WinDOwS Tricks - Part 21

Go to ALL WinDOwS ©Tricks + Secrets Contents

But wait, I found a FIX... :)

This FIX applies to ALL Windows 9x/NT4/2000/ME/XP users, and works with MS IE 5.5 SP2, 6.0 + 6.0 SP1 (ALL builds)!

CAUTION: DO THIS AT YOUR OWN RISK!

1. WinNT4/2000/XP users ONLY: Download this MS IE 5.5 SP1 patch for your particular language, which among other patched MS IE files includes a fix for MSHTML.DLL [build 5.50.4731.2200], a NEWER version than the one installed by MS IE 5.5 SP1 Setup, but OLDER than the ones from MS IE 5.5 SP2, 6.0 + 6.0 SP1.
   This is the MS IE 5.5 SP1 English patch [2.47 MB, free].
   For details about this patch see Microsoft Security Bulletin MS02-047.

2. WinNT4/2000/XP users ONLY: Do NOT run the executable, instead extract the files from Q323759.EXE, by running this command line from the Start menu -> Run... box:

   Q323759.EXE /C /Q /T:C:\TEMP

   into the (preferably empty) folder of your choice (C:\TEMP in this example).

3. WinNT4/2000/XP users ONLY: Delete all extracted files except MSHTML.DLL, which will be used here to replace yours, located in C:\Winnt\System32 (WinNT4) or C:\Windows\System32 (Win2000/XP). Default setup folders were used in these examples, please change if different on your computer(s).

4. Win95/98/ME users ONLY: I have included here 2 files for convenience: IEBUGFIX.BAT (a DOS style BATch file) + IEBUGFIX.INF (a Win9x/ME INFormation file) [9 KB, ZIPped] to automate the installation of this FIX. Download IEFIX.ZIP and then decompress it with one of these "FREE WINDOWS 9x/NT/2000/ME/XP/2003/Vista FILE SHRINKERS".
   To make this work properly you MUST run ONLY IEBUGFIX.BAT, NOT IEBUGFIX.INF, because the BAT file does it all for you. :)
   But FIRST you MUST have MS IE 5.5 SP2, 6.0 or 6.0 SP1 ALREADY installed. To verify if this is true: right-click on Iexplore.exe (located by default in C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer) -> select Properties -> scroll down to "Product Version" -> look at the build number. Should be 6.00.2800.1106 for IE 6.0 SP1, 6.00.2600.0000 for IE 6.0 or 5.51.4807.2300 for IE 5.5 SP2. More info @ MSKB.
   Also, you MUST be ALREADY connected to the internet. [Duuuh! :)]
   If ANY of these 2 conditions are NOT met, please do so FIRST, and ONLY AFTER that run IEBUGFIX.BAT again!
   What IEBUGFIX.BAT actually does:
   1. Sets your MS Internet Explorer download folder to C:\ root.
   2. Starts your copy of MS IE 5.5 SP2, 6.0 or 6.0 SP1.
   3. Downloads MS IE 5.5 SP1 English Patch [Q323759.EXE] from Microsoft web site into your C:\ root folder.
   4. Applies the BUG FIX with the "help" of IEBUGFIX.INF.
   5. Resets your MS IE download folder to your original setting.
   6. Restarts Windows, so the "patch" can take effect.

   If for any reason you wish to uninstall this FIX: open Control Panel -> (double)-click Add/Remove Programs -> scroll down to "FIX Netscape Plugins in MS IE 6.0 + 5.5 SP2" -> highlight it -> click the Add/Remove button -> done. :)

   What this FIX actually does:

   • Install:
     MSHTML.OLD from C:\ root is copied to C:\Windows\System and IEBUGFIX.INF is copied to C:\Windows\Inf. When you restart Windows afterwards, Wininit.exe reads the Wininit.ini file created by the FIX in C:\Windows, and renames your newer MSHTML.DLL to MSHTML.ORI, and MSHTML.OLD to MSHTML.DLL.
     Mow MS IE is using the older but functional DLL. :)

   • Uninstall:
     MSHTML.DLL is renamed back to MSHTML.OLD, MSHTML.ORI is renamed back to MSHTML.DLL, and MSHTML.OLD and IEBUGFIX.INF are deleted.
     Now MS IE is using your original DLL. [back to square 1 :)]

5. ALL remaining steps below refer ONLY to WinNT4/2000/XP users, who need to do this manually:

   BACKUP your current MSHTML.DLL file from %windir%\System32 to a safe location BEFORE replacing it!

