Anti-AOL

This how-to is for people who get an error message when they try to remove AOL from Vista. If you are not getting the error messages mentioned in this post, please see How to Remove AOL (any version).

So you're an ex-AOL user who's moved on from Windows XP to Windows Vista. You put AOL software on your new Vista computer or added it to a new Vista install on your old computer back when you still paid for AOL.

Now it's days, months, or years later, you've finally canceled AOL, and you no longer want to keep AOL installed, even if you can still use it for free, but you can't get rid of it no matter what you do.

Symptom of Uninstallable AOL Blight, #1

When you click the AOL Uninstaller (found in the Control Panel, under Programs and Features), before it even runs, you get an error message saying the Uninstaller has "stopped working" and Vista needs to close it.

Symptom of Uninstallable AOL Blight, #2

You get an error message saying you "must be logged in as the Administrator" to run the AOL Uninstaller. Even if you switch to the Super-Administrator account, you still get this message.

Symptom of Uninstallable AOL Blight, #3

The Uninstaller just hangs without finding any version of AOL (outside of maybe just the Connectivity Service) for you.

Ah...frustration! It seems like still another tool in AOL's fat arsenal of psychological weapons to keep their software connected to both your wallet and your computer forever.

But...you can delete AOL from Vista completely!

You read that sentence right. Here's how (these steps should work on Windows 7, too).

1. First, let's remove as many AOL programs as possible...

If any AOL programs are open on your computer, you should close them now and follow the next steps.

To find AOL programs, click the Start Orb and Control Panel. In the next window, look to the top right for the words View by, then click the choice next to it. Set this to show "small" or "large icons" or you might be unable to get to the Uninstall List.

Now click Programs and Features in the Control Panel. When it opens, look for every AOL program except for "AOL (Choose Which Products to Remove)", since that's the one that won't work.

You should see AOL Screensavers, AOL You've Got Pictures, AOL Coach Version, AOL Connectivity Service, AOL Spyware Protection, and so on. Click each program to uninstall it. This may take a few minutes and might or might not require some computer restarts.

If you don't see these programs, that just means your copy of AOL didn't include them, so you can jump to the next step now.

2. Next, let's shut down AOL's background services...

Click the Start Orb, then on the right-hand side of the Start List right-click Computer, then click Manage on the drop-down menu.

In the next window, on the bottom left, click the tiny gray triangle next to the words Services and Applications, then click the word Services to open the window.

AOL has one or two services that need to shut down to delete the main AOL program entirely. One is AOL Connectivity Service and the other is AOL Top Speed. To shut them down, right-click either one and select Properties from the drop-down menu.

The first button in the next box says: Startup type. Click it and a drop-down list will open with the options Automatic and Disabled. Click Disabled, then look at the next row of buttons: one says Start and one says Stop. Click Stop, wait while the service stops, then click Apply and OK on the bottom right.

Repeat for all AOL services on the list.

3. Next, let's shut down AOL's processes...

Right-click the bar along the bottom of your Windows desktop and choose Task Manager from the pop-up list.

In Task Manager, click the Processes tab, then click the Image Name tab to sort them from A-Z.

Look for processes with the word AOL or aol in the names. Right-click them one a time, and choose "End process" from the list. Wait while Windows ends it, then repeat for all processes with AOL or aol in their names.

Now scroll down the list and look for these names: shellmon.exe and waol.exe. End these processes, too. There may be many AOL processes, so this might take a few minutes.

4. Let's finally delete AOL...

To make sure Windows lets you see all files and folders, click the Start orb, click Documents, right-click the top breadcrumb bar, then click "Show menus". In the Menu Bar, click Tools, then click Folder Options on the drop-down list.

In the next box, click the View tab, then scroll down to the option for Show hidden files, folders, and drives. Make sure it's checked. Find the other options in that list for showing hidden files and folders, and make sure they're also checked or unchecked as needed.

Click the Start Orb, click Computer, click Local Disk (C:), click Program Files, find your AOL folders (anything with the name AOL in it qualifies), then right-click and delete them. Click the Common folder open and right-click and delete the AOL folders in there, too.

Now click the Start orb and type the words aol and america online into the search box on the Start List, then right-click and delete any files and folders that turn up.

If you have trouble deleting AOL's files or folders, see my article on how to take ownership of files and/or how to run as the Super-Administrator on Vista. If a file or folder is still giving you grief, you can also try this registry edit to take ownership of it.

