Okay,
Firstly, I'd seriously consider changing your ISP provider. Dependant on
where you're living, you're likely to have a group of poor ISPs (Internet
Service Providers), the mediocre ISPs and you're reputable ones. Where I am,
it's BT and Telewest battling it out for the top slot.
AOL across the world have this reputation for having uninstallable,
'trojanic', software that will not leave your computer, and thus acts like
that horrible sticky stuff you get left behind after pulling off a shoe
label. It will not go away no matter what solvent/cleaning product you use.
AOL software is exactly the same.
Now then.....to your question.
There is a similar issue with Windows Messenger, and there'll be an option
in BOTH programs you have to get rid of. I've just had a chat with a mate,
and this is what he did to get rid of it, as he had the same problem.
Use MSCONFIG by going to START, RUN, type in 'msconfig' with inverted
commas, go to the start up tab, find AIm in the list, and make sure the box
next to it is unchecked.
Next, make sure AIM doesn't have any setting that ask it to start up when
Windows does.
Next, apparently you have to disable AIM as your default messenger.
Check in the OPTIONS of OE that you definetly have all settings to ask AIM
not to start when it does.
Now, repeat these steps for all users/logins on the computer. He got this
from a website, and he said it worked but he doesn't have the URL to hand,
however, with it being AOL it doesn't surprise me you have to go to these
lengths just to ask it to do one little thing.
Hope this helps, and that you solve the problem, aaaaaand......move away
from AOL.
Now then, what you might want to consider doing here is downloading a
program called TRILLIAN. It's a messenger program that combines the most
popular messengers in the world - MSN Messenger/Windows Messenger, Yahoo
Messenger, AIM, and ICQ. And allows you to have one contact list for the lot.
You connect to the servers to chat but don't have to use the programs to do
it.