AOL's 6.0 version software upgrade is getting flack from punters who claim it is wrecking their machines.

The upgrade, released by the ISP to a furore last month, is experiencing many of the same problems as version 5.0, Network World reports.

Missed network settings, PC slowdowns and email gone walkabout were just some of the glitches cited.

One long-term AOL user described the upgrade as "a disaster." "I have been using AOL for about five years and have never encountered problems with other upgrades," Richard Lopez, a San Francisco lawyer told Network World. "But this is the first time I have upgraded with a DSL connection."

Apparently Lopez downloaded 6.0 from AOL's site, only to have it delete his TCP/IP and network adapter settings within minutes. After four hours spent trying to correct the damage the AOL customer service representative advised him to ditch 6.0 and "forget about the upgrade".

There have also been stories of email address books going west, and of entire days of work being lost, according to Network World Fusion's AOL 6.0 forum (http://www.nwfusion.com/cgi-bin/WebX.cgi?230@28.RjM9a3ldmFE^0@.ee6f917). Such hitches caused it to be re-named "AO-Hell 6.0" by one forum contributor.

For a list of alleged bugs still not fixed in the software, check out the site from keen AOL followers Observers (http://www.observers.net).

AOL had not returned any calls regarding this story by press time. ®

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