Copyright: AOL95 Redialer © 1997 by Lou A. Moccia


Welcome to  AOL95 Redialer !

Version 2.0

Copyright © 1997 by Lou A. Moccia

A revision or version of AOL95 Redialer newer than this one may be available.  I am always making improvements, incorporating suggestions, and am simply determined to keep current of AOL changes.  The latest one is available at http://users.aol.com/lamprog/AOL95_Redialer.zip (note the case of the file name), or you can e-mail me at lamprog@aol.com to have it sent to you, and of course to report any problems, suggestions, or comments.

What It Does

AOL95 Redialer makes the America Online 3.0 for Windows client attempt to connect again automatically after it displays a Connect Error message box, such as when both access numbers are annoyingly busy.  FlashSession redialing is also supported.  Many settings are available that affect how AOL95 Redialer controls America Online.

Why the America Online programmers never chose to implement a “redial until connected” feature is simply baffling!

(Well, then again, maybe not.)

What It Costs

AOL95 Redialer is absolutely free for all AOL members.  Let's unite against busy signals!

Of course, if you truly feel a donation is in order, then by all means please feel free to… Oh, nevermind!

This application is in no way affiliated with America Online, Inc.

Requirements

AOL95 Redialer (hereafter referred to as the redialer) is a 32-bit application that will run under Windows 95 or Windows NT 3.51-4.0 only.  It requires the Microsoft Visual Basic 4.0 32-bit runtime file set, of which the main file is VB40032.DLL.  It is not included with the redialer in order to save a great amount of download time, and since you may actually have the files already.  If you know you do not have them, or you try to run the redialer and it reports a .DLL is missing, then you should search on vbrun400 online to find the 4.0 32-bit runtime.  The file archive you can get may or may not be self-extracting, and may or may not include a Setup program.  I highly recommend one with a Setup program because it does version checking and will not overwrite any newer files found.

I have my own archive of the runtime set available, complete with a Setup program, which can be found at http://users.aol.com/lamprog2/vb432run.zip.

For the redialer to be at all useful, it requires the America Online 3.0 for Windows client (hereafter referred to as AOL) to be installed.  The redialer was designed to work with the very first release of the 32-bit Windows 95 version of AOL, which was version 3.0, revision 131.49.  It should work with later revisions as well, such as 131.52 at the time of this writing.  (You can see what revision of AOL you are using by pressing Ctrl+R in the About box in AOL, and also by looking at the “Sent on:” line of any e-mail you have sent online.)  The redialer will also work with the 16-bit Windows 3.x version of AOL (current revision unknown to me) when that is run under Windows 95 or Windows NT 3.51-4.0.

I am sorry, but I have moved on to the 32-bit world, so please do not request a 16-bit version of the redialer!

Setup

Simply put the AOL95 Redialer.exe and AOL95 Redialer.hlp files in any folder you want, and then create a shortcut to the .exe anywhere you want (if you want).  The redialer does not have to be in the same folder as AOL if you do not want it to be, because the redialer will find AOL when it needs it by looking in the Windows Registry or in WIN.INI.

Running

You can run the redialer before or after AOL is run.  If AOL is not running when you run the redialer, you will be asked if you would like to run AOL (as long as the Notify setting is on -- see the Settings section below).  The redialer does not change anything in AOL, and it runs as a separate application like any other.

The redialer supports a command line switch for setting the screen name to use on startup (see the info below the Use screen name setting in the Settings section below).  For advanced users, the redialer will pass any other command line parameters it is started with to AOL.EXE (the AOL executable) when it is run by the redialer.

In addition to the normal Windows ways of exiting an application, pressing Esc will also exit the redialer.

Usage

The redialer is active and waiting to redial AOL when necessary when On appears in the redialer's title bar.  The Turn Off button toggles between the redialer's On and Off modes, so you can temporarily disable the redialer without exiting it.  When you turn the redialer On, it controls AOL based on the state of the redialer's settings (see the Settings section below).

When you run the redialer, it is in On mode.  You can hold the Shift key on startup to be in Off mode, if you want to bypass and change some settings, for example.

The Normal Dial button toggles between the redialer's normal and FlashSession dialing modes:

In normal dialing mode, a dial is performed using the Welcome or Goodbye window in AOL.  A password will be supplied or asked for when needed.  If the Welcome or Goodbye window cannot be found, and no other window is open in AOL at the time, the Welcome window will be opened automatically.  A redial will be performed when a Connect Error message box appears.

In FlashSession dialing mode, a dial is performed using the Activate FlashSession Now command in AOL.  You must set up a FlashSession with the Set Up FlashSession command in AOL beforehand, or else AOL will tell you what could not be done.  A redial will be performed when a Connect Error message box appears, but usually this is not the case for a FlashSession.  So in addition, a redial will be performed when both the FlashSession Status and Welcome (or Goodbye) windows exist in AOL (even after a successful FlashSession).  Before a redial is performed in this case, there will be a short delay in order to give you time to stop FlashSession redialing.  To stop redialing, it depends where you are in the FlashSession:  If AOL has already reported a connection failure or completed a successful FlashSession, then you must close the FlashSession Status window in AOL to prevent redialing because at that point the redialer is frozen in its short delay; Or, before a connection failure or successful FlashSession, or before you cancel the connection attempt, you can switch the redialer to normal dialing mode or turn it off to prevent redialing.

