First, make sure that AIM is not loading at start up on your machine (Start --> Run --> type in "msconfig" without the quotes --> click the StartUp tab and make sure that nothing indicating AOL Instant Messanger or aim.exe is checked off).

 

I ditched using AIM about a year ago, although I wanted to use a messanger program that used my AIM buddy list.  I currently use Trillian Basic (a free program) that connects using AIM, Yahoo Messenger, ICQ, or MSN Messanger (or all of them).

 

It's a bit different from AIM's program, but with no ads at all.  It has no annoying pop-ups to upgrade.  It behaves very similar to AIM, but without a lot of the nonsense.

 

You can find Trillian here at the Cerulean Studios site:  Cerulean Studios.  Trillian Basic is free; Trillian Pro is more enhanced, but you have to pay for it.  It will import your entire AIM buddy list.  At this same site, you can click on Community at the top, then Discussion Forums for a forum board about the software.  Occasionally when I ran into glitches with it (no sound), I went here for a quick solution.