AOL has a spyware program that you can use to get that stuff off the computer.Often when it won't go away and does crap like that it is Adware or Spyware and the AOL spyware thing should get rid of it.
I use both the AOL one and a Spysweeper that they installed for cheap when I bought the computer. I figure if one doesn't get it the other will.
With AOL do keyword spyware to get there (I use AOL 9, don't know if earlier ones have it)