POP UPS

  • Thread starter Thread starter gb
  • Start date Start date
G

gb

I'm new to all this...how do I stop the annoying popups
that come thru Messenger Service? Thx.
 
Go to control panel/administrative tools/services and set Messenger Service
to Manual and Off.
 
Striker,
You should treat the cause and not the symptoms. Install a good Firewall
and or Pop-up Blocker software. These Pop-ups are informing you that your
computer has open ports which hackers can access.
Nick
 
There has been lots of discussion over the years on which is the best way to
block Messenger Service alerts and I am using the same solution that MS has
implemented in SP2( making the default setting of Messenger Service to Off).
Messenger Service was designed and implemented in order for administrators
of corporate networks to send an alert to all users on a network. Messenger
Service alerts have nothing to do with browser based pop-ups and will not be
stopped by a pop-up blocker.
 
Striker ,
Please have a look at the quote below from
http://www.mvps.org/sramesh2k/Popups.htm, I see that the OP appears to have
Windows 2000.

"If the title bar reads as "MESSENGER SERVICE" with gray ADs, then it the
famous Messenger SPAM. This is applicable only for Windows 2000 and Windows
XP. The "Messenger Service" [different from Windows Messenger IM] is
responsible for transmitting these text-based messages. While disabling the
Messenger Service can stop the pop-up Ads, it's not sufficient in the
security point of view. These messages arrive to your system because there
is a way for someone to transmit data to your computer via TCP and UDP ports
[UDP ports 135, 137, and 138; TCP ports 135, 139, and 445 137]. This means,
some intruder can do nasty things on your computer with this port open. The
BEST and HIGHLY RECOMMENDED method to prevent these type of pop-up and to
harden the security of your computer is to enable the Windows XP's Internet
Connection Firewall and upgrade to Windows XP SP1. This blocks the ports
required for Messenger Service data transmission."

Nick
 
I stand by my recommendation because disabling Messenger Service is the
solution Microsoft finally choose to implement in XP SP2 ( and which is just
as valid a solution for Win 2000) instead of trying to use a firewall as
they had previously suggested . I am not suggesting that the use of
firewalls is to be discourage but I am suggesting the solution to the
Messenger Service Spam problem that will be on XP systems shipped as of
this fall and which does not require the user to have, set up and use a
firewall.

Old Nick said:
Striker ,
Please have a look at the quote below from
http://www.mvps.org/sramesh2k/Popups.htm, I see that the OP appears to
have Windows 2000.

"If the title bar reads as "MESSENGER SERVICE" with gray ADs, then it the
famous Messenger SPAM. This is applicable only for Windows 2000 and
Windows XP. The "Messenger Service" [different from Windows Messenger IM]
is responsible for transmitting these text-based messages. While disabling
the Messenger Service can stop the pop-up Ads, it's not sufficient in the
security point of view. These messages arrive to your system because there
is a way for someone to transmit data to your computer via TCP and UDP
ports [UDP ports 135, 137, and 138; TCP ports 135, 139, and 445 137]. This
means, some intruder can do nasty things on your computer with this port
open. The BEST and HIGHLY RECOMMENDED method to prevent these type of
pop-up and to harden the security of your computer is to enable the
Windows XP's Internet Connection Firewall and upgrade to Windows XP SP1.
This blocks the ports required for Messenger Service data transmission."

Nick

Striker said:
There has been lots of discussion over the years on which is the best way
to block Messenger Service alerts and I am using the same solution that
MS has implemented in SP2( making the default setting of Messenger
Service to Off). Messenger Service was designed and implemented in order
for administrators of corporate networks to send an alert to all users on
a network. Messenger Service alerts have nothing to do with browser based
pop-ups and will not be stopped by a pop-up blocker.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
And I standby my original Post " treat the cause and not the symptoms".
I can see we will never agree, so let's just abide by our own opinion. I
just feel that you should have been a little more enlightening to the OP.
Nick

Striker said:
I stand by my recommendation because disabling Messenger Service is the
solution Microsoft finally choose to implement in XP SP2 ( and which is
just as valid a solution for Win 2000) instead of trying to use a firewall
as they had previously suggested . I am not suggesting that the use of
firewalls is to be discourage but I am suggesting the solution to the
Messenger Service Spam problem that will be on XP systems shipped as of
this fall and which does not require the user to have, set up and use a
firewall.

