How do I get rid of AOL Search on my Taskbar?

I just installed the latest version of America Online (AOL) software and man, I'm steamed! All of a sudden AOL's taken over my entire Windows taskbar! How the heck do I get rid of the $#@$@# thing?

Dave's Answer:

I know what you mean about AOL software. In general, I find that Windows applications are much more presumptuous than Mac applications and AOL's about the worst offender, adding its own stuff to the Start bar, to the Quicklinks, to the Taskbar and more. Then it's darn tricky to figure out how to get rid of it all and have your computer work as desired.

I presume you're talking about this when you talk about having AOL Search take over your taskbar:

Logically, you'd think that right clicking on the AOL Search area or clicking on the triangle adjacent to the "Go" button would reveal some preferences:

AOL Search Options from the Windows Taskbar

It does offer a Settings option, but when you choose that, you end up with the completely useless:

Interesting how none of them are "'turn off this $#@$ feature"!

It turns out that it's actually easy to turn off the AOL Search area once you realize that Windows thinks of it as another toolbar. Just right-click anywhere that the taskbar itself is empty and you'll see "Toolbars": simply disable the "AOL Deskbar" and it all vanishes:

So it turns out to be pretty easy to do, once you figure everything out.

Hope that helps you recover some of your precious taskbar real estate!

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Categorized: Windows PC Help (Article 5923, Written by Dave Taylor)
Tagged: america online, aol, aol deskbar
Previous: My account's been hijacked / Can you send my password?
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Reader Comments To Date: 30

Lysandra Wms. said, on March 27, 2006 3:42 PM:

I really appreciate the help i was lost until i found this page.

Vito said, on April 4, 2006 7:38 PM:

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU! You are now my hero. Why is it we never think of the obvious first. Luckily, you were here to help me see the light. Keep up the great work!

Michael said, on August 28, 2006 2:09 PM:

I hate AOL. With passions.

I uninstalled everything. Or so I thought.
But when I select and right-click text, there's still a menu option for AOL Toolbar Search. How can I get rid of this? Do I have to do some voodoo in the Registry?

Note -- I have NO AOL software currently installed. I do, however, still have AOL entries in the registry. What happens if I do a REGEDIT and zap them away? Will it do harm?

phillip said, on September 3, 2006 2:30 AM:

if you want to get rid of the aol toolbar on your internet explorer toolbar at the top of the screen, just click the arrow facing down next to the aol symbol and go to help, it will have the uninstall option there, hope this helps.

Hazel said, on November 15, 2006 9:38 PM:

Dave, I don't even know how I found this just now..oh, I went to AOL keyword...go figure! LOL

I have a problem. All of my icons on bottom are gone and before they all "left, my speaker icon was gone and I can't figure out how to make my sound work. I have a new monitor. Do you think it could be the speakers on the monitor are defective? Please, any help in the world will do. I'm lost!

I did take the info above though and get that AOL search thing off the botto of my screen. Thanks

Pete said, on May 10, 2007 4:44 PM:

You rock! Thanks for you simple but impossible fix!!!

jim said, on May 22, 2007 11:55 AM:

i have a 10 year old dell dimension xps 400. when i bought it, it was top of the line. still runs great with the new dsl. i have about 60% of my resources free(whatever that means). i wonder what would happen if i got rid of all the programs and file that i don't use. i click on start and there seems to be hundreds of thing i don't need in here. do i just right click and delete or is there more to it?

Dirk Farley said, on September 9, 2007 5:44 PM:

Hi Dave,

I just got Windows Vista. I'd like to disable the "AOL Search" box on the toolbar that displays my URL. Then I'd like to move the "File Edit View Favorites Tools Help" menu up to share the same bar as the URL box. Is that possible?

I've tried right-clicking on things, and configuring the bars in the View, to no avail. I've read one thing that said right click on an empty space in the tool bar and there is no empty space, nor do I get a menu that allows me to get rid of the #?&^% AOL Search box.

Rob said, on April 15, 2008 6:57 AM:

hi there i have recently switched isp and can`t remove the aol connection icon from my toolbar. can anyone help

janni stewart said, on July 18, 2008 8:24 AM:

my drop-down window does not look like yours; I WANT TO DELETE THE AOL/GOOGLE pop-up Search the Web. your answer didn't do it.
do not release or sell my e-mail.
thanks

janni stewart said, on July 18, 2008 8:59 AM:

A much easier way to AOL Search the Web pop-up window:
go to:
--AOL Key-Word:
--type in: "Search Window"
--Click "OPT OUT"
viola! success and relief!
to REVERSE(ENABLE)action:
go to:
--AOL Key-Word:
--type in: "Search Window"
--Click "OPT IN"

Kathy said, on July 18, 2008 8:12 PM:

The AOL search was also driving me crazy. My drop down was not the same. Using the keyword method worked for me.
THANKS!!!!!!!!!!!!

