IE won't work unless AOL is open...WHY?!?!

DellAxim

Gawd
Joined
Feb 14, 2003
Messages
999
Recently I tried to use a proxy server in IE, but it didn't work. I then removed the proxy information and unchecked the box telling it to use the proxy server. Now, for some reason, IE won't go to any webpages without AOL being open and signed on. (before anyone starts bitching about AOL, I only use it for email and get it for $3/month) The computer is connected wirelessly to cable internet through my router.

Any ideas why it's doing this?
 
most likely aol bloatware. try a combination of ad-aware and spybot: s&d. not sure, but hijackthis may also work.
 
AOL has always been that way. You have to sign on in order to use IE from what I remember. I'm sure there are ways to get around it.
 
ComputerBox34 said:
I'm sure there are ways to get around it.

like use firefox, mozilla, opera. or is it a browser independent problem?
 
It's not a problem with AOL. AOL is not the service provider, thus, it should not have to be open to use IE. The problem only happened after I messed with IE's settings, so it should be a problem only with IE.
 
My guess is that somehow you interrupted the cable connection OR you are telling it to dial a connection. Go over all the settings you changed and change them back so it never dials a connection and uses the cable.
 
DellAxim said:
It's not a problem with AOL. AOL is not the service provider, thus, it should not have to be open to use IE. The problem only happened after I messed with IE's settings, so it should be a problem only with IE.

Have you tried FireFox? It's free:

www.getfirefox.com
 
ComputerBox34 said:
Have you tried FireFox? It's free:

www.getfirefox.com

Firefox is probably a better browser (I don't want to argue about it), but we're trying to fix his IE so he can use it, not just cover up the problem and forget about it. Besides, in the future if he wants to run Windows Update he'll need to use IE. After he gets IE working though I would suggest to try out Firefox, it's a pretty great browser :)

DellAxim: if it comes down to it you could always just do a system restore and that might fix it.
 
Deadlierchair said:
My guess is that somehow you interrupted the cable connection OR you are telling it to dial a connection. Go over all the settings you changed and change them back so it never dials a connection and uses the cable.

The only setting I changed was Connections>Lan settings>Proxy server, checking the box and adding an IP address for the proxy server. Then I unchecked the box, as far as I can tell everything else is set exactly the way it should be. I did the same thing to a different computer on my network, and it works just fine.
 
DellAxim said:
The only setting I changed was Connections>Lan settings>Proxy server, checking the box and adding an IP address for the proxy server. Then I unchecked the box, as far as I can tell everything else is set exactly the way it should be. I did the same thing to a different computer on my network, and it works just fine.

Why don't you put it to automatically detect settings?
 
Check in Tools - Internet Options - Connections. Look in the Dialup and VPN settings box, make sure it's not set to use AOL as a connection.
 
DellAxim said:
It's not a problem with AOL. AOL is not the service provider, thus, it should not have to be open to use IE. The problem only happened after I messed with IE's settings, so it should be a problem only with IE.
If AOL isn't your ISP, why is it installed? I would uninstall it first. If that doesn't clear things up in IE, go into IE's settings and reset them to default.

Tools-internet options (all settings done from this page, select the tab and the buttons for each below,
Security Tab-Select zone-Default level, repeat for each zone.
Programs Tab-Reset Web Settings
Advanced Tab-Restore default.

Reconfigure security settings after everything is working.
 
Phoenix86 said:
If AOL isn't your ISP, why is it installed?

"AOL, I only use it for email and get it for $3/month"

That's why he uses AOL. But to DellAxim, you do realize that you can just go to www.aol.com and use their email? If you don't like having AOL installed you can continue to pay and you'll keep the email address(es) but you can just access them from AOL's web site. If you really need an email get a gmail account.
 
Deadlierchair said:
But to DellAxim, you do realize that you can just go to www.aol.com and use their email? If you don't like having AOL installed you can continue to pay and you'll keep the email address(es) but you can just access them from AOL's web site. If you really need an email get a gmail account.


Agreed
 
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