In a message dated 7/28/2006 11:09:02 A.M. Pacific Standard Time, VandA121@aol.com writes: For a small amount monthly to AOL, if I am understanding what I read, I can remain with AOL and keep everything I have, Favorites, mail address or anything else associated with them. Beside many of my Documents there is an AOL symbol. Would those items be on my hard drive like the PDF files, etc. Thanks again for your suggestions...puts a different spin on things. ------------ Virgene, Well, I'm not Joan, but, Yes you can pay AOL a small amount and continue to have your same account with all it's perks. I do that, Joan does that and many of our fellow list members do too. However, many people prefer to use IE or Firefox or another browser and like to be able to access their AOL on the web rather that use the full AOL client. AOL has developed AIM Mail for them. As for the Documents with the AOL symbol, it depend entirely upon where, on your computer, they reside. Use your Windows Explorer (not the same as Internet Explorer!) and trace them down. If they are located on or rather within the AOL program then they may not be on your computer's harddrive. If they are located within the AOL program *as well as* another place on your computer, like MS Word, or Works, etc. then you have them on your harddrive. If they are not within the AOL program at all, then they are on your harddrive. Sharon