Windows 7, AIM 7.1, Connection Error... Help?

[Cerebral Seraphim]

All right, I'm running Windows7, 64 bit and have been trying for a long time to get AIM to function. Anyway, I attempt to sign in to AIM but every time I am immediately greeted with a message saying "Connection error. Please try signing in again." I am not using a proxy server and AIM has been allowed through my fire wall. At this point I'm rather running out of ideas. Can anyone tell me what might be causing this problem and, more importantly, how to fix it?

[ptch8989]

Im having the exact same problem. Cant use Aim, yahoo mess wont finish downloading installation, and oovoo says networking errors as well.

Brother is a marine overseas and Im ready to throw this new computer against the wall. Need an instant messenger asap, hope someone can help

[Nightwind Hawk]

Hmm, AIM works for me here... I'm sorry I can't help you fix your problem, but until you get it fixed, you might want to try using a program like Pidgin: http://pidgin.im (I prefer it over AIM by far)

Hopefully somebody else will have the answer for you here though..!

Edit: Have you tried right clicking on AIM and saying "Run as Administrator" ? Also, go to Start --> Control Panel and check out the firewall under the security section. Make sure AIM is on the exceptions list.

[usmanity]

I just got 7.1 and it works for me.

What you should do is just switch to something else, like pidgin, digsby, or trillian.

AIM is very unstable with the connection for my windows 7 though, i have a wired connection on 64 bit.

[Saint Shiv]

I'm not sure why you can't connect but I'm using Digsby and I can connect just fine.

Also try http://aimadhack.net/ I remember in older versions it would clean up AIM well enough to function again. Did you try uninstalling then reinstalling? Either way, try it with aim adhack.

Have you edited your HOSTS file? Maybe you blocked it by accident? Are you using a router, have you unblocked the ports?

[Cerebral Seraphim]

Well, I tried installing adhack to no effect. Yes, AIM is, as I said originally, on my firewall's exceptions list and I have tried both uninstalling and reinstalling and running it as an administrator numerous times I have not, to the best of my knowledge, been near anything called a HOSTS file in my life and I'm pretty certain I haven't edited one. I am, in fact using a router, but never had a problem until I started using Windows 7. Still, it's worth a try, which brings me on to my next question, how would one go about unblocking a port?

Edit: The problem with switching to a different IM service would be that my friends almost exclusively use AIM... Oh, and I'm not sure that it would work either. In fact, internet explorer seems to be more or less the only application that can access the internet at the moment. Those that can't include Byond, Firefox and Windows live messenger.

[Saint Shiv]

Well, I tried installing adhack to no effect. Yes, AIM is, as I said originally, on my firewall's exceptions list and I have tried both uninstalling and reinstalling and running it as an administrator numerous times I have not, to the best of my knowledge, been near anything called a HOSTS file in my life and I'm pretty certain I haven't edited one. I am, in fact using a router, but never had a problem until I started using Windows 7. Still, it's worth a try, which brings me on to my next question, how would one go about unblocking a port?

Edit: The problem with switching to a different IM service would be that my friends almost exclusively use AIM... Oh, and I'm not sure that it would work either. In fact, internet explorer seems to be more or less the only application that can access the internet at the moment. Those that can't include Byond, Firefox and Windows live messenger.

Are you using a third party firewall or Windows 7 Firewall? If you don't know what the HOSTS file is, you probably didn't edit it. Heh.

Once you're in your router config, you would need to enable port forwarding. Have you had any headway yet?

[Kondrath]

Sounds like more than just AIM is being blocked... I'm not really sure why.

But to the guy with the overseas bro - it's only temporary, but you can try Aim Express, maybe?

[Saint Shiv]

Sounds like more than just AIM is being blocked... I'm not really sure why.

But to the guy with the overseas bro - it's only temporary, but you can try Aim Express, maybe?

In fact, internet explorer seems to be more or less the only application that can access the internet at the moment. Those that can't include Byond, Firefox and Windows live messenger.

[Kondrath]

Yes?

I guess it was a poorly worded sentence, but I simply meant that I understood that more than just AIM was being blocked, as previously stated... and was not sure why.

Sorry for the confusion.

[Saint Shiv]

oops, I actually misread what you typed. So, i'm the dolt.

[Cerebral Seraphim]

I'm using Windows 7 firewall, so I wouldn't imagine there would've been a problem. At present I haven't been able to try and reconfigure the router due to my inability to track down the necessary password. Anyway, as yet, I've had no headway but I'm going to try and track down the password and give it another go tonight. Wish me luck. ^_~

[Saint Shiv]

I'm using Windows 7 firewall, so I wouldn't imagine there would've been a problem. At present I haven't been able to try and reconfigure the router due to my inability to track down the necessary password. Anyway, as yet, I've had no headway but I'm going to try and track down the password and give it another go tonight. Wish me luck. ^_~

What type of router do you have? Company/Model? There's only a short list of default passwords, unless you changed it and if you did, you can reset the router to factory defaults?

[Timmah339]

i too have this exact same problem with AIM. digsby works fine on my computer. i've tried disabling the windows firewall completely, and hooking my computer up to the modem directly, neither of which worked. reinstalling didn't help either. also, i tried http://www.downforyoutoo.com/ and the AIM server is in fact down. or so it says.

EDIT: It works now...i don't know why. it wasn't working for close to 2 months. oh well.

[blade1269]

Hey,

Try Aim Pro best i've ever used.

[DragonSong]

Hi, I just got a new dell laptop with Windows 7 and AIM worked fine then, two hours later, it did not. Randomly. Neither do programs like Trillion and Meebo. I am directly connected to the modem, firefox and internet explorer seem to work, as does skype. Does anyone have any more ideas? I've uninstalled and reinstalled the newest version of aim and trillion, I'm not using a proxy setting, I've been through everything aim troubleshooting suggests.