Messenger pop-ups

[Paul]

Can anyone tell me how to disable the windows messenger
pop-ups? Not the msn but the one that just pop-up and
invite you all over while your computer is idle

 

[Chris Tate-Davies]

Get a firewall. Disable the messenger service.

Check Windowsupdate for security patches. http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com

 

[John E. Carty]

Can anyone tell me how to disable the windows messenger
pop-ups? Not the msn but the one that just pop-up and
invite you all over while your computer is idle

First, using a properly configured firewall will prevent these messages. If
you also would like to disable the service you can do the following.

Go Start | Run and type in services.msc and click OK. Double-click the
Messenger service and you will then be able to Stop the service and set its
Startup Type to Disabled

 

[mk]

The stupidest thing you can do is to kill Messenger service. The annoying
pop-ups have a very positive side. It is a security warning, you are wide
open to attack. Activate XP's built in firewall. Or buy one if you want
waste of money, but do not pay for the exorcists.
MK

 

[Bruce Chambers]

Greetings --

This type of spam has become quite common over the past several
months, and unintentionally serves as a valid security "alert." It
demonstrates that you haven't been taking sufficient precautions while
connected to the Internet. Your data probably hasn't been compromised
by these specific advertisements, but if you're open to this exploit,
you may well be open to other threats, such as the Blaster Worm that
recently swept cross the Internet. Install and use a decent,
properly configured firewall. (Merely disabling the messenger
service, as some people recommend, only hides the symptom, and does
little or nothing to truly secure your machine.) And ignoring or just
"putting up with" the security gap represented by these messages is
particularly foolish.

Messenger Service of Windows
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=KB;en-us;168893

Messenger Service Window That Contains an Internet Advertisement
Appears
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=330904

Stopping Advertisements with Messenger Service Titles
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/using/howto/communicate/stopspam.asp

Blocking Ads, Parasites, and Hijackers with a Hosts File
http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/hosts.htm

Oh, and be especially wary of people who advise you to do nothing
more than disable the messenger service. Disabling the messenger
service, by itself, is a "head in the sand" approach to computer
security. The real problem is _not_ the messenger service pop-ups;
they're actually providing a useful, if annoying, service by acting as
a security alert. The true problem is the unsecured computer, and
you've been advised to merely turn off the warnings. How is this
helpful?


Bruce Chambers

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