Service Pack 2 (again)?

[bikenut]

Sorry if this is going over old ground, but I did have a look in old threads and couldn't find anything that related to my problem.

My lad had been using his mum's laptop for the last year with a dial up connection to AOL which all worked fine.

On Saturday we bought him a brand new pc as an early xmas present as he needs one for his schoolwork. I signed him on to AOL and it runs incedibly slowly on AOL, taking ages for the start page to load etc.

I deleted eveything AOL and reinstalled AOL from a cd which I had (9.0 by the way), still ther same.

Takes nearly 5 minutes to access emails.

Went into AOL help and it states that AOL has problems with service pack 2 and gives you a link to download a fix for it. It won't let me download the fix saying that the computer doesn't need it, however if you get info about the version of windows it says - windows XpSP2 then a number then service pack 1.

I have phoned AOL and they have run me through a couple of fix programmes which I have done, but the problem still remains. I have checked the modem drivers, and they appear to be recent versions, I am at a loss to know what to do next.

The computer was new and in a sealed box, no reason to assume there is anything on it but the preinstalled software, and I am not aware of any firewall software on the computer.

Any suggestions gratefully received, thanks

Bikenut

[Leon Roskilly]

I had a similar problem with AOL some time ago when sending emails. It took forever to go, and AOL often timed out before the email was sent.

 

The people on the helplines really don't have a deep technical knowledge, mainly working from scripts and getting you to do all the obvious things that clear 98% of problems without really diagnosing what the underlying problem is.

 

My problem was eventually passed onto their 'email' technical section who seemed to make some kind of adjustment at their end which had my email service back to normal speed.

 

When the problem re-occurred (after a crash), it took some persuading to get them to drop going through all of the 'try this, no? well try this' routine, and for them to disbelievingly pass the problem to their email technical bods again, who quickly solved the problem at their end.

 

Long time ago now.

 

Tight Lines - leon

[Newt]

Right-click My Computer, left-click Properties. The screen that comes up should show you very clearly what XP service pack level you have. SP2 looks like

 

[bikenut]

Thanks Newt, I can confirm I have service pack 1

Bikenut

[corydoras]

bikenut:

Any suggestions gratefully received

Change your ISP. ANY other ISP must be better than AOL.

[Alan Stubbs]

Friends subscribed to AOL Broadband. Every time they booted up their PC the AOL modem crashed taking the PC down with it.

 

They reverted to AOL dial-up which ran well. AOL's 'technical service team ' told them that the afult lay with their PC....

 

So Matty's wife said to the AOL-person 'Are you saying that my PC is responsible for the Broadband modem smoking around the casing like it's doing now, then?

 

They got a new modem and 12 month's free BBI from AOL. At the end of which period they propose subscribing to a proper ISP.

[Newt]

Alan Stubbs:

So Matty's wife said to the AOL-person 'Are you saying that my PC is responsible for the Broadband modem smoking around the casing like it's doing now, then?

AOHell tech support in the US and they would probably have told her it certainly was the fault of either her PC or her sloppy browsing habits that caused the device to smoke.

[FearTheHands]

quote:

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Change your ISP. ANY other ISP must be better than AOL.

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I have to concur - being in he profession AOL are renowned for being the worst ISP going.

 

Get your self online with pay as you go dial up ISP, there are tons around, you don't have to sign up often but just use their dial in number 7 generic logon details.

 

It is not a problem with your PC but something that AOL is causing.