AOL Broken

[JimS123]

I use the AOL browser. I know its stupid, but I like it. I have hundreds of links on it, so I don't want to change.

Since the changes here, I can't log in. It won't accept AOL. Having to view my hundred links on AOL and then switch to Microsoft Edge for this one single web page is a PITA.

Can't you fix it?

 

[jbcurt00]

I cant talk either of my parents off the AOL browser either.....

@scott.cooper
@colonel_sanders
Any help from the tech minions?

 

[GA_Boater]

Jim - What version and is it AOL Desktop Gold?

 

[JimS123]

AOL Desktop Gold, revision 11.0.2951

 

[JimS123]

I cant talk either of my parents off the AOL browser either.....

Way back in the '80's they were one of the few ISPs. Its too much trouble to try to transfer 30 years of business links somewhere else. Plus, my AOL email address is known to too many customers, and if I switch now and try to communicate the change I'll probably lose too many of them.

 

[jbcurt00]

Way back in the '80's they were one of the few ISPs. Its too much trouble to try to transfer 30 years of business links somewhere else. Plus, my AOL email address is known to too many customers, and if I switch now and try to communicate the change I'll probably lose too many of them.

Yeah, my pop loves his AOL dashboard......

I used it too in the way back, but was an early adopter of Firefox and bave always loathed Microsoft's resident browsers....

I've had my email user ID since 1984, and just changed the @xxx.com to whatever ISP I was using. Been xxxx@msn.com nearly 20yrs.

So I know what you're saying...

Just remember, change is good.....

Hope they get it worked out for ya...

 

[JimS123]

Just remember, change is good.....

Change CAN be good, but change for the sake of change makes no sense.

I'm a Chevy Evinrude guy. I would never even look at a Ford or heaven forbid a Kiekhaefer Mercury.

Today my 2 daily driver boats each sport 2 Mercury 4-strokes, and I drive a Ford Product Crossover.

So, yes, I'll remember....

 

[JASinIL2006]

AOL??? What is this AOL you speak of? Some ancient technology, like the 1200 baud modem? Dis you discover this “AOL” on some sort of archeological dig?

 

[colonel_sanders]

AOL - didn't that come on CD's in the Mail? Great things happen with those CD's in microwaves. Flashbacks to Netscape... nightmares.

I don't know where to begin helping with AOL Desktop stuff. All URL's by design, should be redirecting. Bookmarks will never auto update but the pages they load will auto redirect. The end outcome should be that you end up on the page you're looking for. I've looked at the analytics and don't see server based 404's or 301 redirects that are failing... AOL is used so little by so few that it doesn't even make the browser metrics anymore.

I wonder if AOL desktop doing some kind of Voodoo caching magic? @scott.cooper

@JimS123 Can you give me some steps so i can reproduce this? What do i need to download? Maybe some screen shots would be helpful.

 

[JimS123]

AOL - didn't that come on CD's in the Mail? Great things happen with those CD's in microwaves. Flashbacks to Netscape... nightmares.

I don't know where to begin helping with AOL Desktop stuff. All URL's by design, should be redirecting. Bookmarks will never auto update but the pages they load will auto redirect. The end outcome should be that you end up on the page you're looking for. I've looked at the analytics and don't see server based 404's or 301 redirects that are failing... AOL is used so little by so few that it doesn't even make the browser metrics anymore.

I wonder if AOL desktop doing some kind of Voodoo caching magic? @scott.cooper

@JimS123 Can you give me some steps so i can reproduce this? What do i need to download? Maybe some screen shots would be helpful.

I have been using AOL for about 30 years. I had Iboats bookmarked for all that time and it worked fine. A few months ago, when you were down for several days to upgrade to the new format, when you came back up everything continued to work well. Then, you went down for a second time, only for a day or so. When you came back up was when the problem started.

When I log in using Microsoft Edge, I see that I am listed as being online, and i am able to access everything. No problem.

When I log on with the AOL browser, immediately I see the online group, but I'm not there. After only a fraction of a second the screen goes blank and the "circle dots" indicate it is "thinking" or trying to open the site, but it never happens.

The software didn't come on a CD. I downloaded it as an upgraded version to an existing program. That was about 4 years ago. Its the same computer and the same software.

I can log into Iboats.com and go to any of the links to purchase items, no problem. But, when I click on the "Forums" tab it just sits there.

Here is a screen shot of the non-opened page. I don't know what to tell you to download.

 

[GA_Boater]

Here is a solution - Use AOL Desktop Gold for your email and use another free browser for Web surfing.

My first exposure to the Internet was with AOL over dial up. I dumped it as soon as broadband was available. Silence when connecting was golden and I wasn't disconnected when the house phone was picked up. I still got those discs in the mail.

Looking at AOL's update history, it's updated several times a month fixing the same things over and over again. If you can back a version or two, it may work in the forum.

 

[JimS123]

Here is a solution - Use AOL Desktop Gold for your email and use another free browser for Web surfing.