Old Nick said:
Striker ,
Please have a look at the quote below from
http://www.mvps.org/sramesh2k/Popups.htm, I see that the OP appears to
have Windows 2000.

"If the title bar reads as "MESSENGER SERVICE" with gray ADs, then it the
famous Messenger SPAM. This is applicable only for Windows 2000 and
Windows XP. The "Messenger Service" [different from Windows Messenger IM]
is responsible for transmitting these text-based messages. While
disabling the Messenger Service can stop the pop-up Ads, it's not
sufficient in the security point of view. These messages arrive to your
system because there is a way for someone to transmit data to your
computer via TCP and UDP ports [UDP ports 135, 137, and 138; TCP ports
135, 139, and 445 137]. This means, some intruder can do nasty things on
your computer with this port open. The BEST and HIGHLY RECOMMENDED method
to prevent these type of pop-up and to harden the security of your
computer is to enable the Windows XP's Internet Connection Firewall and
upgrade to Windows XP SP1. This blocks the ports required for Messenger
Service data transmission."

Nick

Striker said:
There has been lots of discussion over the years on which is the best
way to block Messenger Service alerts and I am using the same solution
that MS has implemented in SP2( making the default setting of Messenger
Service to Off). Messenger Service was designed and implemented in order
for administrators of corporate networks to send an alert to all users
on a network. Messenger Service alerts have nothing to do with browser
based pop-ups and will not be stopped by a pop-up blocker.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
Striker said:
I stand by my recommendation because disabling Messenger Service is the
solution Microsoft finally choose to implement in XP SP2 ( and which is
just as valid a solution for Win 2000) instead of trying to use a firewall
as they had previously suggested . I am not suggesting that the use of
firewalls is to be discourage but I am suggesting the solution to the
Messenger Service Spam problem that will be on XP systems shipped as of
this fall and which does not require the user to have, set up and use a
firewall. **
Click to expand...

I turned off Messenger Service. But, when I installed SP2 and I think
in all cases unless you intentionally disable it, the new firewall called
Windows Firewall is installed automatically. It is not that Messenger
Service
itself does damage, but the vulnerability of the ports that these Messenger
Service advertisements exploit. I'm unsure of your last statement. **


http://support.microsoft.com/?id=330904

SYMTOMS
"You may receive an Internet advertisement in a Messenger service window.

CAUSE
This issue may occur if you receive a net send message from
someone who is using the Messenger service in Windows.

RESOLUTION
To resolve this issue, install or turn on a firewall that blocks
inbound NetBIOS and UDP broadcast traffic. The method that you use
to resolve this issue depends on your operating system and how you
connect to the Internet. The following sections provide examples of
several different configurations and possible methods of resolution.

You connect to the Internet directly
If you use a single computer that is connected to the Internet
directly (by using a cable modem, a DSL modem, or a dial-up modem,
for example), install a firewall and block inbound NetBIOS and
UDPbroadcast traffic on your computer.

You are running Windows XP
If you are running Windows XP and connect to the Internet directly
(by using a cable modem, a DSL modem, or a dial-up modem, for
example), install Windows XP Service Pack 1 (SP1) and turn on
Internet Connection Firewall (ICF). By default, the installation
of Windows XP SP1 permits Internet Connection Firewall (ICF) to
block all incoming traffic (unicast, multicast, and broadcast). By
default, if you have installed Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2),
Windows Firewall (WF) is turned on."
 
Striker said:
I stand by my recommendation because disabling Messenger Service is the
solution Microsoft finally choose to implement in XP SP2 ( and which is
just as valid a solution for Win 2000) instead of trying to use a firewall
as they had previously suggested . I am not suggesting that the use of
firewalls is to be discourage but I am suggesting the solution to the
Messenger Service Spam problem that will be on XP systems shipped as of
this fall and which does not require the user to have, set up and use a
firewall.
Click to expand...

