BleepingComputer.com: Can't Connect To AOL (suddenly)?

I have had and used AOL for years, currently running AOL Version 9.1 and have not had many problems until yesterday when suddenly I cannot connect to AOL. If I dbl click on the AOL desktop icon, I get the spinnning circle for a few seconds, then nothing.

Spent several hours on the phone with numerous AOL and Dell support techs (in Phillipines) and they could not figure out the problem. I have uninstalled all of the AOL program files and such via REVO Uninstaller and done a clean install of AOL 9.1 and 9.0 numerous times and still cannot get it to work. I can connect to Internet via IE so the problem seems to be isolated to AOL connectivity only.

After attempting a clean install, I did get an error message or two saying the "snmaster.idx database file is missing".

AOL has worked fine on this computer until two days ago. Any ideas??

My computer is a one year old Dell XPS M1530 lap top running MS Vista SP 1.

Thanks, Dave

This post has been edited by Davexx1: 21 January 2009 - 08:23 AM

There are fixes for your problem in the link below. There is an actual AOL tech with an actual AOL fix. Really.

http://www.dslreports.com/forum/r18503301-...store-this-file

I tried to follow the steps listed by the AOL Tech's reply to the problem but apparently things have changed since then and I could not make that happen. I found numerous AOL snmaster.idx files but they all were dated yesterday, apparently formed when I was trying to uninstall, then reinstall, a new version of AOL 9.1 and I am guessing they all are corrupt or incomplete.

If I read his instructions correctly, XP users were to copy the snmaster.idx file from the AOL application data folder to the AOL program data folder, but the instructions seemed a bit unclear for Vista users as he essentially said to copy the snmaster.idx file from/to the same file.

I am guessing I do not have a good snmaster.idx file on this computer to copy/paste.

It seems AOL should be well aware of this problem and have a fix for it.

Any ideas or suggestions?

Thanks, Dave