common->show_date(time(),"d")+1,
       $phpgw->common->show_date(time(),"Y")),"n/d" );
       $phpgw->db->query("select firstname,lastname from addressbook where "
-        . "bday like '$tommorow/%' and (owner='"
-        . $phpgw_info["user"]["userid"] . "' or access='public')");
+                      . "ab_bday like '$tommorow/%' and (ab_owner='"
+                      . $phpgw_info["user"]["userid"] . "' or ab_access='public')");
       while ($phpgw->db->next_record()) {
-        echo "<tr><td>" . lang("Tommorow is x's birthday.", $phpgw->db->f("firstname") . " "
-	  . $phpgw->db->f("lastname")) . "</td></tr>\n";
+        echo "<tr><td>" . lang("Tommorow is x's birthday.", $phpgw->db->f("ab_firstname") . " "
+	  . $phpgw->db->f("ab_lastname")) . "</td></tr>\n";
       }
       echo "<!-- Birthday info -->\n";
   }
@@ -121,7 +128,7 @@
 
 
   // This is disbaled until I can convert the calendar over
-  if ($phpgw_info["user"]["permissions"]["calendar"]
+  if ($phpgw_info["user"]["apps"]["calendar"]
   && $phpgw_info["user"]["preferences"]["calendar"]["mainscreen_showevents"]) {
     echo "<!-- Calendar info -->\n";
     include($phpgw_info["server"]["server_root"] . "/calendar/inc/functions.inc.php");
diff --git a/preferences/settings.php b/preferences/settings.php
index f3627d1b24..50a9d75dc5 100755
--- a/preferences/settings.php
+++ b/preferences/settings.php
@@ -151,7 +151,7 @@
 <?php
   display_option("show current users on navigation bar","admin","show_currentusers",0);
   display_option("show new messages on main screen","email","mainscreen_showmail",0);
-  display_option("show birthday reminders on main screen","addressbook","mainscreen_showbirthdays",0);
+//  display_option("show birthday reminders on main screen","addressbook","mainscreen_showbirthdays",0);
 ?>        
        <tr>
         <td><?php echo lang("Default application"); ?></td>
@@ -233,12 +233,6 @@
         $phpgw->common->preferences_add($phpgw_info["user"]["userid"],"email_sig","email");
      }
 
-     if ($phpgw_info["user"]["apps"]["addressbook"]) {
-        if ($mainscreen_showbirthdays) {
-           $phpgw->common->preferences_add($phpgw_info["user"]["userid"],"mainscreen_showbirthdays","addressbook");
-        }
-     }
-
      $phpgw->db->unlock();
 
      Header("Location: " . $phpgw->link("index.php"));