Pop ups

[Simple]

These really annoying messages keep popping up when i am
signed onto my computer. The words "messenger service"
are in the title bar... and they're mostly about
subscribing to end pop ups adds. I shouldn't have to
pay to end these. Does anyone know what I can do?

 

[mac]

These really annoying messages keep popping up when i am
signed onto my computer. The words "messenger service"
are in the title bar... and they're mostly about
subscribing to end pop ups adds. I shouldn't have to
pay to end these. Does anyone know what I can do?

From: http://www.itc.virginia.edu/desktop/docs/messagepopup/

Disabling the Messenger Service
To remove the ability for anyone in the world to pop up messages on your
computer, you can disable the Messenger service. Its easy to reverse at a
later time if you wish to do so.



Windows 2000
Click Start-> Settings-> Control Panel-> Administrative Tools->Services
Scroll down and highlight "Messenger"
Right-click the highlighted line and choose Properties.
Click the STOP button.
Select Disable or Manual in the Startup Type scroll bar
Click OK


Windows XP Home
Click Start->Settings ->Control Panel
Click Performance and Maintenance
Click Administrative Tools
Double click Services Scroll
down and highlight "Messenger"
Right-click the highlighted line and choose Properties.
Click the STOP button.
Select Disable or Manual in the Startup Type scroll bar
Click OK


Windows XP Professional
Click Start->Settings ->Control Panel
Click Administrative Tools
Click Services
Double click Services Scroll
down and highlight "Messenger"
Right-click the highlighted line and choose Properties.
Click the STOP button.
Select Disable or Manual in the Startup Type scroll bar
Click OK


Windows NT
Click Start ->Control Panel
Double Click Administrative Tools
Select Services-> Double-click on