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My computer freezes on the AOL sign-on screen

The computer freezes on the sign-on screen after the AOL Connectivity Services (ACS) update.

To fix this problem, work through the following steps:

You may wish to print or save a copy of these instructions as this page may not remain visible as you go through the suggested steps.

Check that your computer meets the minimum system requirements

Follow these instructions to check if your computer meets the minimum system requirements to run the AOL software:

1. Click Start, and then select Programs or All Programs.
2. Select AOL, and then AOL System Information.
3. Check that the values in each field meet the minimum system requirements set out below.
4. Click Close.

Minimum system requirements

Your computer must meet or exceed the following system requirements in order to successfully run the AOL software:

-- Operating System: Windows 98, Windows 2000, Windows ME, Windows XP, Windows Vista or Windows 7
-- Processor: Pentium-class; minimum speed as recommended for your operating system (for example, 266MHz or above for Windows XP)
-- RAM: 64MB or above (128MB recommended)
-- Hard disk space: 128MB or above
-- Screen resolution: 800x600 and 256 colours or greater
-- Connection: Any of the following: 28.8Kbps modem or faster, broadband (DSL), ISDN or TCP/IP (LAN connections)

Restart your computer

Restarting your computer will refresh the files and folders in Windows and may help to solve the problem you are having.

1. Shut down your computer in the usual way, eg by clicking Start, then Shut Down.
2. Wait 30 seconds.
3. Turn your computer back on and try to connect again.

Delete current connection locations and redetect

To delete your current locations, take the following steps:

1. Close the AOL software.
2. Right-click the AOL icon in your Windows system tray (in the bottom right-hand corner of your screen, next to the clock).
3. Select System Information, then click Connectivity in the left-hand column.
4. Click Reset Locations.
5. Click Yes, reset to confirm, and then click OK.
6. Close the System Information window.

Note: You can also use the One-Click Fix to delete current connection locations.

To set up a new location, open the AOL software and sign on. The AOL software will automatically detect your broadband connection and sign you on to the AOL Broadband service.

*To use this fix, you'll need to first download the One-Click Fixes. To run the fix you must be using the AOL software or Internet Explorer. One-Click Fixes are unavailable for Windows Vista and Macintosh users.

Repair the AOL Connectivity Service (ACS)

Select your operating system for step-by-step instructions on how to repair the AOL Connectivity Service (ACS). Once the ACS has been repaired, follow the steps below to set up a new broadband location.

Windows 7
Windows Vista
All other versions of Windows

Set up a new broadband location

After ACS has been repaired, you will need to set up a new location in the AOL software to connect to the internet.

To set up a new broadband location, take the following steps:

1. Open the AOL software.
2. On the sign-on screen, click Connect Options.
3. Select Create Dial-Up Location and then click Broadband/Other ISP.
4. Click Next and wait while the AOL software detects the connection.
5. Click Sign On to connect to the internet.

Use the AOL Quick Restore feature

This will reset the AOL software to its original state. It's faster than uninstalling and reinstalling the AOL software.

Run a Quick Restore via the One-Click Fixes

Note: This step is for AOL 9.0 and 9.0 VR users only.

Windows 7 - Run AOL System Information in compatibility mode

1. Click the Start globe and select All Programs.
2. Right-click AOL System Information and select Properties.
3. Select the Compatibility tab.
4. Tick the box labelled Run this program in compatibility mode for.
5. Select Windows XP (Service Pack 3) from the drop-down list.
6. Click OK.

If you have One-Click Fixes installed on your computer, you can use the link below to run a quick restore. Otherwise, follow the steps below to manually run the quick restore:

Use the One-Click Fix to run a Quick Restore*

Run a Quick Restore manually

1. Right-click the AOL icon in your Windows system tray (at the bottom right-hand corner of your screen, next to the clock).
2. Select System Information.
3. Click Utilities or AOL software.
4. Select Quick Restore and click Proceed or OK.
5. Click OK when prompted.

Clear the browser cache

Web browsers temporarily store images and text from web pages on your hard drive, in a storage area called a cache. If you experience any problems displaying web pages, you may need to clear your browser cache. Depending on the number of files in your cache, this process may take a few minutes.

Windows 7 - Run AOL System Information in compatibility mode

To run AOL System Information in compatibility mode, follow the steps below:
1. Click the Start globe and select All Programs.
2. Right-click AOL System Information and select Properties.
3. Select the Compatibility tab.
4. Tick the box Run this program in compatibility mode for.
5. Select Windows XP (Service Pack 3) from the drop-down list.
6. Click OK.

To clear your browser cache, take the following steps:

1. Right-click the AOL icon in the system tray (in the bottom right-hand corner of the screen, next to the clock).
2. Select System Information.
3. In the menu on the left, select Utilities.
4. Click the Clear button, next to Current Cache.

Delete and reinstall the AOL software

If you are experiencing problems with the AOL software (for example, persistent error messages), the software may have become corrupt. To fix this, you can uninstall the AOL software, and then reinstall a fresh copy.

Uninstall the AOL software

To uninstall the AOL software, take the following steps:

1. Click Start and select Control Panel.
2. Select Classic View from the panel on the left.
3. Double-click Add/Remove Programs or Programs and Features.
4. In the installed programs list, click AOL Uninstaller and then click Uninstall/Change at the top.
5. Click Search for Other Versions of AOL.
6. Wait while the uninstaller searches for versions of AOL on the computer.
7. Select the versions of the AOL software to be removed and click Uninstall.
8. Click Yes to confirm.
9. When AOL has been uninstalled, click Restart.

Download and install the AOL software

To reinstall the AOL software, take the following steps:

1. Open Internet Explorer and go to http://www.aol.co.uk/downloads.
2. Under AOL Members, click Get It Now.
3. Enter your screen name and password and click Sign In.
4. Beside AOL for Windows Users, click Download.
5. Click Run and then click Run again. The software will then download and the installation will commence.
6. Close any open applications and click OK.
7. Click I Agree at the licence agreement and then select Current Members.
8. Select Adding your existing AOL account to this computer and click Next.
9. Click Next again to select the default installation directory.
10. Allow the install to complete and restart the computer when prompted.
11. Once the computer has restarted, click Start and select Run.
12. Windows Vista users: Type "C:\Program Files\Common Files\aol\ACS\AOLacsd.exe -cpwmigrate" (including the quotes) and click OK.
Type the above command into the Search box and press Enter on the keyboard.

Check the computer for spyware

Spyware is a prime cause of connection problems and can slow down your computer. We recommend that you run spyware protection such as Ad-Aware or Spybot - Search & Destroy regularly.

For more information about spyware, see Safety, Security & Privacy Help.

	Home Networking
	Spyware protection
	Internet & web browser
	Unexpected disconnections
	Cables, filters & accessories
	Accessing AOL from overseas
	Uninstalling and reinstalling AOL
	View all >>

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*One Click-Fixes

One-Click Fixes can help to fix some problems automatically. To use the fixes recommended here, you'll need to first download the One-Click Fixes.
Note: One-Click Fixes are unavailable for Windows Vista and Macintosh users.