POP UP ADS

[mike]

I have security software that stops pop up ads.
It works great, but lately when i'm online playing games
this one ad keeps coming up. It's called destroyads.com.
it causes my games to crash. i went to their sight and
found this statement printed.

Have you been hit with unwanted advertising or Spam? The
message you received is the newest form of
internet spam. You don't have to have an email account or
even a web browser. You received this message due to a
built in feature that Microsoft included in Windows XP,
2000, and NT.
The worst part of all this is that some computer experts
have indicated that it is also a potential SECURITY
THREAT that hackers can use to infect your computer with
a virus that is untraceable by current anti-virus
software. Messenger
pop-ups are defined to be pop-ups that are sent via the
built
in Windows Messenger Service, which means you don't even
have to be at a webpage to receive these type of pop-ups.

How can i stop this?
Should i contact someone at Microsoft?

Please help. it's driving me nuts

Mike H.

 

[Wesley VogelX]

mike;
Turn on your firewall.
Have a look here:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/using/howto/communicate/stopspam.asp
And here:
http://www.microsoft.com/security/protect/windowsxp/firewall.asp
And here:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/using/howto/restrictedsites/stoppopups.asp
Hope this helps. Let us know.
Wes

 

[Bruce Chambers]

Greetings --

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

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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