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Your America Online Starts By Itself
(and you don't want it to)
This page covers two separate problems. The first issue addressed is when America Online starts every time you boot your computer. Then, it covers the problem of America Online starting by itself over and over while you are using your computer for other things, and even though you close it each time it starts, it does it again. If you are only experiencing the first problem, you need only do SECTION 1. If you are experiencing the second problem, complete all the steps for both Sections.
SECTION 1 - America Online starts when you boot your computer:
1. You need to remove AOL from your Windows\Programs\Startup folder. It may not be there, but MAKE SURE it is not.
A. Click Start, then click Programs, then click StartUp.
B. Search the list for aol.exe. If you find aol.exe, RIGHT click it (see figure 1).
C. In the menu that opens, click Delete.
D. You will be asked if you want to send aol.exe to the Recycle Bin. Click the YES button.
E. Click on your desktop outside of the menu boxes to close them.
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2. Remove America Online from the Load and/or Run line of the Win.ini file. You may not find it there, but MAKE SURE it is not. Note: Do not remove whole lines, only the program path. Deleting things you don't know what are, can cause worse problems than the one you are trying to fix. Some systems require PTSnoop or the USB enablement to be on the Load or Run line. There are other entries that may be needed. If you are not confident in your understanding, get help from your neighborhood expert.
A. Click Start, select Run. A small box will open with a place to make an entry.
B. In the slot that is labeled Open, type Win.ini. Then click the OK button.
C. Look on the LOAD= and RUN= lines for America Online. If you find America Online, remove it (see figure 2).
(1) Place your cursor at the start of the path for America Online.
(2) Click and hold the mouse button down.
(3) Move the cursor to the very end of the path for America Online.
(4) Let up on the mouse button. That part should now be highlighted. Compare what you have to figure 2.
Note: You are not removing the whole line, just the America Online path part.
(5) Press the Backspace key. That part is removed.
(6) Click File, select Save.
(7) Close the window by clicking the X in the upper right corner.
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3. Disable Auto Start AOL
A. RIGHT click the America Online icon next to the clock in the lower right corner of your screen (see figure 3). If you do not have that icon, this link will tell you how to get it back; http://members.aol.com/uncletimetoo/showicon.html
B. In the menu that opens, click on Auto Start Options.
C. Click the circle at the start of the line that has "Don't use any Auto Start options".
D. Click the OK button.
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4. Set your connection to never dial.
A. Click Start, select Settings, select Control Panel. Then click on the Internet Options icon.
B. In the window that opens, click the Connections tab at the top.
C. Click the button for Never Dial a Connection (compare yours to figure 4).
D. Click the Apply button
E. Click the OK button.
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SECTION 2 - This section is for those that have the problem of America online repeatedly starting by itself when they are doing other things with their computer.
There is an important difference between AOL starting by itself and AOL connecting by itself. When you seek help, you need to be specific as to what is really happening. If America Online is listed on the very bottom bar of your screen, America Online IS NOT shut down (see figure 3). You may have it minimized, or have other windows open on top of it so you can't see it, but it is running. AOL starting by itself is an entirely different thing that AOL periodically trying to connect by itself.
1. When you have America Online running and wish to close it, click File, and select Exit from the drop down menu, or you can click the X in the upper right corner of the screen.
Note: If you click Sign Off, and select Sign Off on the drop down menu, you are only breaking your connection, and America Online is still running.
Properly exiting America Online may be the only thing you need to do to eliminate the problem.
2. Disable Auto AOL
A. Open the America Online window. You need not be online.
B. On the top Menu Bar, click Settings.
C. On the drop down menu, click Preferences.
D. In the center of the window that opens, Click on Auto AOL.
E. In the window that opens, uncheck all the entries. Then click the icon on the left titled "Schedule Automatic AOL".
F. In the box that opens, uncheck Enable Scheduler.
G. Click the OK button. That box will close, and you will see the previous window again.
H. Make sure that near the bottom, in parenthesis, it has "No Sessions Scheduled".
I. Click the X in the upper right corner of both open windows to close them.
3. Disable a Scheduler from the Task Bar or prevent it from starting at boot.
A. Hover your cursor over each of the icons at the bottom right of your screen next to your clock for a short time and the program associated with that icon will appear (see figure 3).
B. RIGHT click any Scheduler you find on the Task Bar and see if there is an option for closing it.
C. Left click on any Scheduler icon and see if there is and option to exit the program.
D. If a window opens to show scheduled tasks, there should also be a Menu Bar allowing adding or removing scheduled tasks.
(1). If a scheduler was found and AOL is in it, remove AOL from the scheduled tasks. Alternately, remove the Scheduler program from the StartUp list.
a.) View the list by following the opening steps given in SECTION 1, item 1.
b.) Right click the scheduler and select Delete.
Note: You are not deleting the program, but only a shortcut to it. If the scheduler is removed from the StartUp list, the next time you boot your computer, the scheduler should not start. Reboot and see if you still have the icon near your clock and the Auto Start problem persists.
4. Another place to look for a scheduler is in the list of programs that are currently running. The list is very cryptic, so it may be hard to figure out what each one on the list does. Access the list by pressing Ctrl + Alt + Del keys at the same time. Only press those keys once because the second press is a signal for your system to Reboot. If you open the box and decide you want to close it again without making changes, click the Cancel button.
A. If you find an entry that has "sched" as part of the name, shut it down.
(1) Click on that line to highlight it.
(2) Click the End Task button. The box closes. Once the box closes, it is safe to press Ctrl + Alt + Del again without causing a reboot. Sometimes the program does not immediately shut down. If you reopen the list and it is still there, wait a little and you will probably get a box that has "The program is not responding", and gives you choices. Click the "Shut Down Now" button.
(3) Reopen the list and see that the program you selected to shut down is gone. If it is, click the cancel button.
(4) If you found what seemed to be a scheduler, after shutting it down, wait to see if America Online still Auto Starts. If it does not, you have found the program causing it. Look again for that program as you did in Section 1, steps 1 and 2.
(5) If you didn't find a scheduler you can determine if one is running and causing your America online to Auto Start.
a) Press the three key combination to show the list of programs that are currently running.
b) Click on any EXCEPT Explore or Systray, and Click the Shutdown button.
c) Repeat steps a and b until only those two programs are running.
d) Leave you computer running and see if America Online still starts by itself. If it does not, shut down your computer normally, wait a minimum of ten seconds and turn it back on. If you get the Auto launch again, one of these programs is a scheduler. Close them one at a time (after recording the name) and wait until you get another Auto launch. If you do not, the last program you closed is causing the Auto Start. Now that you know what is causing Auto Start, get help determining what to do about disabling that program.
If you have not been able to eliminate the problem by following these directions, don't despair. There are other things that can be done. However, they are quite complicated and you should get expert on site help. Alternately, consider uninstalling America Online 6.0 and using America Online 5.0 until a sure fix has been determined.
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My thanks to everyone that gave of their time and knowledge to help with this page.
UncleTime