6. SOLUTION [Thank you Captain SiskoX!]:
   "Install the WRC (Windows Recovery Console) tool. Then boot to the command prompt and replace MSHTML.DLL along with the WFP (Windows File Protection) backup copy from the command line, reboot, and it would have nothing else to "restore" except that copy. :)"
   FYI [Thank you Pierre!]:
   "The DOS prompt won't help if you have Win2000/XP installed on an NTFS partition. Workaround: download Inuse.exe [790 KB, free].
   Inuse.exe lets you replace system files from within the running OS, i.e. from Service Packs and Hot Fixes. The actual replacement takes place at the next reboot.
   Unofficial Replacer tool for Windows 2000/XP/2003 (freeware).
   The Maintenance Console (see WRC above) can be run directly from the Win2000/XP Setup CD or can be installed on the hard disk.
   To run it from the CD, you must boot from the CD first, and then select the Repair path to get to the screen from which you can select "Repair using console".
   Win2000/XP Maintenance (Recovery) Console (WRC) hard disk installation:
   1. Login as Administrator.
   2. Open a command prompt.
   3. Change directory to \I386 on the Win2000/XP Setup CD (or to a copy of that directory on your hard disk, if you made one).
   4. Run this command:
      WINNT32 /CMDCONS
   WRC will be installed in the C:\Cmdcons directory.
   NOTE: WRC is FAT specific. If converting your boot drive/partition (C) from FAT16 or FAT32 to NTFS you MUST reinstall WRC! More info.
   From now on the Maintenance Console will be added as an extra option to the Win2000/XP multiboot menu. To be able to use it you must change the boot menu default selection delay to more than zero seconds [:)]: System Properties -> Advanced tab -> Startup and Recovery button.
   The WRC install process is described in the Getting Started Win2000 booklet.
   The Maintenance Console is a (secure) character mode only boot tool with limited capabilities, and can be used for copying, deleting or renaming system files, creating or deleting partitions, performing advanced disk scanning etc.
   To be able to navigate outside of the \Winnt (%windir%) directory and copy files to/from a removable drive, you must enable the appropriate Recovery Console policy from: Administrative Tools -> Local Security Settings (the policy name is self explanatory).
   Then, once booted into the console, you will have to explicitly change an environment variable (run the HELP command at the console prompt for details). The environment variable change has to be done EVERY time you start the console (variable names are also self explanatory)!
   BTW: The Windows File Protection (WFP) default backup location is the %windir%\System32\Dllcache directory."
   More WRC info:
   • MS WinXP
   • MSKB
   • MSKB
   • MSKB
   • MSKB
   • MS TechNet
   • PixelLab.

7. Now move your extracted MSHTML.DLL file to %windir%\System32 (default is C:\Winnt\System32 for WinNT or C:\Windows\System32 for Win2000/XP): see Captain's SOLUTION and Pierre's FYI above to learn how to rename your current MSHTML.DLL first, and then replace it with the extracted one.

8. Finally, reboot Windows NT4/2000/XP.

9. Done. :)

From now on enjoy your restored MS IE compatibility with ALL current (and future) Netscape style browser plugins, just as you used to.

KNOWN BUGs:

• "This fix disables typing of new messages in MS OE 6.0 [MS IE 6.0] on my Win98 PC.
  The message field displays the ~ sign, the font bar is grayed out and I cannot type anythingg by left-clicking in the message field.
  This MS OE bug is restored after uninstalling the MSHTML.DLL fix."
  [Thank you Aleksandr!]

• "This fix may disable the Internet Explorer right-click function if using Windows ME + MS IE 6.0."
  [Thank you Pat!]

• "Replaced MSHTML.DLL as suggested in WinXP Pro, which allowed the Prizm plug-in (special version from TMS Sequoia used by Boeing = renames .TIF image files to .IBO and views them in MS IE) to install. It didn't install before the fix.
  The plug-in associated the files properly, but these pictures are not viewable nor downloadable. :(
  The IE Help About screen works OK on my PC after applying the fix."
  [Thank you Daniel!]

• "After applying the MS IE 6.0 bug fix I cannot fill out forms at my online banking web page anymore."
  [Thank you Wayne!]

