Lynn, Are you using 'Windows XP', 'Vista', or some other operating system? You mentioned 'Superantispyware' removing "several spywares". Have you also run a full scan with your 'anti-virus' program? If not, update and run a full scan. Something else I overlooked when I read your initial post, I see you're using AOL 9.1. I'm still using AOL 9.0 SE, so there may be some changes to the way things are done in 9.1 as far as repairing the software. I'm not even sure they have the same features in 9.1 so let's forget about 'rebuilding the AOL adapter' for now. Someone else using that version of AOL will have to jump in here. If you have the 'AOL' icon down in the system tray (by the clock) you can right click that and see what options there are. System Restore is painless and if you don't get the results you want you just 'undo' the restore. If you had any kind of virus or spyware infection and you restore to a time when your machine was infected, yes, it will restore those infections, but you can always run your anti-virus and anti-spyware applications again to remove them. I can't say for certain whether or not 'system restore' will affect your bookmarks but it is always a good idea to back up anything on your computer that you cannot afford to lose or want the hastle of having to replace. There can never be enough said about the importance of backing up important data! I use Acronis True Image which makes an image of the complete hard drive, sector by sector, that will restore everything including operating system, programs, documents, pictures, data, etc. to the 'T'. This is on a second drive in my PC in case my primary drive should fail. I also have an external hard drive where I back up 'My Documents'. "I also ran ccleaner right after the updates (I thought at first that that was the problem) - should I rerun that as well?" No, running CCleaner again is not going to fix the problem, nor do I see where CCleaner would have created your problem, unless by chance, if you also used the 'Registry' feature in CCleaner, it may have removed something. Anytime you use any kind of registry cleaner it should have the option of making a backup in case things go wrong, which is exactly why most cleaners, some don't, have the backup option. Either that or create a 'system restore' point before you use it. Using a 'registry cleaner' is a hot topic. Some swear by them, others swear at them! I personally have use Macecraft 'Reg Supreme' for years with no ill effects. "There may have been an easier way to do this, but I just copied and pasted all the bookmarks I made_____". There is: Internet Explorer has an 'import/export' feature for transferring or backing up your cookies and favorites. Click on 'File' in the Menu bar at the top of the IE browser, select 'Import/Export', and follow the Wizard. You can save them to a file on your computer for retrieval later if you should need to do so using the same wizard. I made a folder called 'Backups' in the 'My Documents' folder where I store a copy of my 'cookies' and 'favorites'. In Firefox, I'm still using version 2.0.0.16, if you go to 'Bookmarks' in the Menu bar and select 'Organize bookmarks' and click on 'File', you'll find an 'Import' and 'Export' wizard. Drink some 'brave' juice and try the system restore first to see if that works. Witz

Hi, snidely, I appreciate the continued food for thought re: my Windows user account password situation. :-) :-) OTOH, I'm not sure your comments reflect the conventional wisdom (at least in the online articles I've been reading, as I try to keep an open mind about these things): 1. Just because "anyone wishing entry can easily enter" doesn't mean one should make it easy for the attackers. "Anyone wishing entry can easily enter" your home and/or car as well. Are you saying you yourself, therefore, never lock your car doors or the door and windows of your home ? Are you saying your email account password is "password" ? Most people say, "Make it as hard as possible for the hackers to get at your information." I tend to agree. 2. You're right -- I don't back up my phone conversations. But not backing up emails goes against just about everything I've ever read on basic email safety/security. We all have emails that we would surely not miss if they were gone for good. Apparently, none of yours is very important. You may be one of those "read and delete" types of email readers. That's fine. (In fact, that's the way I am with my RSS feeds.) But... many other people have important information in email messages, in saved online files, etc. That's why such online services as Google, Hotmail/Skydrive, etc. have such large storage to begin with, no ?.... So that people can keep things they want/need to keep. And the email companies themselves back up your email as a precaution and advise users to do the same (via forwarding to second account, using offline client, etc.). 3. I'm not so much concerned about someone getting by Aunt Helen's email address as I am someone hacking into my account and using my email address to send something to her (virus, porn, phishing email, etc.). If my contacts see a message coming from me (or presumably so), they're more likely to open it. That could spell trouble. Again, it's a matter of basic precautions against stuff we don't want to deal with. And that's another reason why I'm moving in the direction of having all my contacts/emails offline.... so that anyone getting into my online webmail account/interface will find nothing there to work with: no contact addresses, no emails stored, no online files, etc. Everything will be offline and backed up further on CD. 4. I'm not so sure the myriads of people who have had their email accounts compromised, emails deleted, contacts bombarded with spam, porn, virus-laden emails, etc. -- and many of whom have written about the nightmare of trying to recover the account -- and the emails) -- would call it all a "slight inconvenience." Again, Mat Honan's recent experience is frightening, and so are the stories of many others. Anyway, I truly appreciate your perspective. I always want to hear the different sides of an issue so I know I'm not missing an 'angle' on whatever I'm thinking about. :-) Btw.... how did you know I have an Aunt Helen ? ;-)

Terry - that was great - thanks. It completely did what I wanted to achieve. I can easily see if I've gotten new email on my other account without switching software, etc Now a new problem occurred yesterday - before I made those changes - and I have no idea what I may have done to cause it. probably something I did in experimenting with all these different email issues. I had my firefox set up to send links in emails (from my AOL address). But now I'm trying to send my mother a link (for the emergency microsoft update from 2 days ago) - and when I'm in Firefox (and the computer forum thread is open - or any web page is open) - and I go to File - then click send link - it brings up an email form (with my screen name in AOL as the sender - so that party's working) - but a whole mishigosh of info (the link info, perhaps) appears in the space where I should be entering the email address I'm sending it to. I have no idea why that is happening. If I cut and paste that info into the body of the email - and send it to myself to test it - it doesn't appear to be a link to get me to the webpage I want). Seems to me that the webpage link should be referred to in the subject line - and supplied in the body of the email - not some mess of information occuring in the send to line. I tried going to FF tools - applications- and mail to . I have several options to choose from - use AOL software (this appears twice - once with the AOL triangle with "default" in parentheses and once with what looks like a mail page form), and once it says use AOL mail. I think I've tried all three and it still doesn't work. And before I started trying to change my email settings this week, I think there was only 1 or 2 AOL options for mail application in Firefox. Okay - so now I checked all three. On use AOL mail, it gives me the gibberish (somehow related to the webpage I'm trying to send a link for) in the to: line. If I choose use AOL software (default) - with the mail form logo - it goes to AOL software - sets up the email correctly with the information about the link in the subject line - and the to: field blank for me to fill in the recipient. But it wants me to sign on or the send button is faded and I can't click it. If I choose use AOL software (with the AOL logo - not the email logo), it takes me to the AOL software page and says this file may not be supported by AOL. AOL will try to send it as a text file (and if I choose to try, it will tell me the file is too big). So I do I email somebody links? Thanks. Lynn.

Fly, I borrowed that pic off of Tripadvisor. It's not one of ours. That castle was used in the Michelle Pheiffer movie "Ladyhawke". It's gorgeous and we've been privileged to dine there twice. Once was for a business anniversary dinner where the company's owner went all out for his employees. Shee, nope, it's not fish. That's prosciutto, the famous ham from Parma. It's one of my favorite things to eat. :) They serve it on big platters with chunks of Parmigiano. Here is a link that might be useful: Castle