AOL Hourglass I have a fairly new e-machines desktop running XP, with 256 MB of RAM. I have a serious problem with the performance of AOL version 9, security edition, dialup access. I have tried all the standard remedies- reloading AOL, turning off virus checking, turning off firewall protection (have turned it all back on), running a couple of spyware detectors, etc. Nothing works, and the helpers at AOL are useless- all they do is read from some database, and usually know nothing about computers. Here is the problem- I call it the "hourglass problem". In certain circumstances, the cursor turns to a large hourglass (not the animated small flying windows variety) and the entire system hangs up for at least six minutes. I can't get the task manager to show up, or anything else. Even the clock stops! The only power I have is to shut down the machine, or terminate AOL by mousing the X in the upper right corner. When I bring up the task manager before bringing up the AOL software, thinking that I will catch what causes the hourglass problem, I see no change in the list of tasks. The Task Manager is alive, since I see it update occasionally. I always get the hourglass problem once in every session, in different circumstances. The circumstances of the appearance of the hourglass are: 1) Most commonly, about a minute after I have logged on to AOL, upon the first access of a web page after the initial minute. That is, sometimes I can access a web page without this interference, if I work fast enough. 2) Infrequently, even before I have connected to AOL, after I have brought up the AOL software. This means that I can't even log on! I don't have this problem with any other application- I run many different ones. The machine performs very well, as long as I don't run AOL. Also, many times after I run AOL, even though I have logged out successfully, and the AOL window disappears, I can't run anything at all. My desktop appears OK, but I can't bring up the task manager, IE, Word, or even AOL itself. The clock reports correctly, though. Sometimes, if I wait about ten minutes, I can run applications normally. Sometimes, I have to reboot. Most of the time, this phenomenon doesn't happen.

HERE IS A REVISION OF THE ABOVE, GIVING MORE INFO:

I have a fairly new e-machines desktop running XP, with 256 MB of RAM. I have a serious problem with the performance of AOL version 9.0 Security Edition, Rev 4184.5374, dialup access. I have tried all the standard remedies- reloading AOL, turning off virus checking, turning off firewall protection, running a couple of spyware detectors, etc. Nothing works, and the helpers at AOL are useless- all they do is read from some database, and usually know nothing about computers.

Here is the problem- I call it the "hourglass problem". In certain circumstances, the cursor turns to a large hourglass (not the animated small flying windows variety) and the entire system hangs up for at least six minutes. I can't get the task manager to show up, or anything else. Even the clock stops! The only power I have is to shut down the machine, or terminate AOL by mousing the X in the upper right corner, which doesn't help anything. When I bring up the task manager before bringing up the AOL software, thinking that I will catch what causes the hourglass problem, I see no change in the list of tasks. The Task Manager is alive, since I see it update occasionally.

I always get the hourglass problem once in every session, in different circumstances.

The circumstances of the appearance of the hourglass are:
1) Most commonly, about a minute after I have logged on to AOL, upon the first access of a web page after the initial minute. That is, sometimes I can access a web page without this interference, if I work fast enough.
2) Infrequently, even before I have connected to AOL, after I have brought up the AOL software. This means that I can't even log on!

I don't have this problem with any other application- I run many different ones. The machine performs very well, as long as I don't run AOL.

Also, many times after I run AOL, even though I have logged out successfully, and the AOL window disappears, I can't run anything at all. My desktop appears OK, but I can't bring up the task manager, IE, Word, or even AOL itself. The clock reports correctly, though. Sometimes, if I wait about ten minutes, I can run applications normally. Sometimes, I have to reboot. Most of the time, this phenomenon doesn't happen.

I have disabled firewalls and virus checking. When I invoke the Task Manager before starting AOL, so that I can bring it up when I get an hourglass, Task Manager shows no additional tasks on the event of an hourglass. In fact, Task manager shows nothing that is a problem. Minimum CPU activity- 0:00:04, memory not excessive- 52,956K, page faults minimal- 0, VM Size- 36,796K. Commit charge 238 MB is fine (without anti-virus and firewall).

So it has to be something in AOL that is causing the problem.

Will AOL admit to that? Have they ever? HERE IS A REVISION OF THE ABOVE, GIVING MORE INFO: I have a fairly new e-machines desktop running XP, with 256 MB of RAM. I have a serious problem with the performance of AOL version 9.0 Security Edition, Rev 4184.5374, dialup access. I have tried all the standard remedies- reloading AOL, turning off virus checking, turning off firewall protection, running a couple of spyware detectors, etc. Nothing works, and the helpers at AOL are useless- all they do is read from some database, and usually know nothing about computers. Here is the problem- I call it the "hourglass problem". In certain circumstances, the cursor turns to a large hourglass (not the animated small flying windows variety) and the entire system hangs up for at least six minutes. I can't get the task manager to show up, or anything else. Even the clock stops! The only power I have is to shut down the machine, or terminate AOL by mousing the X in the upper right corner, which doesn't help anything. When I bring up the task manager before bringing up the AOL software, thinking that I will catch what causes the hourglass problem, I see no change in the list of tasks. The Task Manager is alive, since I see it update occasionally. I always get the hourglass problem once in every session, in different circumstances. The circumstances of the appearance of the hourglass are: 1) Most commonly, about a minute after I have logged on to AOL, upon the first access of a web page after the initial minute. That is, sometimes I can access a web page without this interference, if I work fast enough. 2) Infrequently, even before I have connected to AOL, after I have brought up the AOL software. This means that I can't even log on! I don't have this problem with any other application- I run many different ones. The machine performs very well, as long as I don't run AOL. Also, many times after I run AOL, even though I have logged out successfully, and the AOL window disappears, I can't run anything at all. My desktop appears OK, but I can't bring up the task manager, IE, Word, or even AOL itself. The clock reports correctly, though. Sometimes, if I wait about ten minutes, I can run applications normally. Sometimes, I have to reboot. Most of the time, this phenomenon doesn't happen. I have disabled firewalls and virus checking. When I invoke the Task Manager before starting AOL, so that I can bring it up when I get an hourglass, Task Manager shows no additional tasks on the event of an hourglass. In fact, Task manager shows nothing that is a problem. Minimum CPU activity- 0:00:04, memory not excessive- 52,956K, page faults minimal- 0, VM Size- 36,796K. Commit charge 238 MB is fine (without anti-virus and firewall). So it has to be something in AOL that is causing the problem. Will AOL admit to that? Have they ever?