AOL Desktop Software to end free access plan

[mach]

On 3/17/2017 at 8:16 AM, Cracklingice said:

I can confirm that April 10th will still see discontinuance of previous versions and requirement of a subscription fee to use the software.  Free access to email and such will still be available through a third party browser such as Google Chrome.

This popup came up when my father logged in to his client this afternoon.

Using red background is unwise

Old people will be even more scared by this "virus" lol

[Cracklingice]

8 hours ago, Jamine4u said:

Actually AOL MAIL is back and bigger than ever. VERIZON, new parent company, announced March 30, 2017 they are closing down their old E-Mail account system and switching all their 145 million customers to AOL MAIL accounts.   Making AOL MAIL once again a major player.  So it isn't the 90s anymore at AOL, 21ST century has arrived!

 

8 hours ago, Daring said:

Why'd you revive an old thread to shill for AOL?

With that being the only post they've ever made on the forum do you even have to ask - obviously it's for PR reasons.  This thread had nothing at all to do with AOL mail - just the software.

[KingKeith55]

On 3/12/2017 at 2:37 PM, Trik'Stari said:

Someone needs to remix that into a song somehow.

 

Skrillex - Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites (Dial-Up Remix).mp3 

 

You're welcome. Now I'm curious if I should send this remix to Skrillex himself and see what he thinks.

[Jito463]

On 3/14/2017 at 5:39 AM, spamy666 said:

What happens if one day AOL does in fact die, what happens to all the accounts online (including this forum)I've logged into? I want to change from AOL to Gmail but there is so much stuff I've got with my AOL account!

 

On 3/14/2017 at 7:55 AM, Cracklingice said:

Yeah I was thinking about the logistical nightmare of having to change all of my logins from one email provider to another.  It certainly wouldn't be fun.

 

I had to deal with that a few months ago, when one of my e-mail addresses I've had for nearly 10 years was suddenly terminated.  I wasn't even allowed POP access to download my 1,000's of e-mails I had archived on it.

[NotaTechie]

Thank you for researching this, my 70 yr old parents have tasked me with finding out answers for them and it's been quite frustrating!  They don't like change and get easily frustrated with "modern-day" technology.  They want to keep things the way they are, but don't want to pay for their AOL desktop! SMH

[Shreyas1]

On 3/13/2017 at 6:33 AM, mynameisjuan said:

Maybe this will finally force my parents to stop using AOL. They have been using the desktop version for years and I tried everything to get them to stop using it. I can understand why they like it though as its news/chat/email/browser all in once easy to get location, but its been time for it to go away.

Google?

[bcharmz]

@Jamine4u @Cracklingice

 

As an AOL user, I get a lot of grief from some of my friends but as someone who has 1000's of emails saved in folders and archived there, switching is a b***h! Also an address book of over 500 emails. For years now I have accessed my AOL email through the google browser, because AOL Desktop stopped working properly with Windows 10, had several glitches and I found the search engine too slow even before that and prone to freezing.

 

I am not an AOL shill, but here are the reasons I like the email service, everything in one place, great spam/email/word blocking service, the best actually out there and unlike gmail they do not read your emails, then send you a bunch of ads based on trigger words in your email. I also have a gmail and yahoo account and have gone back to AOL as my main. 

 

I did read the article that Verizon has transferred their email service to AOL, so @Jamine4u is correct, not a shill.

https://help.aol.com/articles/verizon-move-to-aol-mail-setting-up-your-new-aol-account-in-a-third-party-email-program-or-mobile-device-imap

 

Thank you for posting the article, I notice everyone seems to have received notices in stages, I only got emails this month that they were switching to a paid service by June 30th and decided to research the switch, so maybe they are checking to see how successful the paid service will be...however I will not pay for service..I do have a question though, it says you have access to the emails, but in another FAQ it said you will not be able to send or receive emails...are they also referring to access through a 3rd party as well? 

[Carolsue]

A month ago, I started getting messages on AOL saying I would have to sign up for AOL Desktop Gold for $4.99.mo by July 7 or I would only have access to my old e-mails, I could not send or receive new ones.  My neighbor never received any of these messages.  She thinks it's spam.  The only thing different is that she has Verizon on her cell phone and I don't.  She has Comcast.net and I have ATT for internet.  Does she qualify because of having Verizon on her cellphone?  Also, AOL says that we will only be able to access old e-mails, yet I have read here and there that we can still send/receive with our current AOL e-mails by using mail.aol.com.  What is the deal here?  Are they just trying to see who will fall for paying for their stupid service?  Or are they cutting people off in different phases?  I already switched everything over to Gmail.  Yes, it was a hassle, but AOL didn't work right with Windows 10 anyway.  I'm sure that was intentional -- they will fix that problem once you pay them. 