Well, maybe you mean third party firewalls. SP2 installs the Windows
Firewall and Windows Messenger and I don't think the SP2 will change soon.
 
What I meant is that by turning off the Messenger Service you are turning
off its ability to start and run in background and to listen for and receive
anything on the ports it uses. This is independent of having to have the
SP2 firewall enabled or any other firewall enabled to block the ports used
by Messenger Service or any other rogue application that may have gotten on
your computer and be running and listening for inputs from the ports used
by Messenger Service.
 
Striker said:
What I meant is that by turning off the Messenger Service you are turning
off its ability to start and run in background and to listen for and
receive anything on the ports it uses. This is independent of having to
have the SP2 firewall enabled or any other firewall enabled to block the
ports used by Messenger Service or any other rogue application that may
have gotten on your computer and be running and listening for inputs from
the ports used by Messenger Service.
Click to expand...

I understand that and there are two different functions is not in quesion.

I question:
I stand by my recommendation because disabling Messenger Service is the
solution Microsoft finally choose to implement in XP SP2 ( and which is
just as valid a solution for Win 2000) instead of trying to use a firewall
as they had previously suggested .
Click to expand...

I wrote "I don't think the SP2 will change soon."

Because it is Sept 10, and xp sp2 enables both the firewall and messenger
service so it is not the solution Microsoft finally chose. It is extremely
unlikely
that SP2 will be modified this year so that systems will continue to need
either
to disable windows messenger (since it will be enabled by default) or to use
a firewall. I don't see how your recent clarification makes the information
that I
do question understandable. Disabling messenger or using a firewall are
different methods. I don't see how that supports your statement that MS
has chosen disabling Messenger as the better way, especially by the fall
of this year since SP2 will not be changed this year; SP2 does automatically
enable Windows Messenger. Do you mean OEMs will release a slipstreamed
version ( the new enhanced XP) of win xp and sp2 that will soon have windows
messenger disabled, as an installed OS on newly shipped computers?
 
I disagree MS did disable Messenger Services in SP2 and Messenger Services
has nothing to do with MSN Messenger or Windows Messenger following is a
quote from the release documentation for SP2. I agree with you that MSN
Messenger and Windows Messenger are not disabled in SP2.

"Alerter and Messenger Services
What do the Alerter and Messenger Services do?
The Alerter and Messenger services are components of Windows that allow
simple messages to be communicated between computers on a network. The
Messenger service relays messages from different applications and services,
while the Alerter service is intended specifically for administrative
alerts.

Who does this feature apply to?
Administrators that communicate with their users should be aware of the
changes to these services. In addition, developers that use these services
to notify users about events or broadcast messages on the network should be
aware of these changes. Although these changes apply to all computers
running Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2, only computers connected to a
network are affected.

What existing functionality is changing in Windows XP Service Pack 2?
Alerter and Messenger Services Disabled
Detailed description

In previous versions of Windows, the Messenger service is set to start
automatically and the Alerter service is set to manual start. In Windows XP
Service Pack 2, both of these services are set to Disabled. No other changes
are made to these services.

Why is this change important? What threats does it help mitigate?

When the services are started, they allow incoming network connections and
present an attack surface. This elevates their security risk. Also, these
services are used infrequently in current computing environments. Because of
the additional attack surface that the services present, and their limited
general use, they are now disabled by default."
 
Striker said:
I disagree MS did disable Messenger Services in SP2 and Messenger Services
has nothing to do with MSN Messenger or Windows Messenger following is a
quote from the release documentation for SP2. I agree with you that MSN
Messenger and Windows Messenger are not disabled in SP2.
Click to expand...

You are right and I am wrong. I must have manually disabled windows
messenger before SP2 and my memory became befuddled and confused
and I had one of those psychoanalytic projective moments, or I am getting
old.
 
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