quick question on uninstalling a program..

[cdw]

I dunno. perhaps I don't understand what installed actually means but, here's the scoop.
I have AIM. I do not have aol the 'program', I hate them.
Anyway, AIM updated today and when it did, it installed the aol advertisement icon. I went to the add/install section of programs to delete it, but it's not showing. So I did a search for it and it says :
C:\programfiles\aod

When I go there, in the file there are bunch of things... do i just delete those from there and that's the end of it?
Does that mean the program is 'installed'? and that's why i can't find it in the install/unistall section?

:) It's so wonderful to be young and uneducated about these things... a new exciting experience presents itself daily this way. :)

[Colin]

Do you mean to say that the AIM update placed some shortcut icons on your Desktop for the AOL service, and when you tracked these shortcuts back they were pointing to the directory "C:\programfiles\aod"?

If so, I would probably just delete the directory and not really worry. By the way, what is inside this "C:\programfiles\aod"? directory? Just some install files?

[cdw]

yes, it installed an icon. in the folder on the c drive is the following.
aol.ini configuration setting
timedata.ini configuration setting
aolaod.exe aol on desktop
trainker.ppk ppk file
gtaod.exe gtcd tool gtek

So, just go there and delete all that stuff?

[Colin]

So, just go there and delete all that stuff?
Yeah, I think you should be OK by deleting all that. I did a quick Google on that "aolaod" stuff and came up with this thread:

http://www.bigblueball.com/forums/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=9157

You may want to examine that a little bit more as they seem to be discussing what all of that extra junk is and some techniques for getting rid of it.

[cdw]

Thank you!

[Misu]

Well, remember that the new AIM has new features - like video conferencing and voice chat and games. So some of those files might be needed for those things.

If your AIM works fine after you kill those files, then don't worry about it. Usually AIM will install a little exe file and link it to the icon on the desktop, which when clicked, will launch the browser and take you to the AOL website (why they need an exe for this, I have no idea), and there is where you download the installation program.

Although I believe the newer version of AOL actually requires the installation files be downloaded. So you get the initial installation program, where you pick all your options and language, and then the program fetches the correct version for you. Again, totally POINTLESS in my opinion, but that seems to be what a lot of programs do lately.