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!

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

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

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

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...

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?

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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?

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.

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?

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.

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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!!!!

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

If you want to turn off the search popup on AOL, go to Keyword: Search Window and you can opt out of it there.

I keep getting a pop-up in my lower right hand corner of my screen from "AOL SPYWARE PROTECTION" Every 5 minutes. I've researched the removal, but have found that it is a bogus non-AOL pop up. I cant stand it every 5 minutes. HOW can I get rid of it? I just unchecked the 3 boxes you suggested here so I dont know if that will solve it or not...NOPE...there it is again. It tells me an Update is Available....PLEASE HELP!!!!~Thanks~

Drag doewn Keyword from the AOL menu. Type "Search Window" and click go. Click the OPT OUT button when it appears. This will get rid of the new Google AOL Search POP UP

pop - ups no help in site. Is there a free ware that can solve this your solution did not work!

If I leave my computer sit for a bit when I come back to it and try to get on a game I get a window that pops um welcome to AOL even though I'm already signed on

Great tip! I dont believe that find this now when i'm about to dumb aol. Its year 2008 and i still have this aol account! arrgghh!

I cannot thank you enough, Dave Taylor, for the great information about how to disable those most annoying AOL Pop-Ups. No matter how hard I had tried to eliminate them, they kept right on poping up on my computer. Most objectionable were the jitterbugging figures that drive me nuts! AOL has become far too controlling as a provider of internet services. They have lost many once loyal subscribers because of their unwelcomed and constant intrusions into all aspects of their subscribers activities.

Hi,

anyway to remove the "upgrade to aol 9.1 which appears 25 x a day?
thank u....

while waiting for an answer,
I renamed anotify.exe as explained in a previous post here.
Will let you know if it works.

[removing the annoying "upgrade to aol 9.1"] pop-up.

I'm trying to create a new screen name, but it's telling me i have to accept all cookies and javascript...How do I do this, because i really need a new screen name

Well Dave, this is the SECOND time this week where your site has helped me. Nice to know that somebody out there has the answers to my problems.

Cheers, Mike

I am trying to access my son's facebook(he is 14). Any suggestions on how to log on without knowing the password?

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HELPING ME GET RID OF THE AOL POP UP SEARCH BAR.I WASTED SO MUCH TIME WITH AOL TRYING TO GET RID OF IT..
THANK YOU AGAIN.

Hi, These instructions don't work with the new AOL 9.1 which is giving me an ad when i close send every email! help!

also the new 9.1 is putting my header ABOVE my highlighted text when i return an email and want to include part of their text in it. Can you help with that too?

I have turned all of my pop up blockers with AOL on, but I still get pop up ads when I visit a cnn.com web page. How can I stop this? I've ran Adware, but still get these things from cnn.com while I'm on AOL. Help...

I am sick and tired of this stupid Spyware Update popping up. I've seen that a few others have the same problem, but there doesn't seem to be any advice at all on how to stop it. I'm ready to leave AOL based on that alone! It's so darn annoying.....any clues?? I'm talking about the Spyware Update that pops up ALL DAY LONG, no matter how many times you click CANCEL or try to Update. HELLLLLLLLLLP!!!

I cancelled my aol account, as I have another account will SBC, but I am still getting their anti-virus pop ups, and something very incidious - a pop up that says something like "an error has occured in your scipt....do you want to keep running this script:, and if I click on "yes" it keeps popping back. It is also preventing me from downloading anything, from the at&t tribune news articles, to downloading attachments from e-mails.

I am also looking for help removing tht God-awful spyware update POS from my screen. How do I do this as someone asked the same question but I couln't find a reply. Thank you in advance for any assistance you may be able to provide.
Respectfully,
Eric

"I am sick and tired of this stupid Spyware Update popping up. I've seen that a few others have the same problem, but there doesn't seem to be any advice at all on how to stop it. I'm ready to leave AOL based on that alone! It's so darn annoying.....any clues?? I'm talking about the Spyware Update that pops up ALL DAY LONG, no matter how many times you click CANCEL or try to Update. HELLLLLLLLLLP!!!

Posted by Ashleigh"
Uh, Ashley, "Spyware Update is spyware.
You might try using Avast (a free program and very good and Super Anti Spyware (also) free. Just send your favorite search engine out and they'll find them for you.
If these don't work for you, you might consider reloading Windows.

How do I prevent the AOL search box from popping up on every log in? I see someone above had the problem solved. Can you direct me to the link via email please? thanks

Dave thank you so much for this great idea how to stop these annyoing pop-ups from AOL. You, your knowledge and your kind help (sharing it with all of us) is greatly appreciated. Have a terrific day!

To stop AOL search window from popping up every time you log in ...

Open AOL browser. Press CTRL + K, in the keyword window, type in "Search Window". In the next window, select the "OPT OUT" button.

Worked for me.

Hi Dave,
Thanks for your website. I tried to follow your instructions to
get rid of AOL pop-ups,etc. but haven't been successsful.
I have a MAC and get AOL through Safari. "Go --Keyword" doesn't appear on my screen. Any suggestions?
Thanks.
Allison

In response to Ashleigh's plea on the every 5 minute "AOL spyware" alert that never goes away no matter how many times I either go into AOL settings or the spyware settings itself. (Note: there is NOT a threat - I have checked numerous times) The following does not fix the problem, but minimizes it so it's bearable. I have double-clicked the alert to view the supposed threats then I "minimized" the box so now it rests on the lower bottom left of my screen and sits there "quietly" taking up 1/2" x 2" of space and does not even pop up anymore...Thank God!

