Messenger Service Pop Up

[Guest]

When I sign on computer a window comes up in the center from "messenger
service" saying it is a message from System To Alert. Stop!! Immediate
attention required!! Windows has found critical system errors. Download
registry cleaner from www.clean32.com. Failure to act now may lead to data
loss and corruption.

There are a couple of other boxes that also come up saying the same thing
with other site addresses.

How do I get these to stop and is it a genuine message from windows or just
a scam??? I have uninstalled everything on my computer and then reinstalled
windows xp, and this still comes up. Any idea what I need to do to stop this
from happening???

 

[Tony Luxton]

Hi, yes it's spam. You need to stop the messenger service (I'll bet a
month's salary you don't need it).

Right-click My Computer, select "Manage".
Open "Services and Applications", then "Services".
Scroll down to "Messenger", stop the service, and set the Startup type to
"disabled".

HTH Tony.

 

[Bruce Chambers]

When I sign on computer a window comes up in the center from "messenger
service" saying it is a message from System To Alert. Stop!! Immediate
attention required!! Windows has found critical system errors. Download
registry cleaner from www.clean32.com. Failure to act now may lead to data
loss and corruption.

There are a couple of other boxes that also come up saying the same thing
with other site addresses.

How do I get these to stop and is it a genuine message from windows or just
a scam??? I have uninstalled everything on my computer and then reinstalled
windows xp, and this still comes up. Any idea what I need to do to stop this
from happening???

It sounds like a common scam, but your description is a little
vague about the precise circumstances under which the pop-ups appear.

It's most likely from a very unscrupulous "business." They're
trying to sell you patches that Microsoft provides free-of-charge, or a
useless "product" that will install adware/spyware, and using a very
intrusive means of advertising. It's also demonstrating that your PC is
very unsecure. The presence of that message on your desktop is proof
that your machine is still infested, as the message *is* malware.

What specific kind of pop-ups are you seeing? There are at least
three varieties of pop-ups, and the solutions vary accordingly.

1) Does the title bar of these pop-ups read "Messenger Service?"

This type of spam has become quite common over the past few years,
and unintentionally serves as a valid security "alert." It demonstrates
that the computer user hasn't been taking sufficient precautions while
connected to the Internet. The user's data probably hasn't been
compromised by these specific advertisements, but if he/she's open to
this exploit, he/she may well be open to other threats, such as the
Blaster Worm that swept across the Internet years ago and the Sasser
Worm that followed shortly thereafter, both of which can still be
contacted. 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 the
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 the user 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 the user's been advised to merely turn off the warnings. How is
this helpful?

2) For regular Internet pop-ups, you might try the free 12Ghosts
Popup-killer from http://12ghosts.com/ghosts/popup.htm, Pop-Up Stopper
from http://www.panicware.com/, or the Google Toolbar from
http://toolbar.google.com/. Alternatively, you can upgrade your WinXP
to SP2, to install IE's pop-up blocker. Another alternative would be
to use another browser, such as Mozilla or Firefox, which has pop-up
blocking capabilities. (But I'd avoid Netscape; it carries too much
extraneous AOL garbage.)

3) To deal with pop-ups caused by any sort of "adware" and/or
"spyware,"such as Gator, Comet Cursors, Xupiter, Bonzai Buddy, or
KaZaA, and their remnants, that you've deliberately (but without
understanding the consequences) installed, two products that are
quite effective (at finding and removing this type of scumware) are
Ad-Aware from www.lavasoft.de and SpyBot Search & Destroy from
www.safer-networking.org/. Both have free versions. It's even
possible to use SpyBot Search & Destroy to "immunize" your system
against most future intrusions. I use both and generally perform
manual scans every week or so to clean out cookies, etc.

Additionally, manual removal instructions for the most common
varieties of scumware are available here:

PC Hell Spyware and Adware Removal Help
http://www.pchell.com/support/spyware.shtml

More information and assistance is available at these sites:

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

The Parasite Fight
http://www.aumha.org/a/parasite.htm

Neither adware nor spyware, collectively known as scumware,
magically install themselves on anyone's computer. They are almost
always deliberately installed by the computer's user, as part of some
allegedly "free" service or product.

