A question for tech/internet knowledgable people. It involves AOL

[Bombtrack]

so please, as I know about 75 percent of time it's revealed to these savvy people it's like telling them your the Boston strangler or something, so just get beyond the fact I'm using this archaic (server?) I don't know alot about computers other than things I've figure out for myself.

Anyway I just installed Windows Media Player 9.0 on my families computer at my home and now the background that usually existed on AOL (I believe 8.0 or 9.0) has gone to a blue blank background when it was sort of a sky motife/graphic thing that changed according to the hours, getting darker during the night etc, (I didn't put it that way and it's automatically that way for all I know with this version of AOL). Anyway this is my whole families computer and I don't want to mess it up for them of how they like it. Any advice on what happened or how to change it back?

It's pretty clearly a side-effect of the Windows Media Player install. I looked at AOL preferences and didn't see anything about the background. I get scared about messing around with anything too much you know?

Anyway any advice is appreciated.

[BigMcLargehuge]

1. do you mean the actual background to the AOL interface?

or did it change the background on the desktop?

[Bombtrack]

2. The background of AOL, I guess that's the interface. I'm not talking about

the Windows desktop. I'm talking about when AOL is maximized and the internet page windows inside AOL are minimized or small enough you can see what's behind them

[baldguy]

3. Dou you really want to solve your AOL problems?

Get rid of it.

[mrbassman03]

4. I would really get rid of AOL...

To be sure, re-install Windows after backing stuff up and get Comcast or a decent dial-up...

[Bombtrack]

5. Jesus FUCKING Christ. Responses 3 and 4 are exactly the responses I was

asking to not get. It's my families fucking computer at my home where I don't live for 8 months out of the year. I'm not going to get a new damn service for them or for me. God people can be so unaccommodating.

People please. It's just a little troubleshooting thing.

[RC]

6. 3 & 5 are good advice man.

[Name removed]

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[Bombtrack]

7. I'm sorry if I'm agrivated at DUers lately

[BlueJazz]

8. I've got a idea.

Get rid of AOL. (OK..Just Kidding)

Actually, What I would do is this:

1. Make sure I know all of my aol passwords, usernames..Etc...
2. Completly uninstall AOL.
3. Install AOL and let it configure everything again.

I really think it's that simple. :)

ON Edit:

I'm a Microsoft certified engineer and all that "Crap" but with AOL, I've found (Thru past experiance) that just getting the "Junk" out of my/your computer and starting all over again (With AOL) is a LOT easier than spending 2 hours trying to configure the #$%$#$% Thing. :)

[qnr]

9. And this inspires people to help you how?

While you did state that you knew what was going to happen when you mentioned you use AOL, and that it was the whole families computer, you also said "

"Any advice is appreciated."

Your response, while understandable in some respects, only reinforces the opinion many people have of AOL users (note that this is not directed at you, just a commonly observed situation), that they don't like hearing the truth, whether it deals with internet access, political reality, or anything else. Expletive filled responses aren't really the best way to go when you can simply ignore the recommendations.

I've never used AOL, but if it has always been there, then it is either the default or someone set it that way. I'd visit the preferences section and see if anything looks reasonable. If it was set that way once, you should probably be able to set it back - it't not like Windows Media Player is an offbeat program that the AOL folks have never had experience with and causes AOL any major problems.

Anyway, just my (non-Windows using, someone that knew AOL when it was a service to play Atari 2600 video games online) position.

[Bombtrack]

10. Sorry. I just anticipated that response.

Changing ISP's (if that's what they're called) is just not in the cards. Particularly doing to a computer which isn't primarily my own. We've all grown accustomed to it and I'm sorry. I had hoped that what I thought was a clear request to stop those of you who had the knee-jerk reaction of just bashing you for having AOL would be sufficient to avoid the avalanche of just that. I was wrong.

[qnr]

11. Understood

But technically, I'm not in the "you who had the knee-jerk reaction of just bashing you for having AOL" camp. It's your computer, you can do whatever you want with it. Me, I still use Atari 8-bits and could care less what anyone thinks about it :)

For what it's worth, recommending you switch away isn't "bashing" you or AOL, it's just someone's opinion that in their eyes something works better. Anyway, good luck. I'm sure you'll be able to reset it in the prefs or (strange as it seems to me) by reinstalling AOL.

Edit: inserted text

[BlueJazz]

12. People have had so many bad experiances with AOL..

...that they jump at any chance to flame them.

And when it comes to smashing AOL, Techs are even worse!

[DS1]

13. I'd say there's a 99% chance this has nothing to do with WMP

and someone's dicked around with the PC without realizing.

Call AOL.