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How can I stop AIM from starting when I turn on my PC?

I like AOL Instant Messenger (AIM), but it's really annoying when it automatically starts up every time I turn on my Windows XP computer. There's some way to disable it, I'm sure, but I can't figure it out. Help!

Dave's Answer:

I know exactly what you're talking about and one of the things I really don't like about Windows is tiny-icon creep: look at how many applications insist on showing up in my little tray on my taskbar:

AIM Autostart Button / Windows Tray Icons

The specific icon you're talking about I have too, it's one from the left, the tiny little yellow guy who looks like he's running away from the Spybot Search & Destroy tiny icon (interestingly enough! And they say that you can't learn anything from someone's interpretation of ink blots! :-)

To turn off the AIM autostart feature, all you need to do is to right-click on the tiny AIM icon, which brings up:

Choose Preferences, as you can see I'm doing here, and you'll get to:

You'll want to unclick the third option, "Start AIM when Windows starts" to turn off this feature. You can also see some of the other useful options here too, including whether AIM should automatically sign on when you start it up or whether it should wait until you click the "sign on" button.

That should clear out at least one of those pesky little icons for you!

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Comments

On this topic, is there any setting to prevent AIM from placing itself in the tray anytime I open my buddy window?

Posted by: Liz at March 20, 2006 4:52 PM

How can I find out which programs automatically start when I turn on my computer? I want to be able to turn off programs I don't need so my computer will run faster.

Thanks

Posted by: Rick at April 26, 2007 6:56 PM

yeah except with the new AIM PRO.
changing the option to not start up when windows boots is completly pointless as the program will automaticly re-check the option box. even if you click apply or save you will notice your losing battle when you click back on the settings menu.
Good Luck!

Posted by: MGD at November 11, 2007 3:48 AM

Stop AIM from starting when starting AOL. The HELP supplied advises to right click on the "running man" icon to change the settings. I don't have that icon on my taskbar or anywhere else on my desktop. It is started by AOL when I access it. I never use it and it is annoying. This just started with the update to ver. 9.1.

Any ideas?

Posted by: RICHARD at April 25, 2008 2:44 PM

Hi i know how to fix that, go to the start menu > Run > Then type Msconfig

That will work buddy.

Posted by: Robert at December 8, 2009 5:29 AM

Dave
trying to get rid of AOL loading itself, it wipes everything else away, page whitens, then AOL page comes up, everything else "vanishes" have to reload
dont have the "Little yellow running man"
can you help?

Posted by: maggi at February 15, 2010 2:52 AM

I have something to say, now that you mention it, but ...

I do have a lot to say, and questions of my own for that matter, but first I'd like to say thank you for all your efforts on this Web site by buying you a cup of coffee!

I do have a comment, now that you mention it!