bobK

I'm trying to help an elderly friend solve a problem. She has a PC with WIN XP and is using AOL 9.0 as her ISP and browser. I am helping her only via phone, and am not very familiar with the AOL browser interface... thus I can't see what she sees, and I am limited in how well I can assist. I can't guide her to an icon on her toolbar, since I can't visualize it. She is a bright lady, but vision impaired and still intimidated by her computer.

We spent 3 hours today trying to find a way for her to change her default browser from AOL to IE. We spent most of that time on the AOL Help website... which , by the way, appears to be an oxymoron. AOL Help does not offer help, they offer only mysteries and frustration, especially when you are trying to choose something other than their own product. I found many clear instructions on how to change default browser from anything else to AOL... I found utter frustration in finding a way to change from AOL to IE.

Can anyone help me? BTW, I've verified that my friend has IE installed.

TYVM

bobK

Clark76

Try this

• click start
• control panel
• internet options (need to be in Classic View to see it)
• choose the program tab at the top
• under Default Web Browser it should say Internet Explorer is not currently the default web browser, next to it should be a button saying Make Default. Click it
• click Apply

If your friend is using AOL as her ISP provider though, I believe she will still need to sign on though AOL before being able to use IE to surf the internet.

Let us know if this helps

Rkenndy3

I have a similar problem with AOL. My mother has AOL, and I guess she accidentally hit "make AOL you default browser" when prompted, and now can't switch back to IE. AOL help page says its a permanent change, and "IE tools > programs" has the "make IE the default browser" button greyed out. I guess AOL has made some kind of registry change that made this button unusable. How can I fix this for her so her computer won't log on to AOL every time she clicks a link in an email. She has IE 7, and xp, and a dsl connection.

Clark76

I don't have a computer with AOL handy to confirm this, try looking here:

Open AOL
1. Click the Tools menu, then click Settings.
2. Click the General tab, then click the Internet Options button.

Is there anywhere here about unselecting AOL as the default browser?

Let us know if this helps.

Rkenndy3

No...I've tried AOL's internet options>settings which redirects you back to IE tools>programs. Down at the bottom of that screen it says "make IE your default browser" and has a button next to it...which is greyed out. The AOL help page says that when you pick AOL as your default browser (during setup) the change is permanent, so they must have done something to the registry to disable that button. I also noticed that they hijacked the IE homepage to AOL.com just for good measure...the crappy software must not have been enough for them, they have to have the whole computer.

Clark76

To me it sounds like un-installing AOL should allow you to change Internet Explorer back to being the default browser. Then it is simply a matter of re-installing AOL and re-entering all your contacts in your address book and any favorites.