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How do I get rid of America Online (AOL) pop-up ads?

Dave, how do I get rid of all these stupid America Online pop-ups that plague me when I use my AOL account? I checked my AOL preferences and don't see anything that lets me turn them off!

Dave's Answer:

In the old days, when AOL seemed to have a competitive business model, they made a remarkable amount of revenue from their pop-up sales offers, and I know more than one person who ended up with stuff from AOL that they apparently ordered by clicking the wrong button to get rid of the pesky window. Nowadays, I think that there's been so much pushback from customers like yourself that they've eased back a bit. Or perhaps it's just that i don't use AOL much any more!

Anyway, it's not easy to find where to disable pop-ups from AOL but here's the trick: Go to keyword Settings (On the Mac that's found at Go --> Keyword, which brings you to this screen:

Here you want to click on Marketing (it's a slightly different color in the screen shot), though it's well worth spending 10-15 minutes one time going through all of the many AOL preferences. There's quite a bit you can fine-tune about your online experience!

Anyway, click on Marketing and you'll now see:

On the lower right is an entry "POP-UP": click on that and you'll be exactly where you want to be:

You can see that I've already set my preferences to not receiving pop-ups from AOL about stuff to buy (I already buy too much darn stuff without their help!). Make sure your setting matches, then click OK to set it.

While we're here, also click on "E-Mail" on the Marketing Preferences window so you can ensure that you're not getting spam (well, technically it's not spam if you've given the permissoin to send it) from AOL about stuff to buy or services to purchase. The E-Mail preference window looks familiar:

Make sure you have the latter of the two options set and click OK.

Done! That should make using AOL considerably more enjoyable.

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Comments

I was wondering how to get rid of the ads on Aol. I do not mean the pop-ups. I mean the ads on the bottom of the Mailbox, when you check your mail. Im sure if there is a version of kazaa with out ads then there is a version of aol!

Posted by: Shawn Y at August 20, 2005 9:17 PM

Thanks, Dave! Your instructions were very clear and helpful! No more AOL popups! Yeah!!

Posted by: Geri at August 30, 2005 11:34 PM

I had a hard time keeping your site up. Got the feeling someone didn't want me to find you. But I did and succeded in doing what I wanted to with your help.
Then I got kicked of aol. and when I got back and up running I couldn't find your site again but You can see that I finally did thanks again

Posted by: JUDITH at September 24, 2005 7:06 PM

Thank you soooooo much! Those AOL pop ups were driving me absolutely CRAZY! You're the best.

Posted by: Bobbie at November 21, 2005 3:29 PM

I mean the ads on the bottom of the Mailbox, naol 6 is bad with he morgage ad there... lets hack the screen so it is no longer there...

Posted by: ed at March 31, 2006 1:00 AM

I never use the AOL browser or even sign in using it (I am using wireless router which sings in automatically). In the last few days I've noticed AOL sending popups from internet explorer! At first I thought it was spyware but I tried other computers.

The only reason I now know it was from AOL is that one of the popups is for an AOL survey! When did they start doing this when using Internet Explorer?

Posted by: anon at May 29, 2006 5:52 AM

I tried to use your instructions to sto pop-ups but I couldn't find the screen for preferences, do you know if they took it out? I could only find marketing preferences and the only choices were to request offers. Can you help me.

Posted by: Jose at June 15, 2006 8:12 PM

I cannot get McAfee to run...I cancelled AOL, but it's still there somehow. I bought Mcafee VirusScan 2006 myself in March, downloaded it; can't get it to run, can't contact them (I'm willing to pay, but not $2.95 a minute to be put on hold for 10 minutes!) Can't contact AOL, can't get into AOL preferences to enable ActiveX controls. AOL is apparently still running McAfee on my system, but I cannot get it to run, cannot get any help anywhere. I use Mozilla/Firefox, it won't open sites I need.

Posted by: Carol at July 11, 2006 10:09 AM

AOL started putting pop up ads on the bottom of each email. Had to threaten to quit before they got stopped. Now it is started again. Doing a quick restore clears it, and by unplugging my internet connection, I keep from getting updates as I sign off. AOL won't listen. Wish I could sue them to get them to stop it. Respectfully, Dave

Posted by: Dave Bonar at July 16, 2006 10:28 PM

I was wondering if you knew a way to stop AOL automatic updates when AOL closes. I use AOL on a Novell network and when I first installed AOL I was able sign on to AOL, minimize AOL and use Internet Explorer to browse. But after AOL updates, I can not browse with Internet Explorer. So I figured, if I stop AOL from updating, I will be able to use Internet Explorer. Can you help, please.