Lois said, on August 13, 2008 6:37 AM:

Please your lil' heart. I forgot how to rid the AOL deskbar. You're a doll. I am bookmarking your site for future references!

Christine said, on September 26, 2008 8:17 AM:

Thank you so much for the OPT OUT AOL search hint. Glad i got rid of this!
Christine

Jim said, on October 31, 2008 8:03 PM:

You rock. Thank you very much for showing me how to "opt out" of the AOL Search at start up. Can I just tell you how nucking futs that drove me??? Free beer for you!!!

Peter Brandt said, on December 20, 2008 1:16 PM:

Hi Dave,

In explaining how to turn off the aol "search the web" pop-up, you write:

"It turns out that it's actually easy to turn off the AOL Search area once you realize that Windows thinks of it as another toolbar. Just right-click anywhere that the taskbar itself is empty and you'll see "Toolbars": simply disable the "AOL Deskbar" and it all vanishes:"

I cannot find "toolbars". I am using AOL 9.1. Do I need to download AOL Deskbar to access it?

Thanks in advance.

Peter

jill said, on February 18, 2009 4:11 AM:

How Do I get Rid of AOL Search Pop-Up when I start up AOL?!?

Ray Arcella said, on February 19, 2009 7:31 AM:

Dave, How do I get rid of my aol account?

Teri said, on February 25, 2009 2:43 PM:

Now that AOL has gotten a bit craftier in the 9.* version; could you update this question please. How do we get rid of AOL in our task bar now?

Rory said, on February 28, 2009 3:02 AM:

I do not get the Opt Out button when I enter keyword:search window. Any other tips on how to "get rid of the #?&^% AOL Search box"?

dotty said, on March 14, 2009 2:00 PM:

I too do not get the Opt out but get a web page search instead! any other ideas on how to get rid of the Aol search would be appreciated!

bev said, on April 10, 2009 7:40 PM:

I have a problem with a popup on my toolbar, system security, I tried the imfo on aol but had no luck, please help

Barb said, on June 8, 2009 8:07 AM:

You rock..I got my aol web search window closed in about 60 seconds..thank you !!
Barb

Sue said, on June 9, 2009 11:01 PM:

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you! I installed IE, and much to my dismay, the aol search had parked itself right smack dab in the middle of my toolbar. I tried the right click thing....and POOF it was gone!!! I wish I could right click on some of the people I know and get that same result!

Bob said, on August 26, 2009 8:38 AM:

That AOL Searchbox has a link right in it, "About This Page"; click on it and the opt out option is right there, a very short scroll down.

Laura said, on August 29, 2009 10:03 PM:

I don't think I'm having the same problem as everyone else... when I open IE and I click to open a "New Tab" right under "File, Edit...etc" and above the "what do you want to do next" question on the blank page. I have "Search For or Navigate To: (for example, "www.aim.com" or "mp3 players") powered by AIM Search" at the bottom of that little search box it says "What is this" when clicked it displays this message... "This New Tab Search and Navigation Bar will help you get where you want to go on the web.
Just start typing a word or a web address (URL) into the box above, and you will be given options about what you want to do next.
If you do not want to use this feature, you can turn it off by clicking the [X] in the upper-right side corner or uninstall the Toolbar."

I do not have a Toolbar installed. I have checked in Add/remove programs, I have checked all my IE settings... nothing. I have even uninstalled my AIM. I have ran spyware cleaners... I am at a loss of how to get rid of this darn thing. Clicking they "X" basically just hides it on that page only... Open a new tab - bam it's there again. Any info to remove this would be appreciated.
Thanks in advance,
Laura

rurethane said, on September 8, 2009 6:26 AM:

How do I get rid of the bar at the almost bottom of the page that has Vault and Blocking Pop-ups on it?

maria said, on May 17, 2012 4:31 AM:

to get rid of AOL search engine on task bar simply click on the aol icon on the search engine box, and one the options is google. You can remove aol search engine by clicking on manage search engines and remove

YouAreAnIDIOT said, on January 6, 2013 9:26 AM:

No one wants to disable the damn thing we just want to uninstall and delete it and at the same time delete AOL permanently. We will settle for deleting the software. Your solution only disables it which is not good enough since the turds are still there.

Bonnie said, on January 13, 2013 6:07 PM:

4th email to AOL.
Please get off my computer.
Why is there no phone no for you?
Why have you taken over my computer without
permission?
How can I get a message through?
How can I get to a live operator?
How can I get you to get off of me?

I do have a lot to say, and questions of my own for that matter, but first I'd like to say thank you, Dave, for all your helpful information by buying you a cup of coffee!

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

How do I get rid of AOL Search on my Taskbar?

Reader Comments To Date: 30

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

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