While there are some unscrupulous malware distributors out there,
who do attempt to install and exploit malware without consent, the
majority of them simply rely upon the intellectual laziness and
gullibility of the average consumer, counting on them to quickly click
past the EULA in his/her haste to get the latest in "free" cutesy
cursors, screensavers, "utilities," and/or wallpapers.

If you were to read the EULAs that accompany, and to which the
computer user must agree before the download/installation of the
"screensaver" continues, most adware and spyware, you'll find that
they _do_ have the consumer's permission to do exactly what they're
doing. In the overwhelming majority of cases, computer users have no
one to blame but themselves.

There are several essential components to computer security: a
knowledgeable and pro-active user, a properly configured firewall,
reliable and up-to-date antivirus software, and the prompt repair (via
patches, hotfixes, or service packs) of any known vulnerabilities.

The weakest link in this "equation" is, of course, the computer
user. No software manufacturer can -- nor should they be expected
to -- protect the computer user from him/herself. All too many people
have bought into the various PC/software manufacturers marketing
claims of easy computing. They believe that their computer should be
no harder to use than a toaster oven; they have neither the
inclination or desire to learn how to safely use their computer. All
too few people keep their antivirus software current, install patches
in a timely manner, or stop to really think about that cutesy link
they're about to click.

Firewalls and anti-virus applications, which should always be used
and should always be running, are important components of "safe hex,"
but they cannot, and should not be expected to, protect the computer
user from him/herself. Ultimately, it is incumbent upon each and
every computer user to learn how to secure his/her own computer.

To learn more about practicing "safe hex," start with these links:

Protect Your PC
http://www.microsoft.com/security/protect/default.asp

Home Computer Security
http://www.cert.org/homeusers/HomeComputerSecurity/

List of Antivirus Software Vendors
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;49500

Home PC Firewall Guide
http://www.firewallguide.com/

Scumware.com
http://www.scumware.com/


--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:



They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. -Benjamin Franklin

Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do. -Bertrand Russell

 

[Bruce Chambers]

Hi, yes it's spam. You need to stop the messenger service (I'll bet a
month's salary you don't need it).

Right-click My Computer, select "Manage".
Open "Services and Applications", then "Services".
Scroll down to "Messenger", stop the service, and set the Startup type to
"disabled".

HTH Tony.

I realize that you're trying to help, and that such an intent is
commendable, but please don't post potentially harmful advice.

Merely disabling the messenger service, as you've recommended, is a
dangerous "head in the sand" approach to computer security that leaves
the PC vulnerable to threats such as the W32.Blaster, W32.Welchia, and
W32,Sasser worms.

The real problem is _not_ the messenger service pop-ups; they're
actually providing a useful, if unintentional, service by acting as a
security alert. The true problem is the unsecured computer, and your
only advice, however well-intended, was to turn off the warnings. Was
this truly helpful?

Equivalent Scenario: You over-exert your shoulder at work or play,
causing bursitis. After weeks of annoying and sometimes excruciating
pain whenever you try to reach over your head, you go to a doctor and
say, while demonstrating the motion, "Doc, it hurts when I do this." The
doctor, being as helpful as you've been, replies, "Well, don't do that."

The only true way to secure the PC, short of disconnecting it from
the Internet, is to install and *properly* configure a firewall; just
installing one and letting it's default settings handle things is no
good. Unfortunately, this does require one to learn a little bit more
about using a computer than used to be necessary.