Posted by: Mike at August 27, 2006 6:24 PM

Like "Mike at August 2006" I can't stop the AOL automatic updates that happen whenever I am signing off and closing down my computer. How do I turn them off? AOL's "live" help seems to be a "pick your problem and the solution pops up" thing now but when your problem isn't listed, you get no help.

Posted by: Sandee at February 10, 2007 3:55 PM

I'm trying to get rid of A O L pop ups I click in keywords "Preferences " but I can't seem to get that screen that you show we should get .Am I doing something wrong here?

Posted by: Charles Edgett at March 10, 2007 11:15 AM

If you want to stop auto aol updates, choose any old crappy theme file that you do not use and copy/paste it in the aol directory,rename the file TOD and that is it.AOL cannot create a tod file if there is a file already named TOD....Make sure that you delete the original TOD file before you do this or else you won't be able to create a TOD file either.

Posted by: botkiller at April 11, 2007 12:40 AM

I hate to mention this for fear AOL will read it and thwart my efforts at hiding the email ads. I just drag the email down so the ad isn't visible. Not as nice as being able to stop the ads, but no one's mentioned how to do that in the posts I've read so far. At least I don't have to see them for more than a few seconds. Maybe I should switch to another service?

Posted by: dave at May 24, 2007 12:41 AM

I have overcome this problem by stretching my buddies window down as far as it will go, then it hides the popups. I have send many preference commands to AOL to stop popups but to no avail.

Posted by: Hazel Atkins at July 27, 2007 3:19 PM

why cant i add a new screen name and why cant i get help when i type in live help

Posted by: regina at October 5, 2007 9:16 PM

I have aol 9.0 and in my email box is adds that pop up when I try to minimize the email. Anyway I looked for what steps you wrote above, but when I put the keywords in , aol sends a page, nothing like the software above.

anyway I am getting those adds under the email to pop up unwanted. I have run all the spyware, virus checkers, nothing helped.

Barbara

Posted by: barbara at October 7, 2007 9:10 AM

I spoke with Angelina for a long time on oct.29th she indicated that the pop-up problem was solved.To-day isthe 30th and AOL Pops up with the sound and all. Please cut it out. I;m a 91 year old senior citizen it's Traumatic to me.

Posted by: bernard goldberger at October 31, 2007 3:26 PM

It's started happening to me since last week. Since then it's been popping up about once every 30 mins with information about a new 'vital update'. At the start I clicked 'Update', thinking that it would get them to stop, but it makes no difference. I just close them straight away now. Damn annoying though, and I can't get rid of them

Posted by: AJW at December 3, 2007 8:16 PM

THANKS A MILLION FOR SHOWING ME HOW TO BLOCK AOL POP UP ADDS. WHEW!

Posted by: SF BROCK at December 26, 2007 3:20 PM

No matter where I go on the computer, an AOL screen pops up and blocks my entrée into essential links. What a nightmare!

AOL doesn’t permit me to sign on because as soon as I do I am abruptly thrown off all internet operations. AOL does not permit me to click on many links because as soon as I do, the AOL screen comes on.

I have deleted everything and anything with the name AOL on it in All Programs, from the Start button and on the Desktop. I went into the registry and deleted American Online. The words disappear but shortly after they reappear on the registry.

I cannot get needed links nor do necessary operations in business. My business is practically shut down.

My computer is now infected and I cannot delete the quarantined infections. My computer problems seem endless because of AOL’s strangulation of my system.

Ray
rafipoe@nyc.rr.com

Posted by: Ray at January 6, 2008 2:45 AM

STOP YOUR POP-UPS ON MY COMPUTER NOW. AOL POP-UPS ARE NOT WHAT I WANT TO SEE EVERY FIVE MIN.

Posted by: WILLIAM MONDON at February 3, 2008 2:23 PM

On getting rid of AOL pop ups, I see under marketing they don't offer a YES or NO answer.
Now what ?

Posted by: bill at February 16, 2008 9:31 AM

Anotify.exe is the program that controls all of those annoying AOL popups you get asking you to upgrade this, upgrade that. Search and delete or just rename to badfileanotify.exe to stop those nags. Found it after AOL Live Help told me there was no way to disable the popups other than to update.

Posted by: foxy at April 28, 2008 12:20 PM

Please tell me how to get aol to stop aol pop ups for google. I've set the menu to stop and save several times, but still keep getting those stupid pop ups. Please help!!!!

Posted by: marita willoughby at May 26, 2008 4:33 PM

AOL starting having the 'Search the Web' pop up window appear on sign in but there doesn't appear to be anyway to get rid of it no matter what you select as your start up selections. Any idea how to stop this?
Thanks

Posted by: Trish at July 1, 2008 9:47 PM

I have a lot to say, but ...

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

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