The only AOL file and folder I was unable to remove was aolshare, because of the aolshcpy.dll file inside of it. You can leave those on your computer; they'll do no harm once your other AOL files and folders are gone.

With this method you'll have tons of leftover AOL registry entries, but they won't harm your computer. The only concern is they might slow your computer down by increasing RAM usage as Windows searches through them to find what it needs.

If that concerns you, there are several registry cleaners, like jv16 PowerTools and CCleaner, that you can use to remove AOL's registry entries.

Related posts:

• How to Remove AOL 9.0 VR (Vista Ready), AOL 9.1, and AOL Desktop From Any PC
• How to Uninstall AOL Without the AOL Uninstaller On Vista

Questions? Comments? Let me know in the comments, or check the sidebar for my email address.

Republished 12-30-08. Last updated 12-03-09.

If you are getting error messages when you try to remove AOL from Vista, please see this post. If AOL won't shut down before you remove it, or if keeps running after you remove it, see this FAQ.

Note: This tutorial will also help you remove AOL OpenRide, AOL Desktop Search and AOL Explorer 1.5. Unfortunately, I can't fit that many versions of AOL into the title of this post, or into the sidebar.

AOL 9.0 VR was the first version of the AOL desktop client to include a new version of the AOL Uninstaller, the tool that AOL includes to find and remove all versions of AOL for you. AOL has released four new versions of the desktop client since the day I wrote this post: AOL 9.1, AOL 10.0 Desktop, AOL 10.1 Desktop, and AOL 9.5 (formerly AOL Classic). I cover how to use both the 9.0 VR Uninstaller and later versions of it here.

You can use this tutorial alone or in conjunction with the jv16 PowerTools or CCleaner tutorials.

All visitors running Windows '98/2000/ME/XP: Before we get started, visit this page to learn how to back up your registry, files, and folders. See this tutorial to uninstall the AOL WAN Miniport after  you've removed AOL.

Mac users, please read this advice for removing AOL at Mac Rumors.

Issues for all AOL users running XP, Vista or Windows 7: I've had email that some PCs are infected by viruses when removing AOL, so run a scan with the free online Trend Micro tool before you get started. Some versions of 9.0 SE will not uninstall because a process won't shut down and all versions of AOL may become corrupted and unremovable by normal means; if that's the case use my instructions to stop the AOL Connectivity Service from running before you remove AOL. See this (for XP) or this (for Vista and Windows 7) if you can't find or run the AOL Uninstaller.

As you go along remember you can click on each screen shot to expand it to full size.

1. First, let's find the AOL Uninstaller...

For Win XP users: Click your Start button and click Control Panel. In Control Panel click Add & Remove Programs, then locate the AOL Uninstaller on the Add & Remove List and click Change/Remove.

For Vista and Windows 7 users: Click your Start button and click Control Panel. In Control Panel click Programs and Features, then locate the AOL Uninstaller on the Installed Programs List and click Uninstall.

2. Choose which AOL programs to uninstall.

By default, the older version of the AOL Uninstaller (seen only in AOL 9.0 VR) won't display a full list of AOL products installed on your computer. It will only show that the AOL Connectivity Service is installed. Newer versions of the AOL software such as AOL 9.1, AOL Desktop and AOL 9.5 will automatically list all versions of AOL that are installed.

If you're using AOL 9.0 VR (you'll know if you are because your screen will look mine does in the picture above) place a checkmark next to the AOL Connectivity Service and go to the next step.

If you're using AOL 9.1, AOL Desktop, or AOL 9.5, place checkmarks next to all of the AOL programs that you wish to remove and go to Step 4 or Step 5.

3. AOL 9.0 VR users only: How to find every version of AOL...

Click on the words Search for Older Versions of AOL. Those words will be underlined in blue.

Wait while the Uninstaller searches for older versions of AOL.

You'll see a dialog box that says, "Searching for older versions of AOL. This may take a moment." It'll take a few minutes, so pour yourself a cup of coffee and chill; when it's done searching for older versions of AOL, place checkmarks next to the versions you would like to uninstall and go to the next step.

4. For hurried and/or expert users: Remove some or all of your shared AOL data now. Not in a hurry or don't know what you're doing? Go to Step 5.

Warning: this is not an option to choose which data to save. It's an option to choose which data to remove.

If you don't need to preserve sensitive data (such as passwords and email files) on a case-by-case basis, you can safely choose this step. Otherwise, hit the Cancel button and go to Step 5 now.

