AOL New Member HELP

2:40:07 PM EDT
Feeling Happy
Hearing Whistle While You Work

Some AOL HOST HH (Homework Help) and others have formed a helping website to help parents and students as well as home schooling.

Check it out. 

Pupils and Teachers Homework Help :: Index

 

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2:36:41 PM EDT
Feeling Hopeful
Hearing Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head

Where do I head when I need help?

Keyword: HELP is a great place to start.

What if you can't access the Internet?  You'll know to use the old fashion Alexander Graham Bell thingy called a telephone. :)

AOL's number is one of the following:

 

• To get an access number to sign on to AOL: 888-265-8005
• Help with your AOL account, connection or other technical issues: 800-827-6364
• Customer and technical support en español: 866-885-5117
• AOL TTY service for the hearing-impaired: 800-759-3323 (to use this service, you must have TTY-enabled equipment)

What if you can't remember your password?  Wnat to check your Billing?  What to check how many hours you've been online?  Want to change your account? 

Call AOL, and they will re-set it.  Have your personal information ready.  Be sure you've set a SECURITY QUESTION at Keyword: BILLING  The Account Security Question is a simple question and answer created by you, which AOL uses to verify your identity and to protect your privacy.

This can only be done from the Master Screenname on your account.

• AOL Keyword: Billing, where you can
   manage your AOL account online.
• “Forgot Password?” which allows you
   to reset your password and get back
   online.
• Phone or Online Customer Service
   involving private account information or
   changes.
• Future AOL products and services that
   will require an extra level of security
   such as AOL Bill Pay or AOL Wallet.

Important:
• Create an Account Security Question
   that only you will know the answer to
   and keep that information safe.
• Anyone who knows the answer to your
   Account Security Question will be
   able to access these secure features
   and make changes to your account.

Notes About other Screen Names on your Account:
Other Screen Names on your account may also have their own Account Security Question, which they can use to reset their password.

Unless you have designated a Sub-Account Screen as a Master Designated Screen name, you do not have access to make billing and account changes.

Keyword: TECH TALK, Check all Message Boards is a great place to ask questions and get help your other knowledgeable AOL members.   AOL Computer Center: Tech Talk --

AOL Message Boards

Chats have changed since the Community Leader Program was canceled.  However, there are many of us still around, helping members in chats and on boards.  These are the board I still help on.

My Favorite AOL Secret Tips

Digital Scrapbooking

JOURNALS

Do a search at Keyword: JOURNALS for a particular topic that you need help with,  Many former Community Leaders have created journals to help.  Here are some examples.

The Bloggerati

Retired Community Leaders, Play Name: Blog, Chat, Homepage Listings

CAN'T LOCATE OTHER HELP?   Here are some great things to do.

 Tips & Tricks for Your Computer

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1:30:47 PM EDT
Feeling Mischievous
Hearing Music on the Dell Support Tech Phone line ;(

You can highlight a Favorite, slide it to your desktop, and have a Shortcut for any place you go to often.

Have your Favorites window open, and highlight any entry.  Hold down Control and tap the F key.  Type in the Favorite you'd like to locate.  Voila!  You don't have to keep scrolling up and down the list to find your favorite if you're like me, and have many of them.

Anyone else like to share tips?  Feel free.

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1:51:00 PM EDT
Feeling Quiet
Hearing In the Mood

STEP ONE:  You have to add your friends to your Buddy List.  Click SETUP.  Click ADD BUDDY.  You can add names of AOL members or AIM (AOL Instant Messenger) names for those who do not subscribe to the AOL service.  You can go to Keyword: AIM for more information and downloading.

GROUPS:  If you send e-mail to the same group of folks often, you can click ADD GROUP.  You can then add names to your GROUP for a group mailing.  Do not e-mail over 20 names at once.

HOW TO IM:  Double click on your Buddy's name.  If s/he is online, you will see their name on your list - or highlighted.  Fill in the bottom of the Instant Messenger by typing your greetings.  A polite way to start would be, "Do you have a minute?"  or... "Are you busy?"

Your buddy will respond when they are through whatever they are doing.  If they are playing games, typing a document, or downloading, your IM may be hidden behind their work.  Be patient.  Wait for their response.

CHANGING COLORS, FONTS, FORMATTING.

In the middle of the IM window, there are several options.  Click the colored A.  One choice is B for BOLD.  Another is I for Italics.  Another is U for underlining.  There are numerous FONT choices you can pick - this one is Verdana 10 pt.  If you are IMing someone with a vision problem, you might want to increase the SIZE of the font.

There are numerous colors from which to choose.  Be careful that your recipient doesn't have to wear sunglasses! 

You can add expressions to your listing by going to SETUP; Set my Expressions.  There are lots of smilies and Icons from which to choose.   You also can control who can IM you by clicking the Privacy Tab at IM SETTINGS. 

Look around.  See how creative you can be!  While you are there, click the ENVIRONMENT TAB... and control whether you want others to see your Icon and hear your sounds - and if you want to see and hear others.

Any questions?  I'll be glad to help you.  Just ask.

 

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9:06:11 AM EDT
Feeling Worried
Hearing Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head

COMMON SENSE!  NO installed program can replace common sense and caution!  Don't click on links in emails or IMs from strangers.  Don't go to web sites unless you know they are where you really want to go.  Watch your URLs carefully.  There is a big difference in writing to the President in going to whitehouse.gov and whitehouse.com. 

Then, protect yourself with three major components:  firewall, anti-virus, and spyware detector.

1.  FIREWALL  I use free Zone Alarm.  It has updates and I can allow any program I want to access the Internet.  Put the words FREE ZONE ALARM in your browser search bar, and you'll see several places where you can download it.  If you buy a program, it's only as good as the year you pay for.  Once that year is up, be SURE to pay for a renewal - or you won't get updates and that renders it useless.

