Delete and Reinstall AOL for MAC OS X

John, Elaine, and Helper,

Are the three folders, and the files within them, in the System Folder on the Desktop, aliases?

"...com.aol.aol.plist is showing as a document, as is com.internetconfig.plist. They are not referred to as files on this computer..."
That's right. I just used the term "file", to differentiate between folders & documents.
com.apple.internetconfig.plist should have been put in the trash.

"... inability to reconnect with AOL unless we restart the computer..."
If and when, we get this sorted out, the hanging disconnect may be resolved.
Although, on occasion, I too experience it.

"...we have not restored the checks on the PPP options. Should we?..."
I don't have any of the PPP Options checked. For now, I suggest you do the same.

"...And does it matter that we no longer have the 3 com.apple....plist. files..."
The only one present on my system is com.apple.internetconfig.plist.
Don't worry about the other two.

ali b

John, Elaine & Helper,

I'm really not sure how to advise you about the extra System Folder that's on the Desktop.

Other than the aliases, if it's contents are duplicated exactly, in the original System Folder, that resides in the HD folder, and all other aspects of your system are functioning properly, I wouldn't worry about it at this time. But don't delete it yet.

Are you still able to startup in OS 9? And if so, does everything function properly?

I also noticed that you are using Norton SystemWorks.
I hope that is in OS 9 ONLY! Under NO circumstances use it in OS X!
In fact, I'd advise not using it at all, and uninstalling it.

Other than NAV, Norton as discontinued any and all support for it's OS X products. And their applications/utilities have been known to cause extreme damage to OS X systems.

Uninstall Norton
Norton Complete Uninstall

I have another thought about AOL.
Open AOL Preferences > WWW > Content > Uncheck: Enable Java, if it's checked.
If that is checked, when you browse to a site with a Java Applet, using the AOL browser, the AOL application will freeze, generating the endless spinning colored pinwheel, necessitating a Force Quit of AOL.

And yes, com.apple.internetconfig.plist should have been recreated.

ali b

John and Elaine, I haven't read all of this thread, but I can help with one of your problems. AOL quitting when you click on the 'read' or 'email' button is a known problem in AOLX in the UK. There is unlikely to ever be a fix, as AOL UK do not actively support Macs. However there is a workaround; when you get to the 'welcome' screen after signing on, simply click any picture or link in that screen. A new window will open; if it is a small window, ie one that does not fill the entire width of your monitor, simply close it (you do not have to let it load properly, just enough to see how big it is) and click another link. keep trying. When you get a window that fills your screen (a big window) close it. Again, you do not have to let it load fully. You can now click on the 'read' or 'email' button and get your mail without crashing. This will work, every time. I do not know why!

As regards broadband; you probably know that AOL UK do not support or supply broadband for Macs. There are also workarounds for this (and several Mac users happily using AOL Broadband), but be aware that you will not be able to get any support from AOL for any problems. What you can do is get broadband from another ISP, and switch to AOL BYOA (Bring Your Own Access). BYOA costs £6.99 a month, and you can carry on using AOL as usual; mail, content etc is all as normal (and incidentally, the crashing when retrieving mail carries on as normal as well unfortunately!). However you will also have to pay another ISP for the broadband. On the plus side, many ISPs are far cheaper than AOL, and many are far more reliable...

HI John!

My tip How To Uninstall/Reinstall AOL, has detailed instructions.

Good Luck!

ali b

John,

Where you using AOL v 5?

And DON'T empty your Trash yet!

ali b

Hi John,

I believe ali really deserves some + votes, don't you?

John,

That is very odd. If you highlight it, from the results window, and do a Command - R (Open Enclosing Folder), when the HD window opens, is there any folder that is highlighted?

ali b

John,

What did you delete?

You should be able to view everything in any window by using the scroll bar, on the right side.

ali b

John,

Do these filing cabinets actually have dates in their titles?
Or are you adding the dates, here in "Discussions" to reflect when they were created?

ali b

John & Elaine,

I've sent out an SOS, to a friend, who happens to be an AOL, and Mac, Wizard!

Hopefully, a new set of eyes can help unravel this mess!

ali b