AOL hangs -- waol.exe 99%

[JudgeGarth]

This has happened a lot recently. I'll be working along in AOL 9.1 and it hangs. I look in Taskmgr and it shows waol.exe at 99%. I have to highlight it in Taskmgr and hit 'End Process' to clear it up. This kills my AOL session (It does restart). I did a search here in videohelp on 'wao.exe' and all I see are products to download to fix general waol.exe problems. Do I really need to do that, or is there something obvious I can look for?

[redwudz]

Check your AOL temp file, though I don't know where it is with AOL. If it's full, that may cause problems. You could also delete your cookies. Basically the same advice as for IE browser or others. You may also have some add-on programs causing problems. If you can save out your favorites, you might just uninstall it, then re-install and see if that starts it with a 'clean slate.'

[ntscuser]

Internet Explorer---> (Right Click) Internet Properties---> Temporary Internet Files---> Delete Files.

[aedipuss]

you can get rid of it and use another browser.

http://paler.com/forums/message-view?message_id=4438

[JudgeGarth]

I'm not using Internet Explorer. I'm just using the AOL browser.

[Midzuki]

Download and install FireFox,
get rid of the AOL browser,
delete all shortcuts to iexplore.exe.
You'll be happier --- MUCH!

[ntscuser]

I'm not using Internet Explorer. I'm just using the AOL browser.

So am I. AOL's browser is just a modified version of Internet Explorer. The same settings work for birth. I had the same problem as you and cured it by clearing all offline content in Internet Exploer.

[Faustus]

What is this forum coming to!?

[MJA]

AOL still alive?

[JudgeGarth]

I brought up Internet Explorer. I tried right-clicking at various places all over the screen and couldn't find anywhere that would bring up an option for 'Internet properties'. I went to Tools-->Internet Options-->Browsing history-->Delete-->Temporary Internet files-->Delete files. Exited and restarted AOL. A half hour or so later, same thing happened: waol.exe at 99%.

[Ai Haibara]

You could possibly have some spyware latched onto the Internet Explorer processes, or a rogue BHO (Browser Helper Object) or plug-in that's merely misbehaving. Have you installed anything which might tie somehow into your browser, recently?

Edit: I believe the Internet Properties menu option is under Tools, or you can right-click on the IE icon on the desktop (assuming you have it on the desktop) and select Internet Properties.

[JudgeGarth]

Yeah. Right-clicking the desktop icon brings up a menu where one of the choices is 'Options'. Clicking on that leads to the same stuff I got to through 'Tools'.

Anyway, I haven't installed anything lately, so that shouldn't be it. I run Spyware Doctor every night.

[colsearle]

Hello,

Upon delivering a customers machine and installing AOL 9 VR I too noticed that waol.exe did not always close when closing AOL. I brought the machine back to the workshop where I spent another 4 hours trying varios fixes. My last resort was to install Windows XP SP2 with a bare desktop and no drivers loaded. Even at that point after installing AOL sometimes waol.exe would not close again leaving the cpu at 99%.

This waol.exe problem does not occur every time I close AOL, maybee only 1 in 6 times but I dont want to deliver a machine to a customer where there is a chance the cpu is going to be held at 99% slowing everything to the maximmum.

I later installed AOL on one of my own computers with exactly the same outcome thus eliminating any hardware specific causes.

I fully understand people who say dont use AOL use IE of Firefox. I myself use IE and wouldent dream of using the AOL software but for customers who know nothing else or ask that AOL be installed what am I to do ?

waol.exe sometimes not closing and running at 99% when this happens.

I haet to admit defeat but I cannot resolve this one. IS THERE A FIX ???

Thankyou for reading

[guns1inger]

From what I can see out in googleland, it is not an uncommon problem, and there is no solution. The suggestions given to fix are

1. Uninstall and re-install. Some suggest this fixes the problem, although most seem to say it eventually returns.

or

2. Use something else.

So you can live it is, and learn how to use your task manager to kill waol.exe when it misbehaves, or you can use another browser.

Of course, you also have the option of calling AOL support. Surprisingly, this was not suggested as an option even once in all the posts I scanned through.