I know on older versions of AOL:
=> you'd look along the top of the window and on the text menu bar and click on Mail->Mail Settings. Find the security setting to enable/disable links in there

If you don't find similar Mail entry along the top in the menu bar, i'd look for Mail Settings where ever AOL stashes user preferences in their new version (try looking under Edit or Tools for an item labeled Options or Preferences or something similarly named

LOL yeah i get into big trouble if i try to "fix" something, and either change the functionality, or worse, break it! she was amazed at how fast that dell fired up after i reformatted and did a clean install of XP SP3, without AOL or any of the junk that Dell put on it when new.

sorry i couldn't help with the link issue. (links do work in her AOL software).

we live west of jeff city.

Found this while researching an outlook express issue for a friend; maybe it will help!
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/q177054/
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/IE/community/columns/OEtopten.mspx

How do I make hyperlinks in messages work again?
If clicking a hyperlink in Outlook Express appears to do nothing at all, first verify that there is a properly installed default browser. It is recommended that you make Internet Explorer the default browser at least until the problem is resolved.

For Windows XP:

1.
Click Start, point to All Programs, and then click Set Program Access and Defaults.

2.
Click Custom, and then click on the arrow button to the right of screen to reveal all available Web browser options.

3.
Under Choose a default Web browser, click Internet Explorer, and then click OK.


For other Windows versions:

• Click Start, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel.

• Double-click the Internet or Internet Options icon, and then click Programs.

• Make sure that the Internet Explorer should check to see if it is the default check box is selected, click Apply, and then click OK.

• Open Internet Explorer, and then click Yes when you receive the following prompt:

"Internet Explorer is not currently your default browser. Do you wish to make it the default?"


If hyperlinks are still not working, it's likely one or more registered file associations are configured incorrectly. To repair the associations:

1.
Click Start, click My Computer, and then click Folder Options on the Tools menu.

2.
Click the File Types tab.

3.
Select URL:Hypertext Transfer Protocol in the list of registered file types.

4.
Click the Advanced button (Windows XP), or the Edit button (other versions).

5.
In the list of Actions, select open and then click the Edit button.

6.
The Application used to perform action box should contain this, including quotation marks:

"C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\iexplore.exe" -nohome

If instead it contains a short name version of that path, or an incorrect path, change it to the above. Click OK.

7.
Repeat steps 3-7 for the file type URL:Hypertext Transfer Protocol with Privacy.

8.
Click OK to close the Folder Options window.



Check the file type association settings if hyperlinks stop working.