The About button displays some info about the redialer, including some statistics for the current redialer session.

The little  ·  button at the bottom of the redialer window turns Instant Messages (IMs) off in AOL (ignoring of IMs), and the  ·  button turns IMs on again (receiving of IMs).  This provides a quick way to toggle the receiving of IMs, good for when you are away from the computer while online and you do not want anyone wondering why you are not answering their IMs in a timely fashion.  When you use the  ·  button, the redialer window will appear again so you can do whatever, because it is assumed that one usually wants to leave AOL for a while at that point.  When you use the  ·  button, the redialer window will minimize if the Minimize setting is on (see the Settings section below) and AOL will stay in the front, because it is assumed one usually wants to get back to AOL at that point.

The little  ·  button at the bottom of the redialer window will make the redialer run as a tray icon in the Windows taskbar.  Right-clicking on the icon will present a menu of commands.  Left-double-clicking is the same as using the Go button in the redialer window (see the Settings section below).  Right-double-clicking will restore the redialer window immediately.  If you exit the redialer while running as a tray icon, it will run as a tray icon the next time.

The commands in the menu presented by right-clicking on the tray icon correspond to the similar buttons and settings in the redialer window.  However, the <screen name> commands work a little differently.  In addition to selecting the screen name just like the list in the redialer window does, they will also turn on the Have AOL dial and Use screen name settings (see the Settings section below) automatically.  This is because when you change the screen name to use from the tray icon menu, it is assumed that one wants to have AOL dial and set the name selected next, which saves having to go back to the redialer window to make sure those settings are on.

Pressing F1 will call up this Help file, as will the little ? button at the bottom of the redialer window.

When you have FlashSessions scheduled, and the time for a FlashSession arrives while you are online, AOL displays a message saying a FlashSession cannot be performed while online (which is not actually true!).  This can interfere with things like downloading, I have been told.  When the redialer is On, it will watch for that message dialog and dismiss it automatically, and the window that was in the foreground will be put in the foreground again (if possible).

When the redialer is handling AOL, you should be careful not to type or click during the time the redialer is performing its tasks.  The simulated keystrokes will usually be lost or sent to the wrong window if you change the foreground window during the time the redialer is handling AOL.  The way Windows works, an application must be brought to the foreground in order for it to receive keystrokes, either by normal typing or when simulated.  It appears AOL does not support DDE control, so there is no other way to accomplish what the redialer does with AOL.

Settings

Many settings are available that affect how the redialer controls AOL:

Run or activate AOL:  When the redialer is turned On, the redialer will run AOL if it is not currently running, or activate AOL if it is running (restoring it if minimized).  To run AOL, the redialer looks for the path to AOL.EXE by checking in the Windows Registry for the 32-bit version of AOL, and in WIN.INI for the 16-bit version of AOL (applies to the 32-bit version as well).  If these keys do not exist or are invalid (maybe you renamed the AOL folder?), then you will be asked if you want to specify the AOL folder yourself.  After AOL is successfully run, the WIN.INI key and only existing Registry keys will be updated, thereby correcting your AOL installation without the need to reinstall AOL.

Minimize when AOL is running:  When the redialer is On, it will minimize itself when AOL is found running.

The Go button turns the redialer On and considers the above two settings on even if they are off at the time.  This button makes it useful to keep the Run, Minimize, and Notify (see below) settings off, allowing you to change settings before running or activating AOL.  Keeping those settings off also allows you to toggle the redialer on and off without activating AOL, and you can use the Go button to go to AOL when ready.

Exit when AOL is no longer running:  When the redialer is On, exiting AOL will have the redialer exit too.

Notify when AOL is not running:  When the redialer is turned On, you will be asked if you would like to run AOL or exit if AOL is not currently running.  When the redialer is On and AOL is running, you will be asked the same thing when AOL is no longer running.  The Run and Exit settings take precedence over the Notify setting.

Have AOL dial when run or activated:  When the redialer is turned On and the Run setting is on, the redialer will initiate a dial in AOL when it is run or activated, if possible.  In FlashSession dialing mode, a FlashSession will be started if you are online at the time.  Note that in FlashSession dialing mode, even when the Run or Have AOL dial setting is off, a FlashSession will still be started when the redialer is turned on if both the FlashSession Status and Welcome (or Goodbye) windows are found in AOL.  This is due to the way a FlashSession redial must be watched for (see the FlashSession dialing mode info in the Usage section above).

Send AOL to back of display on dial:  The redialer will send AOL to the back of the display (that is, in the background behind all other windows) after a dial is performed.  This is useful for when you do not want to watch AOL try to connect and rather return to whatever you were working in.