Click the Manage Data link on the right-hand side of the Uninstaller screen after you choose which AOL programs to remove.

You'll see a dialog box that says: Manage Your Personal Data. This box gives you the option to "clear" (delete) your passwords or to "clear" all of your data. Click the button that best matches your needs. You'll see the message: "All of your local data (or "All of your passwords") have been cleared." Click OK to close the message.

5. For casual or worried users: Remove shared AOL data on a case-by-case basis now.

If you prefer to remove saved data on a case-by-case basis, this is the step for you. Once you've placed a checkmark next to an AOL program you wish to remove, a dropdown box will open and you'll see the message: "Shared Data: This application shares storage for settings and personal data...Click to remove this shared data now." Click on the word Click in that message. It will be underlined in blue. Your shared data for that AOL program will be removed. Repeat this step for every AOL program on your computer. If you don't wish to take this step on a particular AOL program, hit the Cancel button and proceed to the AOL program that you wish to remove some or all data from.

6. Select which files you'd like to keep.

Look at the bottom, right-hand corner of your Uninstaller Screen. It will say, "Select which files you would like to keep." The choices are Downloaded Files and Cabinet Files (click the links to learn what the files contain). AOL assumes you want to keep those files, so the boxes for them will be checked by default. If you don't want to keep those files, uncheck the boxes to discard them, then click Uninstall.

7. Confirm the uninstallation(s).

You'll see a dialog box that says, "Are you sure you want to uninstall these AOL products?" Read the list of installed products to make sure, then click the box marked "Yes."

8. Restart your computer to finish removing AOL.

You'll see the message: "Your computer must be restarted to complete the AOL uninstallation." Click the Restart button in the dialog box. Your computer will automatically be restarted.

(Back to Top)

Back to the jv16 PowerTools tutorial or the CCleaner tutorial...

Further Reading: Check the FAQs if you have a question; if your question is not answered in the FAQs, please feel free to send me an email. See my How-to Section for more ways to get AOL out of your life.

Updated 3-10-2009.

There are a few reasons why you won't find an icon for AOL under Add/Remove programs on XP or Vista....

• AOL did not install properly.
• The AOL Uninstaller can't find its own files when you ask it to (sounds unbelievable, but see next item).
• The Add/Remove icon was removed by a partial or aborted uninstall done manually or with a program such as CCleaner or jv16 PowerTools.
• AOL "hung" when you tried to remove it, thanks to an internal process that could not shut down.

Any of the above problems will result in XP or Vista "thinking" AOL has been removed, so the icon for AOL will disappear from your Add/Remove list whether AOL is still installed or not. There is no way to tell exactly why the icon for AOL is not on the list once it is gone, but as I have written in two previous posts (XP | Vista), you can uninstall AOL without it, so there's no need to worry.

Today's email from "RM" touches on this topic.

Hi,

I was just on your great blog trying to remove AOL from my computer. But, I was unsure about some things so wanted to ask you. (Thought it was a bit involved to leave a comment. Hope you don't mind an email.)

First, I am using Windows XP (Ver 2002, Service Pack 3).

I tried to remove AOL from Add or Remove Programs and although AOL is listed - size 68.23MB, when I click on "Remove" it takes awhile and comes back advising there is no AOL files on my computer. But, when I followed your XP advice, on Program Files- there is an icon AmericaOnLine 9.0 and another one AOL Companion.

I know you said to go to Common Files at this point, but double-clicking on AmericaOnLine 9.0 brings up a huge amount of files (there is an uninstall icon in the list). Also double-clicking on AOL Companion brings up several files (no uninstall).

Back to Common Files/AOL/ACS - there are several uninstall icons for ACS.

So, wanted to be sure I was removing the right files. Do I need to remove anything under AmericaOnLine 9.0 and/or AOL Companion. Or, only under ACS and will clicking on uninstall remove all of the ACS files?

Sorry, if this is confusing, but I am a novice and unsure of what to do but know I need to remove some of these programs since I now only have 17% free space on my hard drive and my computer is slowing down a lot.

No need to apologize - those are actually some pretty good questions.

You should always use caution and ask yourself these questions before removing an involved program like AOL, so I admire the fact that you felt you should write to me before you proceed.

1. To answer your first question, you should click on the uninstaller or uninstall icon (the name of it will depend on the exact version of AOL you are using) in your AOL 9.0 folder to remove AOL.

