This thread is being started at the suggestion of the GQ moderator.
Since I upgraded my Internet Explorer browser from 5.0 to 6.0 last week, I can’t log onto the SDMB, Hotmail, Classmates, or any other website I have to use a password for access to.
I have cleared “cookies” from my hard drive; made a second effort to update the browser; downloaded some kid of “web utility” via AOL’s Keyword feature; and used the Font, Text and Graphics feature in AOL’s Settings>Preferences and still I get no “toothpick” cursor in the box, on the Hotmail sign-in page, with which to key in my e-mail address and password. :mad:
Until I succeed I must surf the Internet on other computers, as I am doing now.
Burn IE to the ground, get Firefox.
AOL is a very commom problem for browsers, everything they touch turns to shit. Doesn’t sound like a virus problem which is good but AOL just makes things worse in my experience.
As far as getting Firefox goes, I like IE better. The switch is up to you if it’s deemed needed.
It sounds like cookies aren’t enabled. Go to Tools|Internet Options, click the Privacy tab, and move the slider to Medium. If that doesn’t work, move it down farther. Also, click the Edit button in the lower-right and make sure that there aren’t any sites being blocked.
I use the AOL browser and have no problems at all. I can go where ever I wish.
On dial - up and on broadband. I can and do use
AOHell and it’s browser.
Irefox
Opra,
IE
All work just fine.
Been using AOHell since 96 and have had a good experience the whole time including the year of discontent.
Use what works best for the area I am working in.
I use windows, will try using linux or whatever it is,
I will use what works best on any one place and mix and match to suit.
People who hate this or that or will only use xxxx because it is the best have only one plugin in the wall and in their minds…
There are those that think IE 5.5 was the best distro ever…
Hmmmm
I still have a copy of some really old ones and have windows back to 3.0 and AOHell back to 3.0
Just keep workin at it. You will get it to work…
YMMV
Gah! I had a similar problem with my sister’s computer a few weeks ago. IE was totally hosed. The later versions of AOL try for that whole real internet interface apperance thing, so she couldn’t access much that was on AOL, let alone anything external. She couldn’t find her original install disks. The workaround was to email her the Opera installer and another program that would allow installation of IE6. Opera is not dependent on IE. As long as you have some sort of connection it will work.
If you have AOL, you have a working email there. You may not be able to go to any sites, but you can receive attachments. I can send you the executable for Opera. Install Opera, fire it up, surf and log in at will. If you need or want to reinstall IE you can then get it here.
Email is peri8 at aol. Be sure to send your aol email if you want to try this.
Did you do that deliberately or did you manage to mis-spell everything except IE?
Since I usually reach the SDMB via Internet Explorer at the Torrance Library, as I’m doing now, I’ll give YOU my AOL e-mail address: dougm90248@aol.com*.
Today I found out that the browser, which according to AOL’s “system Information” IS in the computer, is “disabled,” but I don’t know how to fix it. Worse still, every time I try just to log onto AOL I get the “critical stop”–"[AOL] has pefromed an illegal operation and will shut down." And now my Scandisk won’t work to scan the hard drive. I wonder whether the computer is about to kick the bucket… 
Oops! That should be dougm90248@aol.com.
dougie_monty, email has been sent. If you continue to get the error message get an AOL disk and reinstall. You can just install over the current program if the disk is the same version. If your bookmarks don’t show up you will find them under AOL(version #)a>Organize. Drag them to AOL(version #)b. Click okay when asked if you want to replace Organize. Or drag Organize to your desktop, uninstall AOL, then reinstall and drop your saved Organize folder into the fresh program.
I’m not sure how familiar you are with all of this, so I apologize if the above comes across too much as Comp101.
LOL, well…Everybody hates AOL so I just go ahead and call it AOHell
A lot of folks get their ire up when talking about how bad Firefox is so I just go ahead and call it Irefox.
I don’t like Opera so I call it something/bodyelse I don’t like, Opra.
What can I do to IE that they have not already done to themselves…??
All are the best at one place or another that I go to and I’m not a snob, I use which ever works that site or place or function the best for me.
To easy to put the round one in the round hole and the square one in the square hole and so forth.
I also don’t spell worth a damn…
Bawahahahaha
I’m 62 yrs old and still ride a kick only, hard tail, shovel engine chopper…
I’m still posting at other computers.
I had changed monitors, connecting the console to a 15 1/2-inch IBM monitor; there were on-screen messages indicating that the console was accommodating itself to the new monitor.
At a relative’s suggestion, I reconnected the old 13 1/2-inch Packard-Bell monitor. Since then I have no delays booting up; the software produced no on-screen images indicating its accommodation to the Packard-Bell monitor. But I still can’t log on to websites, although I can click on links on those sites–I recently used the links to read early pages on the SDMB. But it still can’t produce the “toothpick” cursor when I want to key something in on a web page. (I can use the favorites, and key in a URL in the “Addrerss” box that I have on the AOL frames.)
The computer did not respond to my attempt to download Opera. And when I try to update the MIE browser, via AOL, I see an on-screen instruction to push the OK button in order to cause the computer to restart. I push the button, but the computer just goes as far as the desktop.
Oddly enough, I can click successfully on links on websites; I just can’t get the prompt–the blinking “toothpick” marker–which I would need to key data in.
And when I try to use the AOL’s own search engine I get a message on the screen saying the browser–still at MIE 5.0–cannot support a search.
sigh:
If a customer came to me with this problem I would probably find an AOL install disk and remove all AOL and IE compnents, run a regclean, manually kill any folders that looked like part of either, then reinstall them both. Then again, I could care less about the inner workings of AOL and know almost nothing about configuring it.
The only problem with this is that I have AOL 7.0; my computer, a Compaq Deskpro 4000, has only 48MB of RAM instead of the 64 or 128 that the higher levels require. I doubt that there are any AOL 7.0 CD’s around anymore; if I deleted AOL 7.0 from my computer I have no way to restore it…]
Incidentally, I’m beginning to wonder if the AVG virus system I downloaded has anything to do with it.
Two days ago I put part of the AVG anti-virus program I’d downloaded, into a disabled mode, in a sense. Yesterday, I got onto the Internent, via AOL, as usual; I got the “toothpick” prompt when the SDMB appeared! 
I loggd in and keyed stuff in as I’d been doing before December 8.
However, this wasn’t complete. When I try to use the AOL search engine I still get the message: “Please Upgrade Your Browser.”
Duhhhh. I’d done that at least four times…AOL seems to have screwed something up, themselves!