Use screen name:  The selected screen name position will be set in the list of screen names in AOL when a dial is performed.  Of course, do not try to use a number higher than your actual number of screen names, or else one of the choices at the bottom of the list will be used (such as New Local#).  Each screen name entry in the redialer’s list can be edited to your liking (usually to match your real screen names, but that is completely up to you!).

A special switch can be used on the redialer’s command line to set the screen name to use on startup:  -SN#   The # can range from 1 to 5 to set the screen name position in the redialer’s list.  The switch must be at the beginning of the command line if you pass other parameters for use in running AOL.EXE (the -SN# switch is removed from the command line after it is processed).  Uppercase or lowercase does not matter for the switch, and you can use a leading  /  character instead of the  -  character, if you want.  Using a switch overrides the saved screen name, and it also turns on the Use screen name setting automatically.

Set name one time:  When the Use screen name setting is on, the screen name will only be set the first time a dial is performed.  This is handy for when you first run the redialer and it has AOL dial, and you later change the screen name in AOL yourself without having to go back to the redialer.  After the first dial, the Use screen name setting becomes grayed to signify that the “one time” was done.  Selecting a new screen name to use will reset it.

When the redialer detects the password field in the Welcome or Goodbye window in AOL, it will supply the password typed in the redialer's Password to use when needed field when a dial is performed.  If the redialer's password field is empty, you will be prompted for the password to use, and it will be put in the redialer's password field for subsequent use.  Each screen name in the Use screen name list can have its own password, and the password field will be updated when you select different screen names in the list.

The Clear button under the password field will immediately clear out all currently entered passwords and delete any currently saved passwords.  This is useful for when you want to leave the redialer running for someone else to use on your computer and you do not want them using your screen names (otherwise, you would have to turn off the Remember the passwords setting (see below), exit the redialer, and then run the redialer again to accomplish the same thing).

Remember the passwords:  When this setting is on, any entered passwords will be saved to disk on exit and used between redialer sessions.  The passwords are saved in an encrypted form for security.  When this setting is off, passwords will not be saved, and any that are currently saved will be deleted.

Bring “idle” messages to front and beep:  When the redialer is On and AOL displays an idle message after you are idle for a while (which can range from a silly 5 minutes during peak hours, to a more generous 30 minutes other times -- plus now there is one that displays about every 30 to 40 minutes regardless of activity!), it will bring AOL to the front of the display and continually beep to let you know there is an idle message waiting for your answer.  The redialer always has to bring an idle message to the front in order to handle it anyway, so when the Dismiss setting is on (see below), this setting is basically just to beep or not.

Dismiss “idle” messages:  When the redialer is On, it will automatically get rid of an idle message, and the window that was in the foreground will be put in the foreground again (if possible).  If you use AOL's unlimited use pricing plan, this setting is very handy for remaining online while you are away from the computer.  If you are still using an hourly rate plan, then please remember when you use this setting!

AOL back:  When the redialer is On and an idle message has been dismissed by the redialer, it will send AOL to the back of the display, and the window that was in the foreground will be put in the foreground again (if possible).

Minimize AOL after an “idle” is dismissed:  When this setting is on, the redialer will minimize AOL after dismissing an idle message, which is handy for keeping AOL out of the way while you are not using it (especially if you had AOL minimized before the idle message).  This setting overrides the AOL back setting.

Before AOL displays an old-style idle message, it always restores its window if it is minimized at the time.  However, AOL does not restore its window when it displays a new-style idle message.  So, when the Bring or Dismiss setting is on, the redialer will restore AOL for a new-style idle message in order to work uniformly with both style idle messages.

Always dial if offline in Normal Dial mode:  When the redialer is On and in normal dialing mode, this setting will cause AOL to dial any time the Welcome or Goodbye window is found in AOL.  This is useful if you get bumped offline often, and want to get back online right away automatically.  Note that even when the Run or Have AOL dial setting is off, a dial will still be started when the redialer is turned on if the Welcome or Goodbye window is found in AOL.

Stay online after a FlashSession finishes:  When the redialer performs a FlashSession dial, this setting will have it turn on the Stay online when finished option in the Activate FlashSession Now window first.

Toggle MSIE “Dialing” on startup & exit:  In order for Microsoft Internet Explorer 3.0 (MSIE) to use AOL as a connection to the Internet, its Dialing option Connect to the Internet as needed must be off so it will not try to run a Dial-Up Networking connection.  When this setting is on, the redialer will turn the Dialing option off when it starts up, and the redialer will turn the Dialing option on again when it exits (but only if the Dialing option was originally on when the redialer started).  This makes it convenient to run MSIE with AOL (in conjunction with the redialer, of course), and later with a Dial-Up connection (another ISP or network) when you exit AOL and the redialer.  Note that once MSIE is running, changing its Dialing option (even from within MSIE itself) has no effect, so MSIE must be restarted for a change to be recognized.

The little  ·  button at the bottom of the redialer window calls up a dialog where you can modify the redialer’s various time limits used in handling AOL.  This is handy for use on slower computers, especially when you often receive window detection messages from the redialer.  It is also good for increasing the delay between FlashSession redials, for example.

Happy connecting!

(Dealing with AOL staff is quite another story...)