Transferring AOL accounts across systems?

PoloMint

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I'm helping someone move all their stuff from an old system to a new one. They have AOL...and they want to keep using AOL

From what I have seen and heard (perhaps incorrectly) AOL keeps you address book and emails centrally, none of it is stored on the customers system. So to transfer the address book and emails to the new system do I just need to install AOL and enter his registration details and everything will magically appear? Or is it not that simple? Is there anything I need to transfer from the AOL directory on the existing system?

I haven't come in contact with AOL for at least 5 years, so any tips on doing this would be appreciated.
 

rolfw

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I think that it is all done on sign in, but not 100%, must confess that I avoid it like the plague. :)
 

Channel Hopper

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rolfw said:
I think that it is all done on sign in, but not 100%, must confess that I avoid it like the plague. :)
Its not the plague, its worse.

Make sure your friend writes down all contacts and transfers that way.

AOL is one of those packages that will never let go, and will screw you into the ground if you have anything to do with them on the PC.
 

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how aol have customers is beyond me...but anyway. why not isntall on the new system, and see what's missing, if anything. if that's not an option, what about contacting them, checking their site faq maybe? but i would keep a backup copy of the contacts anyway just in case, especially if its an extensive list.
 

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Channel Hopper said:
Its not the plague, its worse.

The plague would be a welcome relief from AOL. I got shut in 1998 and have advised many others to do the same ever since. Barge Pole and all that sorry PM I wish I could help but I would think things have moved on since V3. I would suggest you have a look around and see if there are any export functions in the file menu section if there are then export what you can if that is possible and burn them onto CD. I am thinking in terms of cookies bookmarks addresses and Emails but you may be correct they may be stored centrally.
 

PoloMint

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Thanks guys.

Changing from AOL is not an option I'm afraid.

Having both systems running at the same time won't be possible either so I wanted to make sure that there was nothing critical on the old one that I had take. There is no sign of an export or save option anywhere, the AOL website wasn't very helpful but something suggested it was all stored centrally.

Cookies and cache don't matter, it's just address book, emails and bookmarks that are needed, and there's no sign of the emails or address book in the AOL directory.
 

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Is this XP to XP by any chance as XP can transfer across the whole lot supposedly, I have never used it but when I installed XP a few months ago it offered to connect to another pc and pull everything across for me but I couldn't cos I was going XP from 2K
 

PoloMint

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Unfortunately it's Windows ME to XP (I know, imagine running Windows ME and AOL, yet he's survived for 5 years!)

It's also AOL 8 to whatever the newest one is (so presumably I can't just switch the folders on the new one for the ones from the old one)
 

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May not help but here's how to do it on a Mac but the directories may be similar...

Quit AOL on both computers. If you are on a network, mount the old computer's hard drive. Go to System Folder -> Preferences -> America Online -> Data and copy the file Address Book onto your desktop. Rename the file [screen_name]'s Contacts (replace [screen_name] with your screen name, obviously) and drop it in the folder /Users -> Shared -> America Online. Launch AOL and you are all set.

This should also work with the Filing Cabinet file.
 

rolfw

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Does the XP CD not have a settings transfer wizard for this, it certainly transfers all of the document folders.
 

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PoloMint said:
I know, imagine running Windows ME and AOL, yet he's survived for 5 years!

Jeepers he must be made of strong stuff......Millenium Edition as well as AOL what a lot of patience!!!
 

PoloMint

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Well it's all set up now (I think...)

No problems at all until I started installing AOL, but got there eventually.

The guy had also forgotten his password and all of his security prompts, which didn't help things. :-doh!

Thanks for the advice :)
 

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Glad you made it PM arn't people good at forgetting their own names :-doh!
 

rolfw

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Mind you, some of the security questions are not very easy, in one case I only had the choice of favourite pet (I don't have any pets), or father's first name, so when I entered it, they said you cannot have a name which is in the member's information, am I the only person in the country who doesn't have a pet and is named after his father? Then I put his second name and they said that four characters are too short :D :-lmao
 
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