pop ups

[doris whelan]

I get several (many) pop ups each time I go on line AND
THEY ARE ALL microsoft telling me how to get rid of pop
ups! Please tell me how to rid myself of these microsoft
pop ups. Thank you, Doris

 

[Bruce Chambers]

Greetings --

Actually, *none* of these spam messages are from Microsoft. Does
the title bar of these pop-ups read "Messenger Service?"

This particular "sales method" is strikingly similar to the
"protection" rackets offered to small businesses by organized
criminals. Yes, it's a scam; no reputable business would need to
resort to extortion. Particularly since they're trying to sell you a
type of protection that is already available to you free of charge.

This a type of spam has become quite common over the past few
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. Install and use a decent,
properly configured firewall. (Disabling the messenger service, as
some people recommend, only hides the symptom, and does nothing to
secure your machine.) And ignoring or just "putting up with" these
messages and the problem they represent 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


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

 

[Shenan T. Stanley]

I get several (many) pop ups each time I go on line AND
THEY ARE ALL microsoft telling me how to get rid of pop
ups! Please tell me how to rid myself of these microsoft
pop ups. Thank you, Doris

They are not Microsoft telling you anything.

Advice on Popups and their elimination:

http://www.fracas.net/newsgroups/generaladvice.html#popups
or
http://tinyurl.com/el9s

You may want to look over the whole page.

--
Shenan Stanley
"Just trying to help"
-------------------------
How to use XPs Help and Support
http://tinyurl.com/fltf

How to Use the Microsoft Product Support Newsgroups
http://tinyurl.com/fkja

How to use Google
http://www.google.com/help/basics.html
http://tinyurl.com/fkmc
-------------------------

 

[theresa]

-----Original Message-----
I get several (many) pop ups each time I go on line AND
THEY ARE ALL microsoft telling me how to get rid of pop
ups! Please tell me how to rid myself of these microsoft
pop ups. Thank you, Doris
.
Doris I am having the same problem and after spending

HOURS on the phone and on the internet was able to finally
locate this. It worked on my computer so it should help
you. Oh, and they earlier reply stating that the messeges
arent from Microsoft is actually accurate. They just
created this wonderful feature to make it even easier for
morons to send out this nonsense. I have 3 kids and have
started getting porn popups under the messenger. So it's
not from Microsoft, but it is their fault!
Hope this helps!
Click on Start -> Help & Support and look up "enable ICF"
and you will find the following:

To enable or disable Internet Connection Firewall
Open Network Connections
Click the Dial-up, LAN or High-Speed Internet connection
that you want to protect, and then, under Network Tasks,
click Change settings of this connection.
On the Advanced tab, under Internet Connection Firewall,
select one of the following:
To enable Internet Connection Firewall (ICF), select the
Protect my computer and network by limiting or preventing
access to this computer from the Internet check box.
To disable Internet Connection Firewall, clear the Protect
my computer and network by limiting or preventing access
to this computer from the Internet check box.

 

[Shenan T. Stanley]

-----Original Message-----

I get several (many) pop ups each time I go on line AND
THEY ARE ALL microsoft telling me how to get rid of pop
ups! Please tell me how to rid myself of these microsoft
pop ups. Thank you, Doris

Doris I am having the same problem and after spending
HOURS on the phone and on the internet was able to finally
locate this. It worked on my computer so it should help
you. Oh, and they earlier reply stating that the messeges
arent from Microsoft is actually accurate. They just
created this wonderful feature to make it even easier for
morons to send out this nonsense. I have 3 kids and have
started getting porn popups under the messenger. So it's
not from Microsoft, but it is their fault!
Hope this helps!
Click on Start -> Help & Support and look up "enable ICF"
and you will find the following:

To enable or disable Internet Connection Firewall
Open Network Connections
Click the Dial-up, LAN or High-Speed Internet connection
that you want to protect, and then, under Network Tasks,
click Change settings of this connection.
On the Advanced tab, under Internet Connection Firewall,
select one of the following:
To enable Internet Connection Firewall (ICF), select the
Protect my computer and network by limiting or preventing
access to this computer from the Internet check box.
To disable Internet Connection Firewall, clear the Protect
my computer and network by limiting or preventing access
to this computer from the Internet check box.

While you are correct in that it was enabled by default by Microsoft, I
would not blame them for your own inability to protect yourself on the
Internet. Windows XP, while it does allow Messenger Service messages to be
sent (because it is the next level of Business Level OSes as well as Home
Based) is FAR more secure than it's Windows 95/98/98SE and ME siblings.
They even gave you the answer to your problem, if you had just searched
using Google, gotten on the Microsoft web page and searched for Messenger
Service advertisements or an assortment of other easy ways of finding the
answer.

Read up on how to protect yourself on the Internet. The features left on by
default may have been a bad choice by Microsoft - considering they were
marketing to NON-computer literate people as well as the systems admins who
would deploy it en-masse. What surprised me is that they did turn off so
many features useful to people like me (system admin) in Windows XP Home,
but missed the Messenger Service. I thought - by default - Windows XP Home
now had the firewall turned on at the install. Is that true? If so, then
perhaps Microsoft remedied the side (XP Home) mean for the less computer
literate.

Read up a little more on ways to protect yourself:

http://tinyurl.com/elb9

Might find some interesting (and free) products to help you. =)

--
Shenan Stanley
"Just trying to help"
-------------------------
How to use XPs Help and Support
http://tinyurl.com/fltf

How to Use the Microsoft Product Support Newsgroups
http://tinyurl.com/fkja

How to use Google
http://www.google.com/help/basics.html
http://tinyurl.com/fkmc
-------------------------