pop ups

[rich]

I recently installed windows XP.
I keep getting Popup windows even when i'm not logged
into Internet Explorer.
I have a cable internet connection.
But how do these companies get right into my desktop.

This is extremely annoying and i;m surprised microsoft
doesn;t have a popup blocker.

How do i stop these companies from sending these popups
all day long .
Sometimes i get like 10 in a row.
Sometimes i can't even get rid of them, when i (x) them
out they just keep re-appearing.

HELP HELP HELP please

 

[Mandy Shaw]

I recently installed windows XP.
I keep getting Popup windows even when i'm not logged
into Internet Explorer.
I have a cable internet connection.
But how do these companies get right into my desktop.

This is extremely annoying and i;m surprised microsoft
doesn;t have a popup blocker.

How do i stop these companies from sending these popups
all day long .
Sometimes i get like 10 in a row.
Sometimes i can't even get rid of them, when i (x) them
out they just keep re-appearing.

HELP HELP HELP please

I am afraid it sounds as if you are infected with spyware. This is software
that has inserted itself into your PC, almost certainly when you at some
point visited a particular Web page, but possibly via email.

Others more expert than me will be able to give you fuller advice, but in my
view you should do (at least) the following, if not already in place:

a) Get some anti-spyware software in place. In my (depressingly
time-consuming and recent) experience, Ad-Aware and Spybot are both very
helpful if kept properly updated (they hunt for and fix all infestations
that they know about). It's worth doing regular scans using each of them.
Spybot is able to prevent some spyware installing in the first place.

b) Get your anti-virus up to date, do a full scan, and do a full scan using
one of the other anti-virus companies' free online full scans as well, just
to make sure. Some anti-virus organisations don't look for some of the
spyware infestations because they would say that if you visited the relevant
Web page you have in fact requested the software. You can probably guess my
opinion of this attitude.

c) Install and configure a firewall such as ZoneAlarm.

d) Disable popups on IE (the Google toolbar is good for this). This won't
disable popups that come up outside IE though.

e) Check what Windows is loading automatically on startup, via msconfig, and
what it is loading automatically when you start IE, via HijackThis. If you
have some technical knowledge you may be able to fix anything nasty
yourself, otherwise post the answers here for examination and advice.

Ad-Aware, Spybot, ZoneAlarm and HijackThis all have free downloads available
for home use. You should be able to find them via Google, but post again if
you can't. If you want some anti-virus software that is free of charge for
home use, I would recommend AVG.

This is all the result of my personal experience and knowledge, and I
obviously cannot guarantee it will help.

Mandy

 

[Guest]

sounds to me like something got inside your system, the solution pretty simple

first, if more than one user then create a new account for the others, as you have no control over the types of sites they visit

lots of anti spyware out there, my favorite is Startup Mechanic (those two words on google and you'll find it), that and ad-aware will be fine, usually just startup mech. is enough

if only one thing is done to prevent it coming back, close port 445
I do this in the registry HKLM/system/CurrentControlSet/Services/NetBT/Parameter
the bottom entry is a string 'TransportBindName' and has a value of %Device
Double Click the name, and hit 'Delete' to make the value an empty space (nothing)

Say "Bu-Bye" to 90% of the garbage that enters your syste

not exactly sure of the URL, but something like UKsecurityonline has an excellant article on this....and it works

 

[Bruce Chambers]

Greetings --

There are at least three varieties of pop-ups, and the solutions
vary accordingly. Which specific type(s) is troubling you?

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

This type of spam has become quite common over the past year or
so, 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 most definitely open to other threats, such as the Blaster,
Welchia, and Sasser Worms that still haunt 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

If you're using AOL, you'll either need to find a 3rd party
firewall that is compatible with AOL, or switch to a real ISP that is
compatible with the real Internet. This is because AOL is an on-line
content provider that ignores international Internetworking standards
in favor of its own proprietary products, and has deliberately made
its connection software incompatible with both WinXP's built-in
firewall and WinXP's Internet Connection Sharing feature. AOL's
proprietary connection applet is deliberately designed to preclude
your setting/adjusting any of its properties, to include
enabling/disabling WinXP's ICF and ICS.

Whichever firewall you decide upon, be sure to ensure UDP ports
135, 137, and 138 and TCP ports 135, 139, and 445 are _all_ blocked.
You may also disable Inbound NetBIOS (NetBIOS over TCP/IP). You'll
have to follow the instructions from firewall's manufacturer for the
specific steps.

You can test your firewall at:

Symantec Security Check
http://security.symantec.com/ssc/vr_main.asp?langid=ie&venid=sym&plfid=23&pkj=GPVHGBYNCJEIMXQKCDT

Security Scan - Sygate Online Services
http://www.sygatetech.com/

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?

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 free Google Toolbar from
http://toolbar.google.com/, which is what I use.

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.


Bruce Chambers

--
Help us help you:




You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on
having both at once. -- RAH

 

[T.J. Johnston]

I have not used the 12Ghosts but I have used Panicware and the Google. The
Google works better than the Panicware at not blocking the good popups.
Lately I have been using the Super Ad Blocker
(http://www.superadblocker.com/) which also blocks the annoying flying ads
and banners too..works well, have not seen a regular popup come up since
I've been running it.

I started running a Netgear router with firewall a few weeks after getting
the DSL and I don't get any more of those damn Messenger ads. The hardware
firewall is good for me because I can protect a bunch of the machines and I
don't need any special configurations.

T.J.

 

[Kevin Davis³]

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?

Don't forget that the Messenger Service would also provide a useful
service to hackers if it is not patched:

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/treeview/default.asp?url=/technet/security/bulletin/ms03-043.asp

Setup a firewall first, but if you don't need the Messenger Service,
turn it off. If you need it, patch it. You would also be well
advised to spend $50 and buy a home router.

Be especially wary of people who would insist on having you keep the
Messenger Service on as a "helpful feature" and conveniently
forgetting to inform you that it has a very serious vulnerability that
needs to be patched immediately.

And of particular interest is that Microsoft itself and security
experts are seriously reconsidering the role of the Messenger service:

http://www.infoworld.com/article/03/10/28/HNmessengeroff_1.html

http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,113321,tk,dn110703X,00.asp

http://news.com.com/2100-7355_3-5095935.html

http://www.cnn.com/2003/TECH/internet/11/07/microsoft.popup.reut/index.html


Here's a link where Microsoft actually outright advises the user to
turn off the Messenger Service:

http://www.microsoft.com/WindowsXP/pro/using/howto/communicate/stopspam.asp


Those who would advise not to turn off the Messenger Service for the
less than trivial unintended side benefit of being a warning is
dispensing advice which contradicts the advice of many real security
professionals.

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.

If you were protecting your house and you had one door that nobody
ever used and that door was really loud and squeaky, would you:

A: Keep the door unlocked all the time and actually depend on the
loud squeak of the door to be an integral part of your house alarm
system to alert you of an intruder?

or

B. Since no legitimate people would ever use the door, bar the door
shut so that there was no chance no-one could enter through it?