"didn't help" isn't very descriptive... what happened??? but anyway....
Pathfinder Panel (Window > Pathfinder) and click the Unite button.
Note the Pathfinder Effect menu item is not the same as using the panel. The menu applies a live effect which must then be expanded (there are other differences as well). The Panel applies the pathfinder operations directly to objects increating a flattened stateresult by default.