   It's not a bad idea to check the files listed under AOL Companion for an uninstaller, but since you found no uninstaller in that folder, check Task Manager to make sure no process is running for AOL Companion and end the task for the process if it is. You can simply delete the AOL Companion folder once you've removed AOL 9.0.

2. To answer the second part of your first question, you say that I mentioned checking under Common Files for an AOL Uninstaller. That's not necessary unless you have AOL Desktop installed or unless you can't find the AOL uninstaller in the AOL 9.0 program folder.

3. To answer your second question, you're right - there are multiple uninstallers for ACS (the America Online Connectivity Service) but the only one you need to concern yourself with is the one you will find under C:\Program Files\Common Files\AOL\ACS, named uninst.exe. There will be some files and folders left over after you shut down and remove ACS but you can delete them once you've removed AOL 9.0.

Update, 11-21-08: "RM" wrote again to say: "Thanks a lot, Marah. I believe I was able to remove all traces of AOL. (I say "I believe", because it appeared in so many places - amazing.) Anyway, I followed your instructions and was able to uninstall and remove AOL and ACS."

I cannot believe this thing. Seriously, I'm in awe.

I've been eying it for months but never touched it because I wasn't using Vista when I found it. And it's just a simple, lowly batch script. Haven't had much luck with those in the past!

Ran it just now and words can't even do it justice - or maybe they can - let's see: it bypasses AOL's uninstaller entirely (except for one brief stop at the AOL Toolbar Uninstaller), removes almost every AOL reg entry (just 12 entries left afterward), and requires just one restart no matter how many AOL programs you've got installed. And it's quick! Naturally I want to marry whoever wrote it - or at least reincarnate as him in my next life.

Vista users: try it. XP users: don't. It only works on Vista, at least as far as I can tell.

You may get a few "cannot find uninstall.exe" warnings. Just click through them and the UA warnings (if UAC is enabled on your PC) - I promise, you won't be sorry.

5-22-08, Update: This product made my Honorable Mention list as one of the three Greatest AOL Removal Products of All Time. Check out my latest post for details.

Updated 6-1-08.

AOL Toolbar In All New HPs (Hewlett-Packard Computers)

As many of you know, AOL will soon preload AOL Toolbars and set AOL as your default home page and search engine in every new HP computer you buy thanks to a deal they made this month with Hewlett-Packard.

Here's a general purpose tutorial on how to remove the AOL Toolbar from IE, all versions from 5.0 to the latest version out on 6-1-08, from any PC running Windows.

How to Uninstall the AOL Toolbar

1. For Win XP users:

Click your Start button and click Control Panel. In Control Panel click Add & Remove Programs, then locate the AOL Toolbar on the Add & Remove List and click Change/Remove.

For Vista and Windows 7 users: Click your Start button and click Control Panel. In Control Panel click Programs and Features, then locate the AOL Toolbar on the Installed Programs List and click Uninstall.

2. Click Uninstall.

The AOL Toolbar Uninstall Wizard will open. Click Uninstall.

3. Click Reboot now.

An Uninstall Wizard dialog box will open. Click Reboot now when you see it. You'll be unable to remove files and folders associated with the AOL Toolbar unless the computer reboots.

4. To remove the files and folders for the AOL Toolbar after you've restarted your computer...

An easy way to get rid of most of the leftovers: Click your Start button, click My Computer, click the hard drive AOL is/was located on (usually the C: drive), click on the AOL folder, right-click the AOL Toolbar folder and delete it.

5. Now click your Start button, click Search, click All files and folders, click Advanced Options, and click Search system folders and Search subfolders.

Type "toolbar" into the search box without the quotes if you don't have other toolbars installed. Type "aol toolbar" if you do. Right-click and delete any AOL toolbar components that show up in results.

!Important If you're testing AOL's Helix software don't delete anything in C:\Program Files\AOL\RC\ee. If you do, Helix will no longer work.

(Back to Top)

See my How-To section for more ways to get AOL out of your life.

If you have any questions or ideas leave a comment or email me.

Last updated 3-11-09. May update it again if I ever redo pics I lost years ago for Step 1a.

Issue: You want to remove AOL, but you're missing the AOL Uninstaller.

Solution: Remove AOL without it.

Difficulty Level: Easy

So you want to remove AOL from your Windows PC but when you check Add/Remove programs you're missing the AOL Uninstaller (or the entry for "AOL Choose Which Version to Remove").

What to do? This is one of the most frequently asked questions about removing AOL. What follows is a pretty simple way to remove AOL that doesn't harm your computer. Whether you're a tech who's looking for the easiest way to get AOL off of your customer's computers, or a beginner who can't get AOL off of your PC, this page is for you.

