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 Sunday, 22 November 2009
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Favourite places are missing

You may not be able to find your Favourite Places for any one of several reasons. After trying the first solution, check to see if you can view your Favourite Places on the AOL service. If you are still unable to view your Favourite Places, 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.

Restart the AOL software

Sometimes restarting the AOL software will cause the Favourite Places file to refresh from off the server and resolve the issue.

To restart the AOL software perform one of the following:

-- Click the Sign Off menu, then click Sign Off.
-- Click the File menu, then click Exit.

Once the AOL software is closed, wait 30 seconds, then sign on again.


Locate the file that contains your favourites

If your favourite places are missing, you can search for them and add them into your AOL software. To do this, take the following steps:

To locate the file that contains your favourite places, take the following steps:

1. Click Start and then select Search and For Files or Folders.
2. Type the screen name that your favourites are missing from in the Search for files or folders named box.
3. Select the C: drive from the Look in drop-down list and then click Search Now.
4. Look for a file with your screen name only (with no extension), right-click it and select Properties.
5. Do this for each file with no extension and make a note of the size and name of each file.

The largest file is the one that contains your favourite places. To add this to your AOL software, take the following steps:

1. Right-click the file with the largest size and select Copy.
2. Close the Search window and return to your desktop.
3. Right-click a blank area of the desktop and select Paste.
4. Right-click the file you pasted onto the desktop and select Rename.
5. Type .pfc at the end of your screen name. For example, screenname.pfc.
6. Open the AOL software.
7. Click Favourites in the top right-hand corner of the screen and then click Manage.
8. Click Append a Favourites File to my Favourite Places.
9. Select Desktop from the Look in box, then select the screenname.pfc file and click Open.

Check if your favourite places are there.



Check if 'Only Store my Favourite Places on my Computer' is selected

If you are using AOL 7.0 or lower, your Favourite Places will not be available when you are signed on as a guest. Try signing on normally using your screen name and password to check if your Favourite Places are available. Please visit AOL Downloads to download the latest version of the AOL software.

If you are using AOL 8.0 or higher, the Only Store My Favourite Places on My Computer option can keep your Favourite Places from updating and refreshing.

To turn off the Only Store My Favourite Places on My Computer option:

1. Sign on to AOL and go to AOL Keyword: Favourite Places Preferences.
2. Ensure the Only Store My Favourite Places On My Computer box is unticked. If it is selected, click the box to clear it.
3. Click the Save button to save any changes made.

If the box was already ticked, restore the affected screen name's Filing Cabinet from a backup copy.

1. On the AOL toolbar, click the Settings icon, then click Email Settings.
2. Click the Manage Saved Email button, then click the Restore button.
3. Click the Yes button.
4. Click the Yes button.

If the box is not ticked, it means your Favourite Places are saved online. AOL appreciates your patience during times when popular features may temporarily be unavailable. The AOL system is sometimes very busy and may experience temporary issues that can lead to delays or slow response.

Note: With AOL 8.0 and higher, your Favourite Places are stored on AOL servers rather than on your computer. This allows you to access your Favourite Places from any location or computer that you use. For example, if you sign on as a guest on another computer, you will have access to your Favourite Places. Or, if you buy a new computer, you won't need to transfer your Favourite Places.


Use the Quick Restore facility

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.



Delete and reinstall AOL

If you are still unable to access your favourites, the software may have become corrupted. To fix this, you can uninstall the AOL software, then reinstall a fresh copy

Please Note: If you have recently reinstalled your AOL software you may need to restore your backed-up files.