"Runtime Error. Abnormal Program Termination." Error Message Appears When Connecting to the Internet

When you attempt to connect to the Internet, you may receive an error message similar to the following:

This problem can occur when both of the following conditions are true:

• America Online (AOL) software is running on your computer.
• Your installation of America Online software is damaged.

To work around this problem, use the following methods in the order that they appear.

Remove the AOL Software

1. Click Start, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel.
2. Double-click Add/Remove Programs.
3. On the Install/Uninstall tab, click the AOL software, click Add/Remove, and then follow the steps to remove the software.
4. Repeat step 3 for any additional instances of the AOL software until all AOL software is removed.

Clean the Windows Temp Directory

1. Use Windows Explorer to browse to C:\Windows\Temp.
2. On the Edit menu, click Select All.
3. Press DELETE, and then click Yes to delete all the files.
4. On the desktop, right-click Recycle Bin, and then click Empty Recycle Bin.
5. Restart the computer.

Install AOL Software

1. Press CTRL+ALT+DELETE to open the Close Program dialog box.
2. Quit all programs except Windows Explorer and Systray (which are parts of Windows). To quit a program, click the program, and then click End Task.
3. Click Cancel.
4. Disable any antivirus or disk tool programs that are installed on the computer. For information about how to disable these programs, see Help or the printed documentation for the program.
5. Run the AOL Setup program.

The third-party products that are discussed in this article are manufactured by companies that are independent of Microsoft. Microsoft makes no warranty, implied or otherwise, regarding the performance or reliability of these products.