--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:



They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. -Benjamin Franklin

Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do. -Bertrand Russell

 

[Jim Byrd]

Hi litllammy - There are currently two classes of things going on that are
causing people popup difficulties. If you get popups even when your browser
is not connected to the Internet with a title bar reading "Messenger
Service", then these are most likely due to open NetBios TCP ports 135, 139
and 445 and UDP ports 135, 137-138 and a UDP port in the range of
1026-1029.. You really need to block these with a firewall as a general
protection measure. You can stop the popups by turning off Messenger
Service; however, this still leaves you vulnerable. If you have an NT-based
OS such as XP or Win2k, you should probably also specifically block TCP
593, 4444 and UDP 69, 139, 445, and install the very important 824146 and
823980 patchs from MS03-026 and MS03-039, here:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?kbid=824146 to block the Blaster
worm as well as several other parasites. There is a tool available here to
check for these patches:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;827363


See: Messenger Service Window That Contains an Internet Advertisement
Appears http://support.microsoft.com/?id=330904 which identifies reasons to
keep this service and steps to take if you do.

You can test your system and follow the 'Prevention' link to get additional
information here:
http://www.mynetwatchman.com/winpopuptester.asp Unless you have very good
reasons to keep this active, it should be turned off in Win2k and XP. Go
here and do what it says:
http://www.itc.virginia.edu/desktop/docs/messagepopup/ or, even better, get
MessageSubtract, free, here, which will give you flexible control of the
service and viewing of these messages:
http://www.intermute.com/messagesubtract/help.html Recommended.

(FWIW, ZoneAlarm's default Internet Zone firewall configuration blocks the
necessary ports to prevent this use of Messenger Service. I don't know the
situation with regard to other firewalls.)

Messenger Service is not per se Spyware or something that MS did wrong - It
provides a messaging capability which is useful for local intranets and is
also sometimes (albeit nowadays infrequently) used by some applications to
provide popup messages to users. However, it can also be (and now frequently
is) used to introduce spam via this open NetBIOS channel. For a single user
home computer, it normally isn't needed and can be turned off which will
eliminate the spam popups. This DOESN'T, however, remove the vulnerability
of having these ports open, when in fact they aren't needed, since they can
be perverted in other ways as well, some of which can be much more damaging
than just a spam popup.


If you're getting a lot of popups while surfing, then take a look at my
Blog, Defending Your Machine, addy below in my Signature and follow the
steps outlined there.



The following is an older 'standard' post of mine relative to this. Some
links may no longer be valid:


There are a variety of third party "Popup Killers" available:

AdShield, if you maintain its Block List every now and then, almost totally
stops this. In addition, it stops a variety of ads/banners/etc.
(particularly spyware like doubleclick) on pages I access. This is probably
all you'll need; however, I've also investigated a program called webwasher
which appears to be very good. At the bottom of this post, you'll find a
list provided courtesy of bc_acadia of a number of free popup blockers with
links.

****** NOTE: As of 28 Apr 03 AdShield appears to have partnered with a new
reseller, and AdShield is no longer free. There is a trial version of
AdShield3; however, IMO it is seriously crippled in not being able to import
or export block lists and I think for reasonable utility one would have to
go to the full version. While I don't normally recommend non-free software,
I personally will continue to use AdShield3, since I think it is the best
currently available combined Popup/Ad/Malware blocker, but you should be
aware of the fact that it now costs, ($29.95 at this writing), whereas the
earlier versions upon which I based my original recommendation were free,
although not nearly as capable as the AdShield3 release. I've included below
links to both the older free version and the new paid version. You'll have
to investigate and make your own choice in the matter. *******

Here are a number of AdShield-related links:

http://www.fsd1.org/technology/Files/AdShield.exe - AdShield1.2 (free)
http://www.internettechs.net/utilities/AdShield.exe - AdShield1.2 (free)
http://ftp.ural.ru/home/index/windows/networking/utils/AdShield -
AdShield1.2 (free)
http://www.megalog.ru/info/utilz/AdShield.zip - AdShield1.2 (free)
http://www.allstarss.com/store/adshield.html - AdShield3
http://www.ad-shield.com/ AdShield3 Info/Purchase/Block List
http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/block.txt - (Mike Burgess' .txt Block List
for AdShield - Recommended)
http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/block.zip - Mike Burgess' Zipped Block List
for AdShield - Recommended)

http://www.songwave.com/software/adshield_blocklist.txt (40,000 pornsites
blocked - *VERY* large list - use at your own risk)
http://www.chrismyden.com/temp/block.abl (chrismyden's blocklist in .abl
format - Recommended)
http://www.staff.uiuc.edu/~ehowes/resource.htm#AdShield (Eric Howes AGNIS
for AdShield block list - Recommended) (BTW, Eric's site contains a wealth
of very valuable information about all aspects of net security - Very Highly
Recommended)

