intrusive pop-ups

[Lee]

I just finished loading the latest windows update security
and service packs. I am now getting pop-up messages in
the middle of anything and everything. I never got such
nuisance stuff before I "updated." What have I unleashed
on my formerly unpolluted computer? A friend has had the
same problem since updating. Is there a fix? What gives?

 

[mamabear]

I don't know if this is relevant but here's some info
on "Messenger Service"
http://www.lavahelp.com/articles/v6/03/05/0302.html
For other types of popups (not "Messenger Service"), a
good free popup blocker is Popup Manager from here:
http://www.endpopups.com/
Cookiewall allows you to decide which cookies you want to
allow on your computer:
http://www.analogx.com/contents/download/network/cookie.htm
ie-spyad adds a list of restricted sites to IE:
http://www.staff.uiuc.edu/~ehowes/resource.htm
Spywareblaster also blocks many "malicious" sites:
http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/spywareblaster.html
Ie-spyad and Spywareblaster are both updated frequently.
Download and run regularly Adaware (free version) from
http://www.lavasoftusa.com/
It detects and safely removes dataminers, tracking
cookies, dialers and other objects from your computer.
Use "webupdate" before you scan to make sure you have the
latest ref file. Run a "full scan"
http://www.lavahelp.com/howto/fullscan/index.html
If you have any questions, their forums are here
http://www.lavasoftsupport.com/

 

[JeffO]

I did some updates on my WindowsXP machine and now my
ZoneAlarm pops up every time I log on. I traced it to UPnP
(Universal PlugNPlay). What it thinks it's trying to do,
and why, I don't know. It never did it before. It's
Microsoft's thing. And ZoneAlarm doesn't allow me to
permanently answer the popup like it allows with other
alerts.
I wonder if there's been a similar "patch" issued for W2K?