AOL Account - Connects to iChat, not AOL Online

[Kardashian]

Afternoon!

Basically, in the days of Windoze, I had an AOL Broadband account. Then moving to back to a Mac (for the final time ), I was told AOL wasn't supported and they refused to take it off my line.

I had the account transferred to a relative down the road who uses 'Doze and wanted Broadband. Done.

They made their own screen name, and I still had mine so that I could use iChat, I do love it but only 3 of my friends use it, and thats only as a back up to their msn

Anyway, the other day, I opened iChat, and put in my password, lets say for example it was 'Bullfrog'. It signed in fine - my old contact, everything still there.

Out of curiosity, I signed into AOL via Safari, only to be told my password was wrong. So I tried again, entering ''Bullfrog'' - but to no avail.

Then I tried using password reset, and apparently to use this I need the AOL app. installed due to the account 'type' I have (I'm guessing AOL are still associating this account with the one that was transferred to the people down the road)

I rang AOL UK, explained the situation - they were very unhelpfull, and told me the account was still linked to the people who it was transferred over to, and that the password I was supplying them with was 'wrong' - if this is the case, why can I log into iChat?

I can supply screenshots, or even talk to you on iChat as proof, but it refuses to let me sign into anything but with the password I have.

Why is this and how can I rectify it so that I can take control of my account?

 

[MisterMe]

Download and install the AOL client for MacOS X. Use it to access AOL via TCP/IP. If this does not work, then you are going to have to get your account back from your friends.

 

[Kardashian]

OK, thanks.. AOL will probably ask for Billing or Secret Answers, which I don't know since the account was transffered to someone else.

How will I get my screen name, Joshua D Thomas, taken off their account, and made into a stand alone one?

But if the case is, that my account password is now the same as my friends, why can I sign into iChat using 'my' password?

 

[MisterMe]

OK, thanks.. AOL will probably ask for Billing or Secret Answers, which I don't know since the account was transffered to someone else.

How will I get my screen name, Joshua D Thomas, taken off their account, and made into a stand alone one?

But if the case is, that my account password is now the same as my friends, why can I sign into iChat using 'my' password?

You are overly concerned about the wrong thing. So your old screen name still has your old password. So what? This does not help you get your old account back. What you need to do is to contact your friends to have your old account transferred to your billing address. Owing to the complexity that this might ensue for friends and for you, you may be better served by simply signing up for a new AOL account. In the immortal words of billionaire US Presidential candidate H. Ross Perot: Long story short--problem solved.

 

[Macky-Mac]

OK, thanks.. AOL will probably ask for Billing or Secret Answers, which I don't know since the account was transffered to someone else.

How will I get my screen name, Joshua D Thomas, taken off their account, and made into a stand alone one?

But if the case is, that my account password is now the same as my friends, why can I sign into iChat using 'my' password?

It's unclear to me whether you want control of that particular screen name or whether you're trying to take back the AOL account.

If you just want the screen name then you're going to need the cooperation of those "people down the road". They can delete the screen name you want from their AOL account and you can sign it up with AIM as a separate AIM screen name.....of course to do this those "people down the road" are going to have to tell you the new password they created for your name. Unfortunately, if your desired screen name is the "master" screen name for their AOL account then you cant delete it from their account.

In some markets and with some types of AOL accounts you can spin off a screen name to create a new AOL account which would give you complete control of the screen name, but again, I doubt you can do this if your screen name is the "master" screen name for the account. This would cost some money for the new account of course.

As to why you can still sign in to ichat with your old password.....just guessing but I suspect that your old user profile is still on your current computer or there's a preference file with the old password still on your computer. I know that I've deleted AOL screen names while on my desktop only to find that the screen names still show up when I go to sign in to AOL while using my ibook. They continue to show up until I manually remove various files from the ibook......so I'm guessing that something similar is why ichat still recognises your old password

 

[Kardashian]

Yes, Joshua D Thomas was the master screen name - so basically I have no hope!

OK, just good to know. I'm really picky though, if it was a Screen name, I wouldn't want any numbers or anything in the new one, just my name (Sorry! )

So more than likely, I'm not going to get a new one.

As for that password issue MackyMac, the G5 I only got last week new from Apple, and it signs in on that?

Thanks for all the help though

 

[Macky-Mac]

....As for that password issue MackyMac, the G5 I only got last week new from Apple, and it signs in on that?

Thanks for all the help though

hmmm, interesting

obviously there's a file SOMEWHERE that ties your screen name and the old password....I wonder where

some questions......did you use the migration assisstent when you set up the new G5? that would have transferred the old preferences, etc.......or did you ever have a Mac.com account?

 

[Kardashian]

Nopes.. nothing like that.

Everything on this machine is a fresh install, which I find very confusing.

If you like, I could supply you the password and screename I use, too see just why it signs into iChat, but nothing else?

I set up a new screename earlier anyway... 'Josh David Thomas' - its a bit lengthy, but its my name, so everyone will remember it, lol

 

[Pat O'Connor]

Kelly James

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