I tested this method on AOL 9.0 SE, AOL 9.0 Optimized, AOL 9.0 VR, AOL 9.1 GM (the first public release of 9.1), AOL 9.1, and AOL Desktop on both Windows XP and Windows Vista. This method works well on both operating systems. See this tutorial if you're a Vista user.

Before we get started, visit this page to learn how to back up your registry, files, and folders.

Issues for AOL users running XP: I've had email that some PCs are infected by viruses when removing AOL, so run a scan with the free online Trend Micro tool before you get started.

The first thing you'll need to do is shut the AOL Connectivity Service down. There are two ways to do this on XP and neither way is hard.

1. The easiest way to shut the AOL Connectivity Service down (works on XP or Vista)...

Click Start, right-click My Computer, and click Manage.

The Computer Management window will open. Click Services and Applications at the end of the list you'll see on the left hand side, then double-click on the word Services.

Find the AOL Connectivity Service on the Services list on the top right hand side of the window. Right-click and choose Properties, then click Startup Type Disabled, click Apply, then click Service Status Stopped and click OK. Now the AOL Connectivity Service is disabled.

All you need to do now is uninstall the copies of AOL you don't want, delete the leftover AOL files on your computer, and (optionally) clean up your computer's Registry.

1a. A second way to shut the AOL Connectivity Service down (works only on XP)...

For this method you'll need to make sure you can view "hidden files and folders" on your computer. To do so on XP, click Start, click My Documents, click Tools, click Folder Options, click the View tab, then click the radio button for Show hidden files and folders.

Optionally, you can also enable the display of hidden operation files by unchecking the box that shows you want to hide them.

Now click Start, click My Computer, click C:\Program Files\Common Files\AOL\ACS, then click the uninst.exe.

This will run the Uninstaller for the AOL Connectivity Service, which will take a minute. When it's done you'll see a dialog box that says, "AOL Connectivity Service has been removed from you computer. Click OK to exit."

Do not restart your PC for any reason until you follow the next steps on this page. Restarting it now may reinstall the Connectivity Service and mess up your PC.

2. To finish removing AOL without the AOL Uninstaller...

Click Start, click My Computer, click Program Files, then click on any AOL folder in your Program Files (such as 9.0, 9.0 VR, 9.1, etc.) to open it.

Look for an executable file called the uninstall or the uninstaller (the name of it may depend on which version(s) of AOL are installed). An easy way to find it is to use the View Option in Explorer to tile the files within the folder, then arrange the tiles by group. When you find the uninstaller click on it to uninstall AOL.

Special note for AOL Desktop users: You will not find an uninstaller in the AOL Desktop Program Files. Navigate instead to Program Files, Common Files, aol, then click on the uninstaller file that has AOL's blue icon next to it. Screen shot for AOL Desktop users:

Screen shot for all other users:

The uninstaller will search for every version of AOL on your computer, then it will ask you which versions you would like to uninstall. Select the copies you want to uninstall by clicking on them. If you don't want the Cabinet and Saved Files, uncheck the boxes next to those choices. When you're done with that, click Next and Uninstall. Since these are very brief instructions, you may feel you need a more thorough guide to this. Use the one here.

The uninstaller will run for a few minutes, then prompt you to restart your computer. It's important to restart your computer so you can finish removing all of AOL's files.

3. To remove leftover AOL files and folders from your computer after uninstalling AOL...

Do an Explorer search for "AOL" (without the quotes) with Advanced Options enabled to get rid of all the leftover junk in your Program and Common Files and in your Temp and Application Data folders.

(Back to Top)

Optional (leftover registry entries will not harm your computer!): To clean your computer's registry, I recommend you use a free one-month trial (no credit card required) of jv16 PowerTools, version 2006 for XP users, or jv16 PowerTools, version 2009 for Vista and Windows 7 users, then use these instructions, starting with Step 4, to clean your computer's Registry. A quicker and easier (but not as thorough) way to clean the Registry is to use CCleaner. Download it here, and use these instructions, starting with Step 5, to clean the junk up.

That's it! It's as easy as pie.

Check the FAQs if you have any questions. See my How-to Section for more ways to get AOL out of your life.

With this post I'm beginning an ongoing series of questions and answers from my readers. This week's first question is from Melissa (and ladylynx would also like an answer).