Hate the "AOL Goggle Search Window"? Just go to keyword: Search Window" and click the "Opt Out" button. Thank goodness enough of us conplained so that we could finally choose after 12 months of frustrations.

How the hell do you OPT out of these ANNOYING PopUp ads on AOL?????? I am ready to SCREAMMMM!!!
The onlt option I get is *OPT IN*....never get an OPT OUT, so what's up with that? Is it because I get AOL free, so I have NO choices to opt out??? Someone PLEASE HELP!!!!!!!!!
L.P.

Everytime I come on line I get an annoying pop-up from aol asking me if I want to stay online..even though I'm in the middle of a game or doing some type of work...then it starts popping up after that every 5 minutes..its driving me crazy! Is anyone else getting this, and how do I stop them?
Please help!
Suiteypie

I am an AOL customer (have been for years)and use AOL as my home page while at work. Recently an ad popped up blocking access to the paging button on thier site making it impossible to go to the next news item.
Searching around, I found a setting in my browser (Internet Explorer 8) that allowed me to switch off the pop-ups.
In the browser tool bar click on "Tools" and select "Manage Add-Ons". Click on "Tool Bars and Extensions" on the left side, and click "Shockwave Flash Object" on the right. Then click "Disable" at the bottom. The pop-ups will go away, but you will get a ballon occasionally informing you this has been disabled.

I wanted to get rid of the AOL popups too and I did all you said and they are still there!!!

When trying to use internet explorer my AOL software keeps starting up. No sooner do I shut it down and it reappears. How do I stop this

I HAVE A PROBLEM GETTING INTO SOME WEBSITES GET A MESSAGE THIS SITE CANNOT BE DISPLAYED CALLED ONE WEBSITE AND THEY SAID IT HAD TO DO WITH SECURITY MY FRIEND GETS INTO THESE SITES BUT NOT ME CHANGED TO SSL2 NO HELP

Someone, somehow, has my list of addresses and is sending out ads for Viagra, etc. to everyone on my list and it shows that the emails are coming from me. I have installed virus/spyware but it happened again yesterday. What can I do? I have deleted all names/addresses from my address book, I immediately delete all incoming/outgoing emails and still can't stop it.

Lee, that's called a "joe job" and, unfortunately, there's not much you can do about it. They most likely haven't broken into your account, they're just spoofing your email addr on their spam. Sucks, I see it every single day...

Well I thought this info was great, and perhaps it was months ago, but AOL no longer has those settings you mentioned. There is no 'marketing' and no option to prevent that annoying pop up at the bottom of my screen, that prevents me from clicking anything that it is blocking like web browsers.

It is highly annoying, and I have made a point NOT to look at it while I silently wait for it to go.
If this nonsense does not stop I will have to stop using aol. I do not want anyone deciding what I should or should not see.
It wouldn't even bother me so much if it were somewhere where I could continue working, but to have it right there preventing me from working, is beyond annoying. I will have to use yahoo to do my work from now on.

AOL, find some other way to advertise and stop annoying people. Pay us to allow these darned things to come up on the screen or you will surely lose us. We are not getting paid and we don't care to help anyone advertise, and I certainly will not be buying anything from your so-called sponsors.
So far I have not looked at them, but perhaps I will make a note NOT to use those companies.

Ok, here we go. Dickies, I will not buy from them; and to think I have bought uniforms from them and so does my family? Thanks to you, they will no longer get my business.
No one wants to hear about my company, so I don't want to hear about yours!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

DO NOT LIKEAOL WANT TO GET RID OF IT

I have completed all the steps you have recommended on stopping the Facebook popups on AOL. I am still getting facebook popups even tho the changes on aol have been made. I am sure this has something to do with marketing between the two companies...but I still want the popups gone. My last resort will be to do away with facebook and aol completely. I have no use for their advertising. I can the news and CNBC. lol

an altruistic website.may the gods cover your back.

i blocked a ad on aol. now i can't read any of my e-mails. when i punch in any e-mail the screen goes blank. how do i unblock my aol mail.

I am running windows 7 with windows internet explorer as my browser and norton safe search as my default search, however I am getting lots of cookies and other files (over 500), from AOL as shown by my Paretologic Privacy Programme. A O L as far as I know is not on my computer, it is certainly not in my programmes list.
How can I get rid of this annoying hidden browser.

After years on AOL, I have just started receiving a maddening new box on sign-off from AOL, which says "Are you sure you want to sign off?". How do I get rid of it?

Do I go on AOL Mail and sign in to pull up settings? I did that and the page that comes up is nothing like what you show. That Preferences page does not appear. Thank You for any help you can offer.

I'm not a fan of AOL. And now that interest is
revived that network, I see on this graph in
front of me that spam has increased 40,000 per
cent in countries with high divorce rates.

Even Hotmail is better than AOL Mail or Yahoo
Mail. I get as much spam as anyone, but it's a simple matter of breaking my fingers to push the right buttons again and again while on CL, and
give Windows Live time, they will put the spam
in a box for me.

Im trying to figure out how to stop all the ads that are taking over the right 1/3 of my screen. It got real bad this week as they now play at the same time as articles and classes that I need to watch are playing. It is just plain rude or maybe Im too darn old. Can you help an old geezer that remembers before TV, setting around the radio listening to the Shadow, for it seems today "THAT ONLY THE SHADOW KNOWS" how to fix these things.

God Bless,

John Pavelka

I'd suspect some malware, John. Run some anti-virus applications and see what's snuck onto your system, and also disable EVERY toolbar in your Web browser (oh, and use Firefox or Chrome, not IE)