[Cracklingice]

On 6/30/2017 at 2:32 PM, bcharmz said:

Thank you for posting the article, I notice everyone seems to have received notices in stages, I only got emails this month that they were switching to a paid service by June 30th and decided to research the switch, so maybe they are checking to see how successful the paid service will be...however I will not pay for service..I do have a question though, it says you have access to the emails, but in another FAQ it said you will not be able to send or receive emails...are they also referring to access through a 3rd party as well? 

I am still able to access my AOL email with my phone as I was before.  The desktop application was the only thing that was effected.

[Carolsue]

On 7/1/2017 at 9:54 PM, Carolsue said:

A month ago, I started getting messages on AOL saying I would have to sign up for AOL Desktop Gold for $4.99.mo by July 7 or I would only have access to my olde-mails, I could not send or receive new ones.  My neighbor never received any of these messages.  She thinks it's spam.  The only thing different is that she has Verizon on her cell phone and I don't.  She has Comcast.net and I have ATT.  Does she qualify because of having Verizon on her cellphone?  Also, AOL says that we will only be able to access old e-mails, yet I have read here and there that we can still send/receive with our current AOL e-mails by using mail.aol.com.  What is the deal here?  Are they just trying to see who will fall for paying for their stupid service?  I already switched everything over to Gmail.  Yes, it was a hassle, but AOL didn't work right with Windows 10 anyway.  I'm sure that was intentional -- they will fix that problem once you pay them. 

 

[Carolsue]

My AOL desktop was shut down July 7, just like they said it would.  I can still send mail and get new mail on AOL.Com.  In the AOL FAQ's it said that would not happen; we would have access to any existing e-mails, but no new mail could be sent or received.  I don't think THEY know what is going on.  Two of my friends have still not received any notices about their AOL desktop being shut down and think I'm making this all up.  That doesn't seem fair that they are shutting some people down and not others. 

 

I watched a You Tube Video of some guy calling AOL and asking some of these same questions.  He called three times (or more) and got all different people.  None of their answers were the same.  So I think they are just fishing to see who will bite.  What's funny, my husband and I never considered keeping AOL for a minute, yet my friend who is 75 years old and terrified of changes probably would pay to keep AOL.  So they picked the wrong people to throw their bait out to. 

[Cracklingice]

Did you (or someone else) get your 75 year old friend on the bring your own access free plan already?  Otherwise they're still paying for their AOL subscription. 

On 7/9/2017 at 5:00 AM, Carolsue said:

My AOL desktop was shut down July 7, just like they said it would.  I can still send mail and get new mail on AOL.Com.  In the AOL FAQ's it said that would not happen; we would have access to any existing e-mails, but no new mail could be sent or received.  I don't think THEY know what is going on.  Two of my friends have still not received any notices about their AOL desktop being shut down and think I'm making this all up.  That doesn't seem fair that they are shutting some people down and not others. 

 

I watched a You Tube Video of some guy calling AOL and asking some of these same questions.  He called three times (or more) and got all different people.  None of their answers were the same.  So I think they are just fishing to see who will bite.  What's funny, my husband and I never considered keeping AOL for a minute, yet my friend who is 75 years old and terrified of changes probably would pay to keep AOL.  So they picked the wrong people to throw their bait out to. 

 

[Carolsue]

My 75-year old friend STILL has the old AOL Desktop and she is NOT paying for it.  Even if she were, wouldn't she have to upgrade to the new AOL Gold?  I know a few other people who still have it and aren't paying for it either.  I also have a friend who had 7 AOL e-mail addresses and all were shut down except one.  That one works just fine.  Do they really think I am going to pay for this when others appear to be getting it for free???? 

[dgarye]

It is paid...it is for all....its because advertisers backed off their right wing support of gays, no health care and anyone can come in to country even if carrying an ak47....they lost advertising revenue for years..so they are going back to what they did when they signed on for first time...charging..but at 5 bucks a month...even a homeless person might afford it if ripping off resturant wifi...Its actually a good long term business plan, be free for decades then when you got all your stuff in favs or cafes....decide to charge....I can see it

 

[Robbie Stewart]

Hey you all,

 

Don't pay AOL $4.99 to use AOL Desktop. Use the Beta version instead.

 

AOL Desktop Beta Page

http://beta.aol.com/projects/desktop/windows/

 

AOL Desktop Beta - Download Link if not listed on Beta Page

http://updates.desktop.aol.com/updates/beta/Install_AOL_Desktop.exe

 

Note: If you still use AOL Dial Up for Internet access, the beta version no longer includes the AOL Dialer software.