Question

"Hey. It's been bugging me for a while. How do I uninstall AOL's uninstaller?"

Answer

Is AOL (or any program related to it) still installed? Do you still use it?

If the answer to both questions is "Yes", you'll need the AOL Uninstaller to remove AOL with someday, so it's best to leave it alone.

If you've already uninstalled or manually deleted AOL (or AIM, or OpenRide, or any number of AOL programs that can leave the AOL Uninstaller behind) you can try looking for the AOL Uninstaller in your Add & Remove Programs list and clicking Remove if you find it there.

For Windows XP users: Click your Start button and click Control Panel. In Control Panel click Add & Remove Programs, then locate the AOL Uninstaller on the Add & Remove List and click Change/Remove.

For Vista and Windows 7 users: Click your Start button and click Control Panel. In Control Panel click Programs and Features, then locate the AOL Uninstaller on the Installed Programs List and click Uninstall.

If that doesn't work, you'll need a way to edit your Add/Remove list to uninstall the AOL Uninstaller. There are several options that will help you get this done.

If you're comfortable with and knowledgeable about editing your Registry, you can follow the instructions Microsoft gives you to do this.

Alternately, you can use a free program like CCleaner to look for leftover uninstall entries that you can manually delete.

Or you can use jv16 PowerTools 2006 on a 1-month "no credit card" free trial to find and delete the AOL Uninstaller.

See my How-To section for more ways to get AOL out of your life.

Last updated 3-16-09.

Problem: How to uninstall AOL.

Solution: CCleaner.

Difficulty Level: Easy

Uninstalls/Cleans Up After: Any Version of AOL

Good for: XP and Vista/Windows 7 users.

Advanced Vista/Windows 7 users only: I suggest you use CCleaner first, then follow up with jv16 PT 2006 to get at AOL's leftover registry entries - if you use CCleaner first you can remove every leftover reg entry with jv16 afterward. No other method tested so far on Vista does that.

Credit for the idea to write this tutorial goes to William (the page no longer exists), who's comments made me check out CCleaner's neat features.

All visitors running Windows '98/2000/ME/XP: Before we get started, visit this page to learn how to back up your registry, files, and folders. See this tutorial to uninstall the AOL WAN Miniport after  you've removed AOL.

Mac users, please read this advice for removing AOL at Mac Rumors.

Issues for all AOL users running XP, Vista or Windows 7: I've had email that some PCs are infected by viruses when removing AOL, so run a scan with the free online Trend Micro tool before you get started. Some versions of 9.0 SE will not uninstall because a process won't shut down and all versions of AOL may become corrupted and unremovable by normal means; if that's the case use my instructions to stop the AOL Connectivity Service from running before you remove AOL. See this (for XP) or this (for Vista) if you can't find or run the AOL Uninstaller.

This tutorial will show you how to remove AOL and help you clean up and optimize your computer at the same time. The average person who wants to get rid of AOL's leftover files and registry entries should be pleased with the results. If you're a little pickier (like me) and prefer to remove every trace of AOL, you'll want to see How To Remove AOL with jv16 PowerTools instead.

An excellent video on how to use CCleaner was made by Help On Demand, an IT Specialist who makes made short educational videos for the masses.

Before we get started let's download CCleaner. Save the installer to your Desktop and follow the next steps.

1. Before you install CCleaner...

You'll see a dialog box asking if you want CCleaner shortcuts installed (this is the "Slim" installer, so you won't be asked if you want the Yahoo! Toolbar installed). To stop a shortcut from being installed simply uncheck the box for it. When you're done making your choices, click Install.

2. How to access CCleaner...

There's a few ways to access CCleaner: add a shortcut to your Desktop, your Start List, or add a right-click shortcut to your Recycle Bin.

3. How to uninstall AOL...

To uninstall AOL, open CCleaner and click the third icon down on the left hand side of the window marked Tools. The Uninstall Tool will open. You will see multiple entries for AOL and America Online. Look for and place a check mark next to the AOL Uninstaller, then click Uninstall. From here follow these steps (starting with step 2) to run the AOL Uninstaller correctly. Even if you're removing an older version of AOL, the instructions will work as a rough guide.

Let the AOL Uninstaller run, restart your computer when prompted, then return to CCleaner's Uninstall Tool and remove the remaining AOL and America Online programs. You may remove more than one at a time if you like. You will not need to restart your PC to finish removing them.

