Before any of the AOL users visiting my pages get up in arms thinking I'm about to bash AOL, let me just say that I'm an AOL addict myself. That means that even though it continuously boots me, and aggravates me, and is sooooo slow I grow gray hair downloading anything, I still shell out 20 bucks a month to the AOL gods.
Now that my little confession is out in the open, let me explain why you're here.
Because AOL is such a mammoth internet service, they do a little trick with your browser to lighten the burden on their own server.
The AOL browser uses compressed images as a default. That means that whenever you go to a site with that option selected, you may be looking at images that are distorted and blurred.
That means that you may also be saving an image that isn't as it's supposed to be.

 
And as I hear a round of shocked gasps reverberating throughout the nation, I say, "Calm down, my children. For I am the all knowing goddess and I shall help you...provided you worship me."

 
Ok, you can't blame a girl for dreaming.

 
Provided below are instructions on how to change the default graphic compression setting.

Select your version of AOL
4.0  5.0  6.0
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

AOL 4.0


 
1. Click "My AOL" on the AOL browser toolbar 
 
2. Select "Preferences". 
 
3. Click the "WWW" icon that appears on the preferences window.
 
4. On the "AOL Internet Properties" screen that'll appear, select the "Web Graphics" tab. It will be the last one to the right.
 
5. Select the box labeled "Use compressed graphics". This will remove the check mark from the box. If there was no check mark to begin with, it had previously been disabled.
 
6. For the next step, click on the tab that says "General".
 
7. Click on the "Delete files" button under "Temporary Internet Files". This will purge the browser files so that any site you visit after will be viewed with uncompressed graphics.
 
8. Click "OK".
 
9. Ideally, you would restart the computer now, but I know most of you won't. If you plan on saving any of the cursor trail images I offer, make sure to press hold down on the Shift key and select Refresh on your browser simultaneously.

For information on how to set up a cursor trail
on AOL hometown, go to the FAQ's area.


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

AOL 5.0


 
1. Click "My AOL" on the AOL browser toolbar
 
2. Select "Preferences". 
 
3. Click the "WWW" icon that appears on the preferences window.
 
4.  On the "AOL Internet Properties" screen that'll appear, select the "Web Graphics" tab. It will be the last one to the right.
 
5. Select the box labeled "Use compressed graphics". This will remove the check mark from the box. If there was no check mark to begin with, it had previously been disabled.
 
6. For the next step, click on the tab that says "General".
 
7. Click on the "Delete files" button under "Temporary Internet Files". This will purge the browser files so that any site you visit after will be viewed with uncompressed graphics.
 
8. Click "OK".
 
9. Ideally, you would restart the computer now, but I know most of you won't. If you plan on saving any of the cursor trail images I offer, make sure to press hold down on the Shift key and select Refresh on your browser simultaneously.

For information on how to set up a cursor trail
on AOL hometown, go to the FAQ's area.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

AOL 6.0


 
 
1. Click on "Settings" on the AOL browser.
 
2. Select "Preferences" from the drop down menu.
 
3. Select the link titled "Internet Properties (WWW)" under the Organization column.
 
4. Click on the "Web Graphics" tab that will be to the far right.
 
5. Select the radio button beside "Never compress graphics".
 
6. Next, click on the "General tab".
 
7. Click on the "Delete files" button under "Temporary Internet files". This will purge the browser files so that any site you visit after will be viewed with uncompressed graphics.
 
8. Select OK.
 
9. Ideally, you would restart the computer now, but I know most of you won't. If you plan on saving any of the cursor trail images I offer, make sure to press hold down on the Shift key and select Refresh on your browser simultaneously.

 

For information on how to set up a cursor trail
on AOL hometown, go to the FAQ's area.