Could not be more annoyed at AOL now

ARGH!!!

My laptop stopped working and it is all AOL's fault!

My laptop said my Norton AntiVirus subscription was about to expire.  Since I prefer McAfee to Norton anyway, I uninstalled the Norton and figured I'd get McAfee through AOL.

Downloaded the new and improved Security Edition.  Also Firewall Express. 

Of course, it didn't go smoothly.  AOL kept having a heck of a time connecting.  (For some reason, it kept calling my connection "broadband" and failing -- it much preferred my connection called "home network."  Whatever.)

Finally got it to work.  All was well.

When I shut down yesterday, I got a weird text-filled screen before it went to black.

Booting today, the computer gave me a "The system has recovered from a serious error.  Would you like to report it?"  Why yes, I would.

Microsoft, upon learning the error, volunteered a screen saying the error had to do with the installation of a new driver.  Did I install any new hardware?  (No.)  How 'bout a firewall?  (Yes!)  See the provider of the firewall, they say.

I go to McAfee.com, but can't get any screen from them offering Tech Support for Firewall Express -- all I get is a screen suggesting I give them more money for their complete Firewall.

I also can't WORK.

AOL won't connect.  Well, it'll connect a bit, then stop.  And as soon as I try to connect on AOL, I lose whatever broadband connection I had OUTSIDE AOL.  (i.e., my internet explorer -- which had been working fine by itself) goes all flukey.

I try to run AOL's new helpful computer check-up tool, but it only runs from within AOL, which I can't BE in for any significant length of time.

I log on to the internet (and AOL) via my desktop.

I go to McAfee.com.  This time, it will give me a help screen -- but a help screen tailored to the products I have installed on THIS computer -- which include McAfee's big honkin' firewall, not firewall express.

I come to AOL to deal with the problem.  AOL's first line of help says I should disable the firewall that came with Windows Service Pack 2.  I am only running Windows Service Pack 1.

I decide to crank up AOL's Live Human Being help (even though I am now late for work).  At first, it doesn't load.  Then it does.  I type in my question.  It says my question is too long.  I truncate my question (keeping the "driver-related error" and holding the "now AOL and IE don't work" bits for later).  I submit it.

AOL's Live Human Being help gives me nothing but a gray screen with a java icon.

We try it again.

Same gray screen with java icon.

ARGH!

I *CAN'T* be the first person this has happened to.  You'd think AOL would have a fix for it someplace.