There is additional information about setting up and using AdShield, and
about using the Restricted Zone (and an additional list) here:
http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/hosts.htm

Here's a good AdShield test site, courtesy of siljaline: "Make ***SURE***
you have your 'block scripted popups' enabled
http://www.mediaboy.net/1010100-1100001-1111010/gahk/>>>> [Warning this URL
opens a multitude of Browser windows almost instantly - YOU'VE BEEN
WARNED!]"

http://www.webwasher.com - Webwasher


For WinXP users, Service Pack 2 has a built-in popup stopper which is fairly
effective.


Additionally, some people have recommended Popup Stopper and PopupBuster,
but they have also been reported or experienced to cause perceived problems
for some people with "normal" links in IE6 such as Google search results and
links from OE. Some proponents of PopupBuster assert, however, that this is
normal operation for this program under certain circumstances which can be
overridden if necessary. YMMV Another "Proxy" type blocker similar to
Webwasher and Proxomitron but supposedly a bit easier to configure is
Privoxy here: http://www.privoxy.org/

Also, the free Google Tool Bar has a builtin popup blocker which is pretty
effective.


A very clever alternative approach to general ad (vice Popup) blocking is
outlined here:
http://www.sherylcanter.com/articles/oreilly_20040330_HostsPac.php
and here: http://s91363763.onlinehome.us/BlackHoleProxy/index.html
The approach is similar to that used in eDexter, but improved. I've tried
it, and it does work as advertised. (<groan> - sorry 'bout that!)
Probably should only be considered by more knowledgeable users, as it's a
little complicated to set up using the directions given if you don't already
know a bit. (It also has some tendency to block some things you'd rather it
didn't at times if PAC files are used instead of the HOSTS file due to its
use of regular expressions for blocking definitions without some tuning.)


Lastly, ZoneAlarmPro has added provisions for stopping adds/popups, handling
cookies, web bugs, and scripting/ActiveX components in addition to it's
firewall functionality. Not free, but I have used it in the past with my
other AdBlocking stuff (AdShield, etc.) turned off as a test, and it appears
to be very good indeed. So far I've experienced no problems at all with it
set in its High Security modes for Ads although others have reported the
need to temporarily turn it off to reach some sites. Also, Agnitum's Outpost
Firewall supports a plug-in for this: "Pre-configured to block most banner
advertisement. Can be configured manually or by simply dragging and dropping
unwanted banners into the Ad Trashcan." I have no experience as to how
effective it is, but I have received a favorable report.

There's good information about hijacking in general and fixes available for
specific hijackers here: http://spywareinfo.com/articles/hijacked/
http://gmpservicesinc.com/Articles/hijack.asp
http://www.mvps.org/inetexplorer/Darnit.htm#pop_up
http://www.doxdesk.com/parasite/

bc_acadia's list:

"Some popup blockers. All of these are 100% pure freeware, no trial
periods. Some of these do more than just handle popups.

Pow!: http://www.analogx.com/contents/download/network/pow.htm
NoAds: http://www.southbaypc.com/NoAds/
PopupEraser: http://www.webknacks.com/popuperaser.htm
Stop-the-Pop: http://www.bysoft.se/sureshot/stopthepop/index.html
Internet Organizer: http://www.sf.yucom.be/wdprojects/
PopKi: http://ranfo.com/popki.html
PopUpKiller: http://sourceforge.net/projects/puk/
AdCruncher Proxy:
http://mysite.verizon.net/~mr_fish/AdCruncher/ReadMe.html
KillAd: http://www.iomagic.org/fsc/
ClickOff: http://www.johanneshuebner.com/en/download.html
PopupBuster: http://www.popupbuster.com/PopUpBuster/
Free Surfer: http://www.kolumbus.fi/eero.muhonen/FS/
Window Shades: http://www.g-m-m.com/Software/WindowShades/index.php
AdShield (my personal favorite): http://www.ad-shield.com/
PopupStopper: http://www.panicware.com/popupstopper.html
Proxomitron (Is no longer supported and has a learning curve):
http://www.proxomitron.org/
For those who don't want third party stuff, your own pc's built-in
host file:
http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/hosts.htm and
http://www.accs-net.com/hosts/