• "After applying the MS IE 6.0 bug fix IE systematically crashes when clicking News.com Real-Time Stock Quotes boxes."
  [Thank you Francois!]

• After replacing the original MS IE 6.0 MSHTML.DLL with the older one (as detailed above), the About box (which can be brought up by clicking Help -> About Internet Explorer from the File menu) pops up this error message instead of displaying the normal About credits window [:(]:
  "An error has occurred in this dialog.
  Error 96:
  Unspecified error."

NOTES: It is recommended to install the current Apple QTM Codecs/Players in case you decide to upgrade your MS IE build in the future, because it is likely that Microsoft will not bring back Netscape and/or QTM plugin support to upcoming Internet Explorer releases. :(
It is also likely that some 3rd party Netscape-only style plugin developers will add MS IE ActiveX compatibility to their future releases, but I wouldn't count on that.

"Check out this page for details.
Creating a local PAC (Proxy Auto Configuration) file for Netscape Navigator/Communicator 3.xx/4.xx/6.xx or a remote one (placed somewhere on the internet) for MS Internet Explorer 3.xx/4.xx/5.xx/6.xx, or for any JavaScript capable browser for that matter, can block out unwanted web sites from collecting information about unsuspecting visitors, while loading commercial ads/banners.
A custom HOSTS file didn't seem to block popup ads for me, but the PAC file sure did. 8-)"

This Registry trick works in all Windows 9x/NT4/2000/ME releases with MS NetMeeting installed.

"If you would like to prevent others from seeing the addresses that you've connected to using Microsoft NetMeeting, open Regedit and go to:

HKEY_USERS\S-1-5-21-329068152-507921405-1060284298-500\Software\Microsoft\Conferencing\UI\CallMRU

and delete all "AddrX" String Values.
Optional: right-click on the "Count" Binary Value and select Edit to change it to 00 00 00 00 to remove the ugly blank spaces from the drop down menu."

"The Minimize, Maximize/Restore and Close Taskbar buttons are sometimes too small to rapidly select them, or too big, and take up a lot of space.
This Windows 9x/ME Registry tweak makes them long and slim, preserving the open program's Taskbar icon (graphic), while forcing its title (text) to disappear.
Open Regedit and go to:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop\WindowMetrics

Double-click the "CaptionWidth" String value and change the number to 50. Then double-click the "CaptionHeight" String value and change the number to -210. This works great on a screen resolution of 1024x768, with Small Fonts of size 7.
If your screen resolution is 800x600, make "CaptionWidth" 40 and "CaptionHeight" -165, and use Small Fonts size 6.
You can alter the size of the scroll buttons in the same manner by changing "ScrollHeight" [String value] to -330 and "ScrollWidth" [String value] to -135 in a resolution of 800x600.
Similarly set "ScrollHeight" to -330 and "ScrollWidth" to -165 if using a 1024x768 resolution."

ADD-ON: Depending on your particular program's Title Bar size, you can also tweak the "MinWidth" setting for more control over the size of your minimized programs' Taskbar buttons.
Title Bar size can be (re)adjusted from Control Panel -> Display -> Appearance tab -> Scheme -> Active Title Bar -> increase/decrease the number in the Size box.
Run Regedit, go to the same Registry subkey used above, and modify the "MinWidth" String value to read:

• -285 if Title Bar size is 18.
• -300 if Title Bar size is 19.
• -315 if Title Bar size is 20.

"You may or may not know that the printing capability is disabled by default (you usually get a blank page) when trying to print a web page from Windows Explorer, Express Mail (Exchange), MS IE and OE if you have or have not installed MS Internet Explorer 5.5 and/or Outlook Express 4.0/5.5 on your Windows 95/98/ME machine.
But this can be corrected as per MSKB article Q271583."

THE FIXES [recommended by Microsoft]:

1. In MS IE, OE or Exchange click the View menu -> point to Encoding -> clear the Auto-Select box.

2. Run Regedit and go to:

   HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main

   In the right hand pane look for the "Use StyleSheets" String Value.
   Create it if not present, or edit it to change its value from no to yes to enable the use of Style Sheets.
   Then try to print a web page from Windows Explorer, MS IE or OE.
   If the printing function is still disabled, if you get a blank page, or if your printed page(s) look garbled, delete the "Use StyleSheets" value altogether.
   Exit the Registry Editor when done.

