Before I even start, please no AIM bashing or any other type of "use x program because it's better" stuff. I have been using AIM for a very long time, but I've never upgraded past version 5 or whatever, because I didn't want all of the ads and annoyances. Well anyways, for the longest time I've been able to direct connect (where you can basically drag and drop pictures into the IM window with your buddies). However, now I can no longer perform this function with anyone else. I thought maybe a new patch or something prevented people from direct connecting with older versions of AIM, so I decided to download the newest version and give it a shot. It still doesn't work, and I don't understand why. It tells me that "my buddy is unable to or does not support this feature", yet it says that for all of them so I'm pretty sure that it's me.

I'm confused as to how this is happening when I can host online games and my own ventrilo server (voice program) as well. No one seems to have a problem connecting to me other than by direct connection. I can send files just fine if I perform it via "File -> Send", but the direct connection method cannot be used. I am connected through the internet by a router, and I have the DMZ enabled to my user. I am also not using any type of firewall or anti-virus protection software. (I turned all of this off just to be sure that they were not the problem). If anyone has any suggestions about what I can do, I'd very much appreciate it.

upgrade to latest verson and make sure ports are forwarded. also you should use google more, davecat.

'I am connected through the internet by a router'

You'll need to access your router, and open up the firewall.. actually you probably just need to port forward. Meaning, you would assign the ports to the IP address of the computer running AIM