i get these windows messenger pop ups

[Guest]

i get these windows messenger pop ups when im online,,, i
dont even have the messenger on my taskbar,, how do i stop
this in win xp

 

[Ron Lowe]

i get these windows messenger pop ups when im online,,, i
dont even have the messenger on my taskbar,, how do i stop
this in win xp

This is Messenger Service Spam.

The Windows "Messenger Service" which you are seeing
should not be confused with "Windows Messenger", the
program that lets you chat on-line to your buddies.

Although they have similar names, they are different creatures.

The Messenger Service is a built-in service which allows the
machine to recieve and display 'net send' messages.
The spammers have recently discovered that many people
un-intentionally have this open to the internet, and are using it
as a channel to peddle their wares.

The correct way to prevent this is to have a firewall running on the
Internet Connection, which will block the intrusions.
You can use XP's built-in firewall, or a 3-rd party one.

Some people will suggest you simply shut down the Messenger Service
on your PC, and this will also stop the spam messages.
But it doesn't cure the underlying problem that you have an
insecure machine exposed to the Internet.

See also:
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=330904

 

[Bill]

Launch the messenger program, and if you look around you
will find an option to NOT start when windows starts.
That should take care of the pop-ups.

 

[Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]]

....actually, MSN messenger isn't the culprit - it's the messenger service -
but actually, even that isn't the culprit, it's just the symptom - the issue
is that the PC doesn't have any protection from the Internet, and a firewall
will take care of this.

 

[TC2]

Ron,

I have a system behind a linksys router. It is not exposed through the
router by anything like having it the DMZ or forwarding ports to it. But I
still got a "messenger" pop up. Got any clues about that?

Thanks,
Tom

 

[Ron Lowe]

Ron,

I have a system behind a linksys router. It is not exposed through the
router by anything like having it the DMZ or forwarding ports to it. But I
still got a "messenger" pop up. Got any clues about that?

Thanks,
Tom

There are a limited number of explanations...
( in no particular order )

1) It wasn't actually messenger service spam, but perhaps a
web page pop-up which was made to look like messenger spam;

2) It was messenger service spam, but originated within your network;

3) There's a problem with the router configuration and it is forwarding
NetBIOS ports to your machine.

Go to http://www.grc.com/ and go to the ShieldsUP page.
Follow the linsk to the Messenger Service "spam yourself" page.
You can send messenger spam to yourself and test things out.