Here is a review of 61 popup killers. Not all of them are free:
http://www.popup-killer-review.com/index.htm"

NOTE that this site also contains a good, comprehensive series of popup
killer tests. Some good additional tests are also available here:
http://www.webknacks.com/aptest.htm


There's another popup test page here:
http://www.kephyr.com/popupkillertest/index.html


Another good test page and lists of both free and cost popup blockers is
here: http://www.popuptest.com/ Recommended

An excellent test site here: http://www.popupcheck.com/ Highly
Recommended.

Another list of some popup blockers:
http://www.messaging-software.net/popup-killer-software.htm

If you install and keep UPDATED a good HOSTS file, it can help you avoid
most adware/malware. See here: <http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/hosts.htm>
(Be sure it's named/renamed HOSTS - all caps, no extension)



You might want to consider installing Eric Howes' IESpyAds, SpywareBlaster
and SpywareGuard here to help prevent getting this kind of adware/malware in
the future:

IESpyads - https://netfiles.uiuc.edu/ehowes/www/resource.htm "IE-SPYAD adds
a long list of sites and domains associated with known advertisers,
marketers, and crapware pushers to the Restricted sites zone of Internet
Explorer. Once you merge this list of sites and domains into the Registry,
the web sites for these companies will not be able to use cookies, ActiveX
controls, Java applets, or scripting to compromise your privacy or your PC
while you surf the Net. Nor will they be able to use your browser to push
unwanted pop-ups, cookies, or auto-installing programs on your PC." Read
carefully.

http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/spywareblaster.html (Prevents malware Active
X installs) (BTW, SpyWareBlaster is not memory resident ... no CPU or memory
load - but keep it UPDATED) The latest version as of this writing will
prevent installation or prevent the malware from running if it is already
installed, and it provides information and fixit-links for a variety of
parasites.

http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/spywareguard.html (Monitors for attempts to
install malware) Keep it UPDATED. All three Very Highly Recommended

Perhaps these will help.

--
Regards, Jim Byrd,
My Blog, Defending Your Machine,
http://defendingyourmachine2.blogspot.com/



In litllammy <[email protected]> typed:
|| When I sign on computer a window comes up in the center from
|| "messenger service" saying it is a message from System To Alert.
|| Stop!! Immediate attention required!! Windows has found critical
|| system errors. Download registry cleaner from www.clean32.com.
|| Failure to act now may lead to data loss and corruption.
||
|| There are a couple of other boxes that also come up saying the same
|| thing with other site addresses.
||
|| How do I get these to stop and is it a genuine message from windows
|| or just a scam??? I have uninstalled everything on my computer and
|| then reinstalled windows xp, and this still comes up. Any idea what
|| I need to do to stop this from happening???

 

[PA Bear]

Is WinXP SP2 installed? Are all post-SP2 updates installed?

 

[tom]

I get that if I have no firewall running.

 

[David Abbott]

No this is nothing that you need to worry about, make sure that you turn on
the firewall that is built into Windows. This happened to me when I
restored my computer. Just turn the firewall on.

 

[Plato]

When I sign on computer a window comes up in the center from "messenger
service" saying it is a message from System To Alert. Stop!! Immediate
attention required!! Windows has found critical system errors. Download
registry cleaner from www.clean32.com. Failure to act now may lead to data
loss and corruption.

http://www.computerlynx.net/remove_messenger.htm
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=302089
http://www.dougknox.com/xp/tips/xp_messenger_remove.htm