4. Delete leftover files and folders...

In Explorer Search click All files and folders. Type AOL into the search box and choose to "Look in" Local Drive C:/ (or whatever drive you had AOL installed on). Click More Advanced Options, click Search for hidden files and folders and Search subfolders, then click Search.

Unless there's a file, folder or bookmark you want, you can delete whatever turns up. Right-click the item and click Delete, or highlight it with your mouse, hold down Shift on your keyboard and highlight more items, then right-click the block and click Delete.

5. Delete (most of) AOL's registry entries...

Before you get started, see this to make sure you use this feature safely and effectively. Important note: If you have AIM or any AOL or AIM Toolbars installed that you don't want to remove you should skip this step. If you choose to proceed and later have a problem, here are the steps for restoring CCleaner's registry backup. Read more about the risks here.

Open CCleaner again and click the box marked Issues. You'll see a list of registry issues that CCleaner will check. You can uncheck any issues you want to skip. Once you've chosen what to check, click the button marked Scan for Issues. Once the scan is done, look over the results to make sure they're safe to remove, make a backup of the results, then click the button marked Fix Selected Issues.

You have a choice of how to remove registry issues: you can remove them all at once, or one at a time. My preference is to remove them all at once (it's quicker).

6. Use CCleaner to clean up your PC...

Click the Cleaner box, then click the Analyze button. See this to make sure you use this feature safely and effectively. In a few minutes (or less) you'll be given a result list that tells you what can be removed from your PC. Once you've made sure the items listed are safe to remove, click the Run Cleaner button.

7. Defragment your PC's hard drive...

Download Auslogics Disk Defrag (told you this was easy). Save it to your Desktop, then click the shortcut to install it. Once it's running, keep hitting the Next button until you see it's defragmenting your hard drive. Click Finish when it's through; it will tell you how much space you regained.

(Back to Top)

Further Reading: Check the FAQs if you have a question; if your question is not answered in the FAQs, please feel free to send me an email. See my How-to Section for more ways to get AOL out of your life.

Updated 10-17-09.

A funny thing just happened. I was checking my PC's Device Manager to see if dialup was installed, and I came across a new tutorial for Anti-AOL: How to find and uninstall the AOL WAN Miniport.

The software that installed it, AOL 9.0 VR, has been off my computer for months. All versions of AOL install the WAN Miniport Adapter, so here I'll show you how to find and get rid of it so you won't get a nasty surprise like I did.

1. To uninstall the AOL WAN Miniport Adapter manually, use this step. To uninstall it from the Device Manager panel instead, jump to Step 2.

There's a chance AOL software connects to the Adapter during removal, so leave removing the Adapter for last, after you've removed every other AOL program on your computer.

If you're using a version of AOL older than 9.0VR, or if you block AOL's access to the Internet during installation, you'll need to uninstall the AOL WAN Miniport manually. In either of those cases it will not be listed under Device Manager/Network Adapters.

To remove the AOL Adapter/Miniport manually from either Windows XP or Vista:

• Navigate to Start->My Computer->C:\Windows\System32\Drivers\wanatw4.sys
• Navigate to Start->My Computer->C:\Windows\System32\Drivers\wanatw.sys
• Right-click and delete those files and you're done.
• You may also remove the corresponding registry key at Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\wanatw. Just right-click the key and click Delete.

2. To see if the Adapter is listed in Device Manager...

Click Start, right-click My Computer, and click Properties. On the drop-down list, click the Hardware tab, then click the Device Manager button.

A list of installed software and hardware devices will open up.

Scroll down to Network Adapters. There's a little plus sign (+) sign on the left; click it to expand the list.

3. What you want to do now is....

Right-click the the AOL Adapter (it should have a name like WAN Miniport (ATW)) and click Properties. If it is the AOL Adapter, the name America Online will be listed in the Properties.

4. To uninstall the Adapter...

Click Uninstall on the Properties menu. You can also right-click the Adapter from the Device Manager and choose Uninstall from the drop-down menu. In a few seconds, the Adapter will be gone.

You may also remove the corresponding registry key at Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\wanatw. Just right-click the key and click Delete.

(Back to Top)

If you need to uninstall AOL Connectivity Service, which is a slightly different beast, check Frequently Asked Questions.

Last updated 3-11-09.

This FAQ is for people having problems removing AOL. It is not a replacement for my how-to-uninstall AOL tutorials. Please see the tutorials if you missed them on your way in. Leave a comment or send me an email to get other questions answered or to offer up your own solutions.

