terrace,
Maybe I misunderstood your first post. I don't understand how you may have configured your alerts for your contacts only - the default is for all mail items.
The info I gave you earlier is for customizing alerts (you'll need a 3rd party program for that).
Here is where you can make sure anytime anything comes into your inbox that it makes a sound:
In Outlook:
- Click Tools > Options to open the Options dialog box.
- From the Preferences tab of the Options dialog box, click email Options.
- From the email Options dialog box, click Advanced email Options.
- From the Advanced email Options dialog box, click Desktop Alert Settings.
I hope this is more helpful to you. Let me know!