How do I disable XP Messenger service pop up windows?

[Mark]

How do I disable XP Messenger service pop up windows?

There was a link on the Microsoft Windows XP web site to this information at
one time, but the link is no longer there. I already know that when a user
installs and uses a firewall, this protects this from these pop up windows.
The user just wants to know how to stop or prevent the Windows XP Messenger
service pop up windows for now.

 

[Chris Lanier]

To disbale the service all together (not a good idea) goto the Admin Tools
in the Control Panel and goto Services. Scroll down to the messenger
service and disable it.

just enable XP's built in firewall to stop them. -
https://www.microsoft.com/technet/t...nol/winxppro/proddocs/hnw_enable_firewall.asp

 

[Doug Knox MS-MVP]

Open Help and Support and search for "firewall". This will tell you how to
enable XP's built in firewall. If you have a valid reason not to use a
firewall, click Start, Run and enter SERVICES.MSC Locate the Messenger
entry and double click it. Set it to Stopped and Disabled.

However, the reason they can get to the Messenger Service (not to be
confused with Windows Messenger) in the first place, is that your internet
connection is not secure.

http://www.dougknox.com/xp/tips/winmesspop.htm

 

[Mark]

Thanks for the information. If the XP user disabled the Messenger service,
this disabled all pop-up windows. The user needs to receive network
messages through the Messenger service, so disabling the Messenger service
is not an option for this user.

I thought the link on Microsoft's Windows XP web site had a different method
for stopping those pop-up windows without disabling the Messenger service or
enabling the XP firewall. Am I wrong on this or there is another method?

 

[Bruce Chambers]

Greetings --

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 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

Oh, and be especially wary of people who advise you to do nothing
more than disable the messenger service. Disabling the messenger
service 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 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?

Equivalent Scenario 1: Somewhere in a house, a small fire starts,
and sets off the smoke alarm. You, not immediately seeing any
fire/smoke, complain about the noise of the smoke detector, and are
advised to remove the smoke detector's battery and go back to sleep.

Equivalent Scenario 2: 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 some of your respondents,
replies, "Well, don't do that."

I'm beginning to think that the people deliberately posting such
bad advice are hacker-wannabes who have no true interest in helping
you secure your system, but would rather give you a false sense of
security while ensuring that your computer is still open to
exploitation.


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

 

[Mark]

Bruce,

Thank you for the detailed and informative message.

First, my Windows XP computers are behind a firewall and always updates with
the latest security updates, etc., including latest anti-virus definitions
(Norton AntiVirus 2003). I have been supporting Windows for years, even
back on Windows 1.0 days I provided support to others, and continue provide
in-depth support for Windows today.

I understand disabling a service does not solve the problem at hand. The
Windows XP user that contacted me about this issue I already told to enable
the Windows XP firewall or install Zone Labs ZoneAlarm (free version) to
protect their computer. The user did not want to enable the Windows XP
firewall nor install ZoneAlarm. The Windows XP computer is mostly used
behind firewall on an Internet LAN connection.

At work I deal with a large customer based throughout USA and Canada and the
majority of these users use Windows XP. I find that the Windows XP users
usually do not install the available updates from the Windows Update web
site along with keeping their anti-virus definitions updated as well. When
there are viruses and security flaws out there that make Windows vulnerable
and the anti-virus vendors has updated virus definitions available and
Microsoft makes the security update(s) available, users should install them
to their Windows computers. Some Windows users do not understand buying a
computer does require them to do some regular maintenance and learning about
it.

In regards to the MSBLASTER virus, I do not completely blame Microsoft for
this problem. If the security firm or person would not have released the
source code to the RPC exploit where the virus creators took it, these RPC
viruses would probably not have caused all of these problems. Although
Microsoft released the security update a month ago, this demonstrates that
Windows users do not know how to maintain their Windows computers and
protect their computers from these vulnerabilities.

Like I tell most of my customers that complains about all of these Windows
problems. Microsoft has dominated the world with Windows, it is the main
stream operating system to use and no matter what operating system you use
on your computer you will always need to learn about the bad and good of it.
If you know enough about Windows and know how to protect it from all
possible and known problems, flaws, exploits, etc., then you should have no
problems using Windows on the computer. There are alternative operating
systems out there, which I have used them, but it seems the world of
computing evolves around Windows.

 

[Doug Knox MS-MVP]

The link Chris referenced is for turning on the built in firewall. If you
need more control than that, you could use a 3rd party firewall that allows
for IP security to only allow certain IP addresses to hit that port.

 

[Bruce Chambers]

Greetings --

You're welcome.

If your customer is behind a business/corporate LAN and firewall
and still receiving messenger service spams, I'd have to conclude that
there is something seriously wrong with the LAN's firewall. It should
be configured to block inbound traffic on UDP ports 135, 137, and
138; TCP ports 135, 139, and 445. You may also disable Inbound
NetBIOS (NetBIOS over TCP/IP). Basically, your customer has two
choices: either take proper steps to secure his/her computer(s), or
deal with the consequences of being at the mercy of malicious people
via the Internet. The
choice, as always, is his/hers alone.


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

 

[Mark]

The XP user does not receive the pop up window when behind a firewall. The
user had his XP computer connected outside of the normal Internet LAN
connection protected under a firewall.