Help for a Not-Yet-Switcher, please

[RHPConsult]

In one of the major misapprehensions of the 21st Century, my brother-in-law (still in the Windoze fold, despite my best efforts) has asked me for some M$ advice!  

In a wise move he is departing from AOL at the end of a strife-ridden 6 month trial (avert your eyes, Harv)! He needs to know how to save his e-address book and collected URLs for his new surfing and mailing apps associated with his long anticipated move to broadband this week.  

He has not been using Outlook or IE since buying his new Dell, only AOL.

I’m clueless.

Are his addresses and URLs “in/on” his HD or does AOL have them “confined” on its server . . . anticipating ransom, naturally. I haven’t the foggiest of how to save them for him if they are buried somewhere, somehow in his Windoze XP’s catacombs, in AOL files.  Can they be im/exported easily (I hope) to IE/Outlook?

HELP . . . please.

One other glitch. How do I turn OFF a faxing (app?) apparently in XP, since when making a call on the single dial-up line he presently “operates – but will be disposing of in a few days – after a pause in any conversation, brings up a fax tone in the background. Vexing . . . to say the least.  

Happy 4th (to all you Colonists) from O-HI-O!      

[Paddy]

Dick, I wish I had better news, but AOL does indeed hold email address books/email ransom - and there is no free and easy way to get them out of there that I can find!

The $25 solution

A friend of mine will be facing the same problem shortly.

Not for nothing was AOL named #1 in the list of 25 worst tech products of all time by PCMagazine recently!

[Epaminondas]

Quitting AOL can be akin to quitting La Cosa Nostra.  

You might want to guide your brother-in-law to the following NYT article (free while it is still available - free registration required):

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/02/business...amp;oref=slogin

If your brother-in-law does not feel like registering with The NYT:

http://insignificantthoughts.com/2006/06/13/cancelling-aol/

http://youtube.com/watch?v=xIVZ9b0RgmY

http://www.digg.com/tech_news/Vincent_Ferr...ing_AOL_(VIDEO)

Your brother-in-law might want to tell the"AOL retention" specialist on the other end of the line that he, himself (your brother-in-law) is recording the call cancelling AOL service "for quality and training purposes." I think that your brother-in-law will find that AOL workers are currently exquisitely sensitive to that concept.

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As you are probably aware, one can continue to maintain one's old AOL email addresses and such for free long after cancelling AOL.  One can do this "indefinitely" - which, of course, can mean anything AOL wishes it to mean:

http://experts.about.com/q/Problems-using-...Screen-Name.htm

http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/artic...040347/1001/BIZ

http://www.aim.com/


Related material:

http://www.mozilla.org/support/thunderbird/faq.html#aol

http://members.aol.com/adamkb/aol/mailfaq/

[pendragon]

Dick, I know you don't want my advice re transferring AOL data, so please disregard / ignore

OTOH, perhaps the counsel of Rob Pegorano, W.Post (tech guru), will be of value (July 2, 2006, Page F-5):

I. In Windoz:

Go Here and grab two free AOL programs -- the AIM Triton instant messenger and the AOL Explorer Web browser.

Triton can copy your AOL address book to Microsoft's Outlook or Outlook Express mail program via the free Plaxo address-sharing service (http://www.plaxo.com). Run AIM; enter your AOL screen name and password; and follow the prompts you see from then on to set up a Plaxo account, create a "universal address book" and synchronize it to either Microsoft mail program. (You can then uninstall Plaxo and cancel the Plaxo account if you wish.)

To turn your BIL’s Favorite Places into browser bookmarks, run AOL Explorer, click the blue "Sign in" heading at its top-right corner, and log in with your AOL screen name. Then go to its Favorites menu and select "Import AOL Favorites… "

II. In OS X:

Your BIL will need only one program, the free and blissfully simple AOL Service Assistant. This will transfer the AOL e-mail, address book, favorites and calendar to Apple's Mail, Address Book, Safari and iCal programs.

[RHPConsult]

Wow! And on a holiday, too.

Thanks guys. I told the Colonel (28 yrs, SAC, USAF, Ret.), my bro-in-law, that TeeEssers are always "on alert".  

I do thank you all. most sincerely, for such quick and informative responses – including Harv (who I just knew couldn't avert his eyes )

I subscribe to the NYT on-line. so that was easy. I've got the article now in PDF. Sterling advice. Epamimondas from the call to the "retention specialist".

Splendid site, Paddy, Thank you, thank you.

I am amazed that these "drills', so to speak, are so available for this unique problem.

There's sunshine in O-HI-O for sure, this morning!