Messenger Pop-Ups

[LarryB]

I am getting frequent unsolicited popups
entitled "Messenger Service", prompting me to go
to "www.directadstopper.com", or other like sites to
purchase software to stop "popups".

Is there a way to get rid of the popups without having to
buy their software.. Thanks !!!

 

[frazmannn]

Go to Control Panel -> Administrative Tools -> Services,
find the "Messenger" service, and change it's properties
to either manual or disabled at startup. The messenger
service is used by network administrators to send pop-up
messages about power outages, etc. Turning it off won't
affect your system unless you want to receive these pop-
ups from somebody.

I had the same problem...

 

[ZedGama3]

You can also activate the XP firewall, which will also block other
unsolicited traffic which could cause problems with your computer.
Please see http://www.microsoft.com/protect

 

[Jupiter Jones [MVP]]

And you still have a problem, if you stopped Messenger Service ads
simply by disabling Messenger Service.
Do you have a correctly configured firewall?
If you did, your computer would be protected as it should be.
You have now successfully eliminated the annoying but harmless
Messenger Service ads and left your computer to an almost unlimited #
of other potential problems.
The correct fix is a properly configured firewall.
Install or enable a firewall IMMEDIATELY, before connecting to the
internet:
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=283673

 

[Sven Zallmann]

And you still have a problem, if you stopped Messenger Service ads
simply by disabling Messenger Service.
Do you have a correctly configured firewall?
If you did, your computer would be protected as it should be.
You have now successfully eliminated the annoying but harmless
Messenger Service ads and left your computer to an almost unlimited #
of other potential problems.
The correct fix is a properly configured firewall.
Install or enable a firewall IMMEDIATELY, before connecting to the
internet:

Do you think just enabling the ICF is a good idea? I never took
a closer look at it, but to run a firewall one should have some
clue about how to configure it. And

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=283673

gives no information on that.

Btw: you (and most people posting here) have obviously not under-
stood the sense in quoting (see also my message
<[email protected]>). Furthermore,
while your OE produces a technically correct signature separator,
the (full-)quoted text is still positioned at the bottom of the
message (OE default setting), thus blowing up your signature.
Never noticed that?

There are two possible solutions to this problem:

1. Tools for Outlook Express
(http://www20.brinkster.com/caine555/oee/download.asp;
unfortunately only in German)

2. OE-QuoteFix (http://home.in.tum.de/~jain/dl.php?get=OE-QuoteFix)

HTH,

 

[Testy]

Who cares?

Testy

"Sven Zallmann"

 

[Sven Zallmann]

Who cares?

This couldn't-care-less attitude is the exact reason why reading
English-language newsgroups is a constant pain in the ass....

 

[Testy]

Then don't read them, all you do is complain anyway.

Testy

 

[Bruce Chambers]

Greetings --

This type of spam has become quite common over the past several
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, such as the Blaster Worm that
recently swept cross 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

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?


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

 

[Bruce Chambers]

Greetings --

Please stop deliberately posting potentially harmful advice.

Disabling the messenger service, by itself, is nothing more than 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're only advise is 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. The home-owner, not immediately seeing
any fire/smoke, complains about the noise of the smoke detector, so
you tell him to remove the smoke detector's battery and go back to
sleep, or whatever else he was doing.

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 you are, replies, "Well,
don't do that."

An essential component of securing a PC against outside attacks,
short of disconnecting it from the Internet, is to install and
*properly* configure a firewall.


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

 

[Sven Zallmann]

[repaired quoting]

Then don't read them, all you do is complain anyway.

Whiner! If you can't take constructive criticism then FOAD....

Testy

and do exist
*scnr*

 

[Jupiter Jones [MVP]]

Sven;
Yes it is a good idea.
If everyone that did not have a 3rd party firewall would have simply
enabled ICF, Blaster would have been a non issue with Windows XP.
That even disregards the fact a patch was widely advertised and
available weeks before Blaster hit.

ICF is a very basic but very effective firewall as designed.
There is no configurations to speak of, which is why many use 3rd
party alternatives.

Perhaps next time you should take a closer look at something, give a
little research before you go spouting off in an area where you are
ignorant...especially when what you criticize does the job very well.

--
Jupiter Jones [MVP]
An easier way to read newsgroup messages:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/using/newsgroups/setup.asp
http://dts-l.org/index.html

Do you think just enabling the ICF is a good idea? I never took
a closer look at it, but to run a firewall one should have some
clue about how to configure it. And


gives no information on that.

Garbage not relevant to post snipped

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~ Sven Zallmann ~ Nizzaallee 4 ~ D-52072 Aachen ~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~ ICQ# 170594816 ~ mailto:[email protected] ~~~~~~~~~~~

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