Help! Cannot sign onto AOL!

When I try to open AOL, I get a message that says :

"America Online will now install the files required for you to connect to the service. Click Yes to install these files. You may be asked to restart your computer; otherwise, you will not be able to connect."

When I click YES, nothing visibly happens, but the computer makes sounds as if something is happening, and then another message appears which says that in order for the installation to be complete, the computer needs to be restarted. When the computer restarts, and I try clicking on AOL again, the original message reappears and the process starts all over again, in a vicious loop.

Sometimes, but not all the time, right before Windows shuts down to be restarted, an error message can be seen which says something like "the program can't load because Windows is shutting down" (I'm paraphrasing) however, this message disappears quickly as Windows shuts down, and as I said before, it does not always appear.
I don't know if this has anything to do with why I can't sign on.

I've tried several things to solve this problem all recommended by AOL phone and live help people (none of which helped):
I tried Uninstalling AOL, then reinstalling it.
Scan-disk, defrag, THEN reinstalling AOL--none of these helped.

Somewhere along the line I tried to rebuild the AOL Adapter, but I get a message saying "The AOL adapter has already been uninstalled." (restarting the computer doesn't help with this either, I get the same message if I try to rebuild the AOL adapter after a reboot). I don't know if this has anything to do with why I can't sign on either, but I figured I'd mention it.

Also, I have tried clicking on connectivity services directly (acssetup.exe) but this did not work either.

I am running Windows XP Home SP2, and AOL 9.0 Optimized (although the original version of AOL [before the reinstall] was AOL 9.0 Security Edition SE).

Help?!??

 

Hello,
I have a client's computer with the same problem. AOL confessed that there is a mojor problem with thousands of users with the same problem. They think they have a fix but can't send it out yet. They say it is a new
malware program that some how sneaked into their updates. They had me do regedit and search for adchanel.contextplus.net. I didn't find it so I don't have the same problem they think they know how to fix. Look for a big news story when this hits the press !!!!!!!!!!!

 

Yeah I heard that too--my question is, how do I fix it?? I did regedit and checked for adchanel.contextplus.net but no luck...anybody have any ideas?

 

I just wanted to let you know that two days ago I was having the problem you were and since that time I uninstalled aol and I reinstalled it this morning and it is now working fine. You might want to try that.

 

Thanks, I tried that! I was running AOL Security Edition 9.0 SE, but the disc I used to reinstall was AOL 9.0 Optimized--I had the same problem, it didn't go away! I heard some people saying that you have to uninstall/reinstall an older disc like 7.0 or something for it to work...what version(s) did you use?

 

I got so fed up with them that I uninstalled AOL, and downloaded the Firefox Browser.
Then I still couldn't sign into AOL to get my mail, and had to force their cookies down FF's throat.
It is ok now, and everything is running smooth. I tried to download AOL Explorer to access AOL, because I thought I might have jumped the gun by uninstalling AOL, and I couldn't get in even with their own Explorer Browser.

 

Okay, I did some investigating about this problem on my friend's infested computer--luckily MY computer is not infested with this problem, or else I would be going insane. Here is what I found out: First off, I don't think the "AOL is now going to install the files required..." pop-up message is normal, in fact I think it's part of the Malware infecting the computer--so I would advise clickiing NO. Also, I found these programs in the registry in a folder called "Search Assistant / ACMru" 5306, 5304, Jawnsapi.exe and slbnetid.exe. Neither of those last two files came up in a google search--which is annoying. Also, THIS IS THE INTERESTING PART: AOL Connectivity Services (which, in case u don't know, is what is infected and the whole cause of this problem) file aolacsd.exe was ALSO in the Search Assistant / ACMru folder too. And AOLDialer was as well. I tried reinstalling AOL even after removing these things (and I did a McAfee Virus scan but all I got was 3 items of SaveNow) but then it was 3 AM and my friend wanted to go to sleep. So this is all the info I have right now. For SOME reason AOL is being A$$es about this crisis but I am here and I have no life, so I am trying to help. =) I will investigate more soon.

 

aol is the devil.
seriously.

 

Ha. No kidding--anybody know what this is?

C:/WINDOWS/IA/command.exe?

Webroot picked it out as Adware but it won't delete & it claims to be in a system folder!

Anybody know how to fix this AOL problem ?

(Please don't respond just to tell me AOL sucks--LOL--I know it does)

Thanks.

 

hi. i am just responding to let anyone with this problem know that AOL has a fix for this malware which can be downloaded. Below is the info. Thanks to the people who tried to help.

Download fix at--

http://www.aol.com/connfix

 

Thanks much...I downloaded the Application, and it does not detect the malware. I have however been able to access AOL, and Yahoo across MSNs server on the Firefox Browser