Originally Posted by
In rerum natura
*As far as I am/was aware, AOL emails are only ever openable via an AOL browser.*
As has been noted here before, if you ever decide to leave AOL you will still be able to use AOL Mail (using any major browser on any OS) and the AOL Windows Desktop ... your Screen Names will remain active.
With one proviso: you need to use/access your screen name from time to time: I left AOL nearly 2 years ago now, and my account - even the divert message saying 'this account is now closed' - still works and accumulates the standard amount of spam.
However, Mrs Jim's account, which she has not used, is not dead, as in 'no such account'. So it's been deleted by AOL, it looks like.