My first exposure to the Internet was with AOL over dial up. I dumped it as soon as broadband was available. Silence when connecting was golden and I wasn't disconnected when the house phone was picked up. I still got those discs in the mail.

Looking at AOL's update history, it's updated several times a month fixing the same things over and over again. If you can back a version or two, it may work in the forum.

That's what I'm doing now. My post #1 explains why its such a PITA.

 

[colonel_sanders]

@JimS123 I was kidding about it coming on a CD. It was a throwback to 1995 when AOL was dominant and spammed our (real) mailboxes with AOL dialup free trials. I also recently changed my Mom's ring tone to say "you've got mail". ;-) ... My daughter had changed mine to a klaxon alarm and gave me the idea.

Much like M$FT's new Edge browser, it looks like AOL uses the google Chromium framework for their embedded browser that is the basis of their AOL Desktop Gold. The problem is that their software is behind a paywall. I created a Curtiboats@aol.com account but i can't troubleshoot a "browser" that i can't access. AOL won't let me download it without a subscription. I have versions of Chrome and Chromium running on MacOS, IOS, Android, Win10 and Ubuntu and i can't replicate any of the issues you're having.

I searched clearing cookies and cache on AOL Desktop Gold and came across this. It might be worth trying. https://help.aol.com/articles/using-the-web-in-aol-desktop-gold

We are going to be running another security/feature update in the next week or so but that shouldn't change much. Perhaps it will force your software to reset something. IDK.

 

[JimS123]

@JimS123 I was kidding about it coming on a CD. It was a throwback to 1995 when AOL was dominant and spammed our (real) mailboxes with AOL dialup free trials. I also recently changed my Mom's ring tone to say "you've got mail". ;-) ... My daughter had changed mine to a klaxon alarm and gave me the idea.

Much like M$FT's new Edge browser, it looks like AOL uses the google Chromium framework for their embedded browser that is the basis of their AOL Desktop Gold. The problem is that their software is behind a paywall. I created a Curtiboats@aol.com account but i can't troubleshoot a "browser" that i can't access. AOL won't let me download it without a subscription. I have versions of Chrome and Chromium running on MacOS, IOS, Android, Win10 and Ubuntu and i can't replicate any of the issues you're having.

I searched clearing cookies and cache on AOL Desktop Gold and came across this. It might be worth trying. https://help.aol.com/articles/using-the-web-in-aol-desktop-gold

We are going to be running another security/feature update in the next week or so but that shouldn't change much. Perhaps it will force your software to reset something. IDK.

I use it because they are my ISP. Cheaper than other alternatives and I like cheap. I tried your link and it didnt help.

Thanks for all your efforts.

 

[colonel_sanders]

@scott.cooper Any suggestions good sir?
...
Update --- @JimS123 Scott suggested uninstalling and reinstalling your AOL Desktop Gold and checking to see if there are any updates for the application. There's a chance that you're on an outdated version of the base chromium browser.

 

[JimS123]

@scott.cooper Any suggestions good sir?
...
Update --- @JimS123 Scott suggested uninstalling and reinstalling your AOL Desktop Gold and checking to see if there are any updates for the application. There's a chance that you're on an outdated version of the base chromium browser.

In my working years I used to write computer code. Hence my frustration here not being able to solve a seemingly simple problem.

When you made the "upgrade" and I had the initial problem, I did a lot of things and eventually crashed my computer. It was a Win 8 that had been upgraded to Win 10. When I did a "restore" apparently that's not compatible with 10 and that is what caused the crash.

In any event, I figured it was time for a new puter anyway, and that's what I'm on now, with all new software.

Long story short, been there done that. The aol gold I'm on now is brand new fresh.

 

[JimS123]

Here's a late model follow-up.....

Its working again. Did y'all do something on your end, because nuthin happened on mine?

 

[colonel_sanders]

Here's a late model follow-up.....

Its working again. Did y'all do something on your end, because nuthin happened on mine?

No changes have been made. I did a lot of research on AOL's software and it's based on versions of Chromium that are out of date. There's not much we can do here. I'm sorry. I suggest you reach out to AOL and ask them to update to a modern framework. I went as far as trying to get copies of their software to test in a clean VM and it sits behind a paywall. I'm truly sorry.

 

[JimS123]

No changes have been made. I did a lot of research on AOL's software and it's based on versions of Chromium that are out of date. There's not much we can do here. I'm sorry. I suggest you reach out to AOL and ask them to update to a modern framework. I went as far as trying to get copies of their software to test in a clean VM and it sits behind a paywall. I'm truly sorry.

No, you misread my message. I said all was OK now. I am now able to use the AOL browser and get IBoats just fine.

No problems....

 

[colonel_sanders]

No, you misread my message. I said all was OK now. I am now able to use the AOL browser and get IBoats just fine.

No problems....

I stand corrected. Apologies for responding without (obviously) digesting what you wrote the first time. So glad it's working properly.