AOL emails hang upon opening - displays LOADING

[goombawaho]

I know I should tell the user NOT to use AOL, but they insist and they are old. This happens when they use the web interface via Internet Explorer NOT the AOL software. They click on an email in their browser and a new window opens up and it says LOADING but doesn't load the email for 5 minutes.

This happens both at their home and office desktops, so it's not the internet connection or just one PC.
It's not a consistent problem. It will work for hours at a time and then start to hang up.
I have tuned up both PCs (cleaned out temp files, registry) and run malware scans on them.
I have allowed pop-ups from aol.com and mail.aol.com in IE
I upgraded from IE9 to IE11 this morning and the problem followed.
I turned off AVG Free email scanning for viruses and it didn't help, though that is probably for a mail client (Outlook).

Not sure what to do as it crosses multiple internet connections and computers.


"Living tomorrow is everyone's sorrow.
Modern man's daydreams have turned into nightmares.

 

[DrB0b]

Just curious, does this issue follow through multiple browsers as well? Does the AOL app hang too? Tried a different account?

Learning - A never ending quest for knowledge usually attained by being thrown in a situation and told to fix it NOW.

 

[goombawaho]

User doesn't want to try any different browser and since it's intermittent, testing on another browser just once wouldn't prove anything.

The AOL app doesn't hang at the user's home.

A different account at the office on another computer doesn't hang.

"Living tomorrow is everyone's sorrow.
Modern man's daydreams have turned into nightmares.

 

[DrB0b]

I completely understand the situation of the elderly either not wanting change or it being to taxing to teach. Had to deal with it all of the time with customer onsites at my last job.

Was leaning towards an account issue but the AOL app not hanging seems to throw that out the window. Thought about suggesting moving all the email to a new account but.......

Realistically it can only be one of a couple issues due to it randomly malfunctioning at home and office:
Account issue, since other accounts on the same network do work fine w/o the App
IE with possible authentication/encryption issue, since App works and would assume another browser would as well

Learning - A never ending quest for knowledge usually attained by being thrown in a situation and told to fix it NOW.

 

[goombawaho]

How do you "fix" an AOL account problem?

"Living tomorrow is everyone's sorrow.
Modern man's daydreams have turned into nightmares.

 

[DrB0b]

One would speculate the following would "fix" it. Either creating a new account or contacting support to see if they will address the issue, although probably a HUGE waste of time...... Easiest "fix" is a new account with everything forwarded to it. I know that is not a fix but a bypass and the only option I see outside of phoning AOL.

Learning - A never ending quest for knowledge usually attained by being thrown in a situation and told to fix it NOW.