Question:

How can I remove AOL Instant Messenger?

Answer:

In order to avoid receiving AOL Instant Messenger "Registration" or "Sign On" prompts:

1. On the AIM sign-on screen, click the Setup button
2. Select the Misc tab
3. Uncheck "Start Netscape AIM when Windows starts."

This way, the Instant Messenger program will not load unless you explicitly launch it.

To completely remove it (unsupported):

For Windows 95/98 and Windows NT:

In Windows Explorer:

1. Remove AIM from the Personal Bookmark folder.
2. Delete launch.aim from every user profile.
3. In "...Communicator\Program\Aim", delete the "AIM" folder and the subfolder "sounds" and all contents.
4. Run Regedit:

   Edit | Find - type AIM. Remove all references.
   Edit | Find - type in AOL. Remove all references to AIM only.

5. Restart your computer.

   Question:

   How can I remove AOL Instant Messenger?

   Answer:

   In order to avoid receiving AOL Instant Messenger "Registration" or "Sign On" prompts:

   1. On the AIM sign-on screen, click the Setup button
   2. Select the Misc tab
   3. Uncheck "Start Netscape AIM when Windows starts."

   This way, the Instant Messenger program will not load unless you explicitly launch it.

   To completely remove it (unsupported):

   For Windows 95/98 and Windows NT:

   In Windows Explorer:

   1. Remove AIM from the Personal Bookmark folder.
   2. Delete launch.aim from every user profile.
   3. In "...Communicator\Program\Aim", delete the "AIM" folder and the subfolder "sounds" and all contents.
   4. Run Regedit:
      

      Edit | Find - type AIM. Remove all references.

      Edit | Find - type in AOL. Remove all references to AIM only.

   5. Restart your computer.

   On Win16, AIM files are listed under PROGRAM.

   For Macintosh:

   In your Macintosh's System folder:

   1. Remove the "PromoLauncher" alias from your Startup Items folder. (This will eliminate the "Sign Up for Netscape AOL Instant Messenger" dialogs upon startup.)
   2. Remove the "AIM Menu" extension from your Extensions folder. (This will eliminate the AIM menu from the upper-right hand corner of your menu bar.)
      

      You may also wish to remove the "IdleTime" extension, which the AIM installer places in your Extensions folder. Since you may have other applications that depend upon this extension, such as UserLand Software's Frontier scripting system, we recommend using caution in removing it.

   In your Netscape Navigator (or Netscape Communicator) folder:

   Remove the "Netscape AOL Instant Messenger" folder. (This will eliminate the actual AIM application and associated data files from your Macintosh.)

   Please note:

   The downloadable installers for Netscape Navigator do not contain AOL Instant Messenger. If you are a system administrator, you can avoid installing AOL Instant Messenger by using Netscape Mission Control Desktop to remove the files before install.