Q: Where can I sign up for an AIM screenname?
A: From the official website for AIM, located at
AIM.com. Currently (at the time of this edit, 10 June 2009) the actual screenname registration form is located
here.
Q: The screenname I want is already in use. What can I do?
A: The short answer is, you can't do anything. Most obvious screennames are already in use. But, since AIM recently added a rule to it's TOS that says that screennames expire after 90 days of inactivity, you could simply keep checking. However, it is important to note that this "rule" doesn't seem to be entirely in effect, at least not yet.
You may want to try as many different variations on your chosen screenname as you can... use different letters, spellings, add numbers, whatever you can do to make your screenname as distinctive as you can.
Q: I don't remember my password, and I can't get to the email my account is registered to. Can I still retrieve my password and get back into my account?
A: The short, usual answer is--no. You can try to retrieve your password using
this page;
sometimes the option to enter in alternate information is given. The alternate fields are usually only offered if all of that information (zip code, birthdate, gender) was attached to your screen name upon creation, and is still stored on the AIM servers.
Q: Can I completely delete my old AIM screenname?
A: Short answer is that
no, you can't. As stated above, AIM's Terms of Service supposedly deactivate accounts that have been inactive for a certain period of time, but this is apparently seldom enacted.
Q: I've already got a screenname. Can I change it without signing up for a completely new one?
A: Only partly. You can only change the spacing and case of your screenname. Go to your 'Edit' menu, then navigate down to 'Screen Name Format...' and format your screenname as you wish. Keep in mind that you cannot go over 16 characters, spaces included, and that the "new" one cannot be spelled differently.
Q: How do I disable the AIM Today window?
A: In AIM 6 go to your 'Edit' menu, then 'Settings...'. Click the "Sign In/Sign Out" tab and under "When I sign in, display the following:", select the radio button next to "None". Finally, click "Save" at the bottom of the window.
Q: Where can I get old versions of AIM?
A: There are two AOL sites where you can download a lot of old AIM installers:
AIMgen folder 73010 &
AIMgen folder 380462. There is also a large database located here:
Jon8RFC's database
Q: What is the difference between AIM 5.x (also called "AIM Classic") and Triton/6.0/AIM Pro?*1
A: Triton was an entirely new program made to provide the most popular requests of AIM users. Triton was renamed to AIM 6.0 in late 2006. AIM Pro is based off of the Triton coding, but aimed at corporations.
*1 Addons/plugins and other programs that worked with AIM Classic are not compatible with Triton/6.0/AIM Pro.