The instructions on this page will work for Windows XP, Vista and Windows 7 users. My tutorial index and FAQs are constantly updated to reflect changes to AOL's and Microsoft's software.

Questions

• I can't uninstall AOL because it keeps running - or I can't delete an AOL file or folder because "the computer won't let me". What can I do now?
• If AOL isn't listed in Add/Remove Programs, how do I uninstall it?
• I've uninstalled AOL. Is it safe to delete AOL's leftover files, folders and registry entries?
• Do I really need to remove AOL's files and/or registry entries?
• When I uninstalled AOL I deleted a [file, folder, program, etc.] that I need very badly. How do I get it back?

Answers

I can't uninstall AOL because it keeps running - or I can't delete an AOL file or folder because "the computer won't let me". What can I do now?

If you're trying to uninstall AOL and you can't because the AOL program won't shut down (you may see a message to this effect on your screen) or if you can't delete an AOL file or folder from XP after you uninstall AOL (but see this page if you can't delete an AOL file or folder from Vista or Windows 7), most likely you have a copy of AOL 9.0 SE installed. It's defective by design, so to uninstall it you must first shut the AOL Connectivity Service down.

To shut the AOL Connectivity Service down, click Start, right-click My Computer, and click Manage.

The Computer Management window will open. Click Services and Applications at the end of the list you'll see on the left hand side, then double-click on the word Services.

Find the AOL Connectivity Service on the Services list on the top right hand side of the window. Right-click and choose Properties, then click Startup Type Disabled, click Apply, then click Service Status Stopped and click OK. Now the AOL Connectivity Service is disabled.

Once the Connectivity Service stops running, AOL will uninstall smoothly and you will be able to delete any AOL file or folder leftover from uninstalling AOL. (I tested this using HijackThis to determine the Service's status both before and after, and it did the trick.)

Note: Once AOL's Connectivity Service is disabled, you'll be able to remove AOL no matter what other AOL processes are still running on your computer.

If your AOL software is missing the AOL Uninstaller you will need to disable AOL's Connectivity Service, then run an older version of AOL's uninstaller buried deep in AOL's program files (see the next answer).

(Back to Top)

If AOL isn't listed in Add/Remove Programs, how do I uninstall it?

1. First double-check Add/Remove Programs. If you're using my jv16 tutorial to remove AOL, you can check the jv16 PowerTools Software Manager to see if it's installed. Tip: you can sort jv16's list alphabetically, by date, or by author. If you're using my CCleaner tutorial, you can check CCleaner's Uninstall List for the AOL Uninstaller, and run it from there.
2. Next, right-click your Taskbar, click on the words Task Manager, then click the Processes tab, and check the list for any AOL processes. You can sort the list alphabetically by clicking the "Image Name" tab. For guidance, the next screen shots show my computer's Processes List with a variety of AOL products installed: AOL 9.0SE, OpenRide, and assorted McAfee products included with AOL's recent software. Click on each image to expand it to full size.




3. If AOL isn't listed in Add/Remove Programs or in your Software Manager, and no AOL processes are running, then AOL isn't installed. Simply delete all of the AOL files, folders and registry entries you find now. If AOL is installed, these are the instructions for removing it for XP users; these are the instructions for removing it for Vista and Windows 7 users.

(Back to Top)

I've uninstalled AOL. Is it safe to delete AOL's leftover files, folders and registry entries?

Yes, it's safe to delete them. AOL comes with most PCs, tosses files all over your hard drive, and it's hard to get rid of, but once it's gone, the leftovers can go, too. Just so you don't mess anything up: Make sure you double-check each item you're about to delete before you delete it. Try to be careful the first time around.

(Back to Top)

Do I really need to remove AOL's files and/or registry entries?

No, it's not necessary to remove them. It's simply the best thing you can do for your computer (to make it cleaner and faster) but it's not worth doing if you're unsure how to do it, and it will take longer than simply uninstalling AOL.

(Back to Top)

When I uninstalled AOL I deleted a [file, folder, program, etc.] that I need very badly. How do I get it back?

I've done research since I took that question and learned Windows never erases anything, even if you delete it, overwrite it, use Eraser, have a system crash, or reformat your hard drive. That said, System Restore cannot bring back a lost folder, file, or document. It can only restore lost settings and some lost programs.

If you've checked your Recycle Bin and C:\RECYCLER and the missing item isn't in those places, and if System Restore can't bring it back for you, try typing "restore lost files" or a similar phrase into any search engine to look for programs that might restore it for you.

(Back to Top)