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 Sunday, 22 November 2009
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Cannot read email

You may not be able to read your email for any one of several reasons. After trying the first solution, check to see if you can read your email. If you are still unable to read your email, continue using the suggested solutions until the problem is fixed.

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.

Information you need
You will need to know what version of the Microsoft Windows operating system is installed on your computer. If you do not know how to find this information, follow these instructions How to determine which version of windows I have.

Show email from everyone

Email may not be available to be read because the Show me mail from: filter is hiding most or all of your email. Make sure your email settings are set to display email from everyone.

To show e-mail from everyone:

1. On the AOL toolbar, click the Read icon.
2. Click the Show me mail from: drop-down menu to open it, then click Everyone.

Run a quick restore

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.

*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.

Close other programs


Sometimes other programs or processes may interfere with the AOL software. Try shutting down all running programs in the task list, and reconnecting to the internet. This process is very repetitive. Do not restart the computer during the process or else you will have to start from scratch.

1. Hold down the Ctrl and Alt keys on the keyboard, and then press the Delete key.
Windows 2000/XP/Vista/7: Click Task Manager and click the Applications tab.
2. From that list of programs, it is only necessary to keep running Explorer, Systray and RunDll, if they appear.
3. Highlight the first program in the list that isn't any of the necessary items above and click End Task. This will return you to the desktop.
4. Another window may appear, saying 'This program is not responding', click End Task.
5. Repeat the same steps to close the programs until only Explorer and Systray (and RunDll if present) remain in the list. Remember to leave your anti virus and firewall software running also.

Note: If you are unsure what applications are required by your computer, please contact your computer manufacturer.


Uninstall 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.