Messenger

[Tony Morgan]

I find the "messenger" service intrusive. It keeps
popping up on the taskbar. I never use it and don't
intend to. How do I disable it.
Tony

 

[purplehaz]

If you mean windows messenger:
To delete Messenger, try this from Johathan Kay:
Close down Messenger (right click the messenger icon in the notification
area/system tray and click close). Then click the start button, then
click Run and type in (copy-paste if you like):
RunDll32 advpack.dll,LaunchINFSection %windir%\INF\msmsgs.inf,BLC.Remove

Then click OK. Messenger will then be uninstalled. For more detailed
instructions and screenshots, go to,
http://messenger.jonathankay.com/problem.aspx?ID=7

 

[Sharon]

1. Do a control alt delete, click on the processes tab,
highlight msmsgs and click on end process.

2. Start, control panel, add remove programs,change or
remove programs, click on Messenger, then remove

3. In the same box click on add remove windows
components. Take the check out of the Messenger box.

4. Start, run, then type msconfig, click on the startup
tab, find the little demon and uncheck him.

5. Start, control panel, administrative tools, services,
find and highlight him, then click on stop the service at
the lefthand side.

 

[Bruce Chambers]

Greetings --

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, 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

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