2.  ANTI-VIRUS PROGRAM  I use free AVG.  It updates almost daily now.  Put the words FREE AVG in your browser search bar, and you'll see several places where you can download it.  If you buy a program, it's only as good as the year you pay for.  Once that year is up, be SURE to pay for a renewal - or you won't get updates and that renders it useless.  Norton and McAfee are the more commonly known ones.  If you are using AOL 9.0 Security Edition, you can download McAfee free.

3.  SPYWARE DETECTION I use free Spybot Search & Destroy.  I like it over Lavasoft's Ad-Aware because it allows you to Immunize your computer so that it doesn't come back.  Ad-Aware removes the adware AFTER it gets to your computer.  Once again, put the words FREE SPYBOT SEARCH & DESTROY in your browser search bar, and you'll see several places where you can download it. 

4.  ONLINE VIRUS CHECK Once a month, I use an online virus checker.  This is because sometimes a virus can "fool" your computer into thinking a file isn't a virus.  This check is independent from your computer.  It's called Housecall and can be located at www.http://housecall.trendmicro.com/

Any questions? 

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10:44:40 AM EDT
Feeling Silly
Hearing Tiptoe Through the Tulips

Want to return to your favorite Web Site?  There's a red heart in the upper right hand corner of the window.  Click it, and you'll hear a "PLOP" sound.  That means it's gone into your Favorites.  Next time, instead of typing www.parenthoodplace.com you'd only have to click Favorites, find that title, and click once.  Voila!

DO NOT SEE THE RED HEART?

Click the middle button between the -- and the X in the upper right hand corner of the window.  It should look like TWO open windows instead of one.  Once you do that, the heart should be visible.

WANT TO CONSOLIDATE YOUR FAVORITES?

Click Favorites, then Favorite Places.  Click New, then Folder.  Name it.  My categories are things like Music, Financial, Web Pages, Journals, Greeting cards, Computer help, etc.

Then, I prefer to do the following OFFLINE - or you end up going to the site accidentally. :)  Drag your Favorite hearts into the folders you've created. 

WANT TO ALPHABETIZE YOUR FOLDERS?

Drag them up or down as needed.  Just do NOT drag one folder into another folder, or that's where it'll be. :)  But, you can also drag it out again.

WANT TO ALPHABETIZE YOUR FAVORITES NOT IN FOLDERS?

Again, I prefer to do this offline.  Just drag them up or down until they are in the order you wish.

ANOTHER OPTION

I don't alphabetize.  I put the links I use most often at the top. 

WANT TO SAVE YOUR FAVORITES?

Click Favorites, Favorite Places.  (Click Manage for AOL 9.0).  Click SAVE/REPLACE BUTTON.  You can save your Favorites to your PC.  If you have AOL 9.0, you can APPEND or REPLACE those Favorites on another screenname or send as an attachment to another computer.  APPEND means you ADD Favorites from one name to Favorites already there in another name.  REPLACE means that your old Favorites would disappear and these new ones would take their place.

Once you're appended or replaced. you can re-save to be sure you don't lose them.  Do it every once in awhile.

Any questions?

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2:55:22 PM EDT
Feeling Loopy
Hearing Mairzy Dotes

What else would you like to know?

Just ask, and if I don't know, I know someone who does.

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2:53:31 PM EDT
Feeling Mischievous
Hearing Tomorrow from Annie

No, this has nothing to do with the bathroom. :)

Sometimes, the amount of temp internet files can prevent you from accessing the Internet or slows you down.  The easiest way is to RIGHT CLICK the AOL Icon on your taskbar (alongside your time... bottom right).  Click System Information, then Utilities. Click OK.  Current Cache:  Click CLEAR.

If you are having lots of problems accessing the Internet, while you are there, you can also scroll down to the bottom of that window:  AOL Utilities, Rebuild the AOL Adaptor.  When you restart your computer and your AOL, it will be rebuilt.

There are other ways of purging your cache (deleting temp files).  You can double click on the big blue e on your desktop (MS Internel Explorer).  Click Tools, then Internet Option, and then you can delete Cookies, Temp Internet Files, History, and offline temp files too.

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2:45:10 PM EDT
Feeling Happy
Hearing Joy is Like the Rain

Your screenname is your email address.  If I were telling a friend on AOL my email address, it's just hhsandy.  If I were telling a friend who isn't an AOL member, it would be hhelpsandy@aol.com.

If you have trouble clicking on a link or seeing pictures in an email, click the blue link at the top right hand corner of your email.  "Show Images and Enable Links"

You can write an email without signing on.  If you are using dialup, this frees your phone line.  It also would keep you from getting disconnected in the middle of a long email.  Just click the yellow envelope that says WRITE.

If you are writing a long email, it helps to click SEND LATER; then to continue writing, open your Personal Filing Cabinet (Click Mail, then Mail Waiting to be Sent).  This will in effect SAVE your email in case you get disconnected.  You can do it as often as you wish until you're done.  Then, you can click SEND NOW.

Any questions or comments or funny stories about email?  Please share them.

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2:04:50 PM EDT
Feeling Happy
Hearing Love Makes the World Go Round

AOL allows you to create seven screennames at Keyword: NAMES.  Only the person who owns the account (the Primary Master Screenname) can create a new name.  You can create up to three Master Screennames on one account if you wish three people to have "control" over your account.  To do this, go to Keyword: PARENTAL CONTROLS.  Click on a screenname, More Options, and Additional Master. 

To use a keyword, hold down the CONTROL BUTTON (Ctrl) and tap the K key.  For MAC, the Open Apple key is your Control key.

If you have any questions or comments about screennames - or funny stories, please feel free to share.

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