"didn't help" isn't very descriptive... what happened??? but anyway....

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**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 creating a flattened result by default.