   More info @ MSKB.

This Registry fix speeds up internet/remote (using Windows Explorer and/or Internet Explorer) browsing process considerably on most Windows 32-bit machines connected to a network/remote computer(s).
This actually fixes a BUG in Windows OSes that scan shared (remote) folders/files across network(s) for Scheduled Tasks and Shared Printers, and can add a delay as long as 30 seconds (!), because it uses extra time to search the remote computer(s). :(
First make sure *all* Windows Explorer and MS IE instances are closed.
Then run Regedit and go to:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\RemoteComputer\NameSpace

In the left hand pane highlight these 2 subkeys:

{D6277990-4C6A-11CF-8D87-00AA0060F5BF} = Scheduled Tasks

{2227A280-3AEA-1069-A2DE-08002B30309D} = Shared Printers

and delete them: right-click on each -> select Delete -> click OK.

RECOMMENDED: Export (BACKUP) this Registry key to a REG file FIRST, to be able to restore it (by running the REG file) if necessary. In Regedit: highlight the key name in the left hand pane -> click "Registry" from the menu -> select "Export Registry File..." -> type a file name in the "File name" field -> browse to the destination of your choice -> push the Save button.

This Registry change takes effect immediately.
Just start MS IE while connected to the network/internet to see the difference. :)

FYI: Upgrading to a future MS Internet Explorer release or reinstalling it may add these values to your Registry *again*, therefore you may need to delete them *again* after (re)installing MS IE. :(

1. Courtesy of Michael:

   "I have managed to retrieve the Win98 product key data from the SYSTEM.DAT file (located in C:\Windows) using a standard text file editor, like the DOS based EDIT.COM (located in C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND), provided with the OS.
   I booted into native MS-DOS, and then started a textual search for either ProductId (Win95/OSR2) or ProductKey (Win98/ME) strings. You need to step through the instances until you find the required key.
   I used this for reinstalling Windows when the GUI would not start."

2. If for any reason you're locked out of your Windows 9x/ME interface (GUI), or even worse, you cannot even boot into your Windows PC, then boot:
   • with the "Command prompt only" option from the Windows 95 (98) Startup Menu, by holding down Shift + F5 while your machine boots,
   • or from your Startup (boot) floppy [you DO have one, don't you? :)],
   and run this command from the DOS prompt:
   • Win95/OSR1/OSR2 users:

     FIND /I "ProductId" %winbootdir%\SYSTEM.DAT

   • Win98/ME users:

     FIND /I "ProductKey" %winbootdir%\SYSTEM.DAT

   Notice the first line on the following screen, which looks something like this:

   ProductKey ?????-?????-?????-?????-?????

   Those question marks actually represent your Windows Setup CD key.

3. Get ProduKey (freeware).

FYI: See also these tips for similar procedures: "98 INSTALL BLUES" and "WIN98: NO CODE INSTALL!", both also in TIPS98.TXT [part of W95-11D.EXE].

"I discovered this in Windows 98 while developing a multimedia application: each time you open and then close the Multimedia Properties Control Panel applet, the system wide wave volume level is decreased by 1%.
Is Microsoft telling us to 'turn down the volume'? ;)"

1. The first part applies ONLY to Windows 98, 98 SP1 + 98 SE (Second Edition), and involves updating 2 BUGgy core files: USER.EXE + USER32.DLL (located in %windir%\SYSTEM, where %windir% is usually C:\WINDOWS) to correct this issue documented @ MSKB.
   Fixed USER.EXE + USER32.DLL 4.10.2001 for Win98/98 SP1 and USER.EXE + USER32.DLL 4.10.2231 for Win98 SE [469 KB, English].

2. The second part [not exactly a fix, more like a workaround :)] comes from Microsoft, and applies to ALL Windows 95 and 98 releases: they recommend to upgrade to Windows ME [what, mo' money for a "point upgrade"?!] or to disconnect ALL mapped network drives before shutting down Windows. :(

3. The third part [THE FIX! :)] applies ONLY to Windows 98 SE, and consists in creating a Registry Value that allows the updated USER32.DLL + USER.EXE [after installation and the mandatory reboot :)] enough time (delay) to complete all pending (queued) broadcast messages (calls) sent by the shut down sequence to MSGSRV32.EXE, especially when the respective computer is connected to 8 or more mapped remote (network) drives, just before the kernel shuts down Windows.
   According to Microsoft, this is usually caused by either:
   • 16-bit (Win16) applications that initiate the ExitWindows API function with the EW_RESTARTWINDOWS (Windows restart) flag.
   • Restarting Windows after updating video display drivers.
   • Restarting Windows after changing display font size.
   To do this, run Regedit and go to:

   HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop

   Right-click in the right hand pane -> create a New DWORD Value called "ShutDownWaitTime" -> click OK -> double-click on it -> check the Decimal box -> type 3000 (3 seconds delay measured in milliseconds) -> click OK or press Enter. This interval is optional, and can range anywhere from 1000 ms (1 second) up to 9999 ms (~10 seconds). Default value is 1500 ms (1.5 seconds).

   CAUTION: Values smaller than 1000 may hang up Windows at the shut down screen!

   Close the Registry editor and restart Windows when done.

   FYI: See this MSKB article for a fix IF using ANY Microsoft screen savers in Win98 SE.

[Windows Help]
IFJumpColor=000 128 255
IFPopupColor=255 128 000
JumpColor=000 000 255
MacroColor=255 000 128
PopupColor=255 000 000

These colors are represented in triple word (hypertext) notation, similar to the Windows Desktop colors (which can be changed from the Control Panel).
Valid values range from 000 (for black) up to 255 (for white), and they are ordered as red-green-blue. Examples of color mixes:

000 000 000 = Black
255 255 255 = White
128 128 128 = Gray
000 255 000 = Green
000 000 255 = Blue
255 000 000 = Red
000 255 255 = Yellow

Triple nul digits (000) can be abbreviated as single zeroes (0). Example:

0 0 0 = Black

For examples of color "combos" in the same format take a look at:

• Windows 9x/ME: the String [REG_SZ] Values found under this Registry key (as shown in Regedit):

  HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Colors

• Windows/WfWG 3.1x: the settings found under the [colors] section of your WIN.INI file.

Feel free to use any combinations until you obtain the desired effects.
But BEWARE that certain color mixes may render your Help file background and/or foreground (text) unreadable, depending on the colors you use for your Desktop.

MEANING:

• IFJumpColor = topic link color
• IFPopupColor = popup link color
• JumpColor = topic color
• MacroColor = macro color
• PopupColor = popup color

NOTE: You can also achieve this by using the More Control 1.1 Control Panel applet [21 KB, public domain].

FYI: See "HELP!", also in TIPS95.TXT [part of W95-11D.EXE], and in MYTIPS31.TXT [part of W31-11D.ZIP], to learn how to enable sequential topic key "combos" for all available topics in ANY Windows Help file.

1. The first part applies to ALL Windows 95, 98 and ME releases, and involves updating a BUGgy IFSMGR.VXD (Installable File Helper ManaGeR Virtual eXtended Driver) file located by default in %windir%\SYSTEM\VMM32 (%windir% is usually C:\WINDOWS), which corrects these two vulnerability issues:
   1. Windows 98 retail, 98 SP1, 98 SE + ME:
      • Win98 SE + WinME: ScanDisk Runs Even If Correct Shutdown:
        • WinME IFSMGR.VXD 4.90.3002 Fix [224 KB, English].
        • Win98 SE IFSMGR.VXD 4.10.2225 Fix [225 KB, English].
      • Win98 retail and Win98 SP1: DOS Device in Path Name:
        Win98 retail + Win98 SP1 IFSMGR.VXD 4.10.2001 Fix [222 KB, English].
      These patches are also available at Microsoft Windows Update for automatic installs.
      FYI: If you have installed Windows 98/ME on a SCSI disk see this MSKB article.

   2. Windows 95, OSR1 + OSR2: DOS Device in Path Name:
      Win95 retail + Win95a OSR1 IFSMGR.VXD 4.00.0954 and Win95B/95C OSR 2.x IFSMGR.VXD 4.00.1116 Fix [260 KB, English].

2. The second part applies ONLY to Windows 98 SE and ME, and consists in a workaround, by creating a Registry Value that allocates the updated IFSMGR.VXD [after installation and the mandatory reboot :)] enough time (delay) to write (flush) all data stored in the memory cache buffer back to the hard disk(s)/partition(s) while Windows shuts down.
   This happens (according to the Microsoft explanation) because newer (E)IDE/ATA hard drives (HDs) have their own built-in cache buffer memory [a good thing ;)], which do NOT send proper signals [a bad thing ;(] to the drive controller [moreover if using a 3rd party proprietary add-on ATA66/ATA100/ATA133/RAID (E)IDE controller], and therefore their cache will NOT empty (flush) correctly upon OS shutdown, especially if your CPU clock speed is greater than 600 MHz, and if your HD(s) built-in cache buffer is equal to or larger than 2 MB.
   To do this, run Regedit and go to:

   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion

   Right-click in the right hand pane -> create a New DWORD Value called "CacheWriteDelay" (don't type the quotes) -> click OK -> double-click on it -> check the Decimal box -> type 2000 (2 seconds delay measured in milliseconds); if 2000 doesn't work properly on your PC type 4000 (4 seconds delay in milliseconds) -> click OK or press Enter.
   Close the Registry editor and restart Windows when done.

1. Courtesy of Zazie:
   http://zazie.huizen.dds.nl/

   "Don't you just hate it when you run Notepad and it won't start maximized, no matter what? Well, I do!
   To get Notepad to maximize upon startup, create a batch file with this line:

   @START /MAX NOTEPAD.EXE

   This will start a DOS box and then Notepad. Call the batch NOTEMAX.BAT or whatever you like.
   Right-click on the BATch file shortcut (PIF = MS-DOS Program Information File), place a check mark in the "Close on exit" box under the Programs tab and make sure you run it Minimized.
   Last step: associate your .INI and .TXT files with NOTEMAX.BAT.
   You can do this by editing the Registry. Run Regedit and go to these keys:

   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\inifile\shell\open\command
   @="NOTEPAD.EXE /n \"%1"

   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\txtfile\shell\open\command
   @="\"NOTEPAD.EXE\" \"%1\""

   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\Applications\Notepad.exe\shell\edit\command
   @="NOTEPAD.EXE %1"

   Replace all NOTEPAD.EXE instances under the "(Default)" String Values with NOTEMAX.BAT, and make sure to type in the full path to your BAT file.
   Close Regedit when done."

2. Courtesy of John.

   "Create a shortcut for Notepad. Right-click on it -> click on Properties -> click on Shortcut tab -> go to Run -> change to Maximized -> hit OK, and Notepad will open maximized from now on.
   This works with most Windows apps."

"I discovered a cool trick for MS Internet Explorer 4/5/6 and Outlook Express 5/6.
Create/copy/convert the pic of your choice using your favorite paint program in BMP (Windows BitMaP) format and name it IE5_chrome.bmp.
Place it in the C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\Signup folder.
Close all MS IE browser windows and OE instances, and then reopen your IE browser or OE. Now you should see a nice background on the control bar.
This is also useful to remove that ridiculous Snap.com background and the annoying "s" that appears in the right upper corner.
NOTE: If you delete ALL BMPs from the Signup directory, Windows will use the built-in defaults, which are cool too. :)"

"This is how to remove the AOL Instant Messenger (AIM) annoying ads without using 3rd party software, tested only with AIM v4.x.xxxx.
Typically, AIM will download ads and place them at the top and bottom of the main AIM buddy list window while you're logged on. However, these ads can be removed if you find them as annoying as I do.

1. To remove the ads entirely, make sure that AIM is not currently loaded.
   Browse to your main AIM directory and open the file AIM.ODL in Notepad.

2. Scroll down to these lines:

   on_group(5)
   {
           load_ocm        advert        required
   }
   on_group(11)
   {
           load_ocm        advert        required
   }

3. Remove the lines inside the brackets, but leave the carriage returns (empty lines).
   If you did this correctly, these lines should now look like this:

   on_group(5)
   {
   }
   on_group(11)
   {
   }

4. Save the changed file and close Notepad. If this was done right, the next time you open AIM and log on, there should be two blank spots at the top and bottom of your main AIM buddy list window. =)"

UPDATE: "Editing AIM.ODL works only if you manually load AIM. If AIM loads from the the system Tray, the ads still show up. :(
Besides using the fix above, I am using an empty ADVERT.OCM (edited out its entire contents).
No ads appear anymore when loading AIM either from the Tray or manually.
I use AOL AIM v4.3.2229."
[Thank you Brian!]

FYI:

• AIM Ad Hack (freeware).
• Remove AIM Ads.