Outlook Express AOL AIM Frustrations

My son recently loaded AOL Instant Messager and it's driving me crazy as it is always trying to restart, even after I have tried turning it off. I looked in the help info and it tells me

"To stop connecting to this messenger service from Outlook Express - Outlook Express automatically attempts to start the messenger service program and log on to its services. You can stop it from doing this.

On the Tools menu in Outlook Express, click Options.
Clear the Automatically log on to your messenger service check box," but I don't have that option after I click on options.

a simlar piece of help advice states

"To stop the messenger service program from starting automatically (from Outlook Express) -
The messenger service program starts running whenever you turn on your computer. When you connect to the Internet, the program automatically connects to the appropriate servers and starts providing you with instant messaging service.

On the Tools menu, click your messenger service, and then click Options. On the General tab, clear the Always run this program check box."


Am I looking in the wrong place (Oultook Express - Tools - Options, becaue that's what "help" said to do, but the next option isn't available)

Thanks

 

Hi bilshup
Welcome to the boards.
Try this instead:
Go to start......then run
Type in: msconfig
Click Ok.......and look under the start up tab.
Look for the messenger service....uncheck it. click apply.
It will tell you it should reboot. Do so.
See if that works for you.

Daizy

 

Open Instant Messenger and have a look at the preferences. I fixed this problem for somebody else by unchecking the line somewhere in there that says something about making AIM the default messenging program.

 

I think I know exactly what you are talking about and it isn't any fun. Somehow AIM got loaded into Outlook Express and it stops everything else from happening in your email program - no send, no receive no nuthin' . While its very true that you can go into options or preferences in AIM and stop it from running when Windows starts or whenever you log onto the internet - I ran into this problem with a client machine a couple of weeks ago. Sitting right at the top of their contact list was that #$5^_-_-_-_ ing AOL Instant Messenger. Don't know if some program put it there or what, but it sure played havoc.

Yank that sucker out.

 

I appreciate the quick responses. The msconfig tip is interesting. I do that but every 2nd time I reboot, AIM comes back into the start up area checked.

I couldn't find reference or option to AIM being my default service in AIM "preferences. "

I am still wondering about thre instructions in OUTLOOK I found and referenced that don't relate to what I see when I try to follow them, mentioned previously. I may getting closer to TIP / response 3 = yank it out.

Thanks

 

I have an older version of AIM that was installed with Netscape 4.79 and I remember needing to disable an option to start AIM when Windows starts, within the AIM menu.

I checked on the AOL Instant Messenger webpage here:
http://www.aim.com/help_faq/advanced/automatic.adp
It says:
Q: How do I stop AIM from starting automatically when I start my computer?
A: Windows: Select the My AIM menu, click Options, and click Edit Preferences,. Click the General tab, and uncheck Start AIM when Windows starts.

On the AIM/Outlook Express integration, I found the following at
http://www.aim.com/bugreport/common_problems.html

# Problems you may encounter while using Windows AIM:
# If you prefer not to have AIM integrated into Outlook Express, go to the Sign On/Off preferences category in AIM and disable the "Make AIM my default instant messaging program" option. Restart your computer if the change is not taking effect after exiting AIM and restarting Outlook Express.

 

Thank you very much -
the last one did the trick.

Now I just need to figure out a way to control my son's time on AIM

 

You're welcome. I figured it might

 

Thanks to Alice. I had the same problem with AOL Instant Messenger loading automatically. Nothing like a simple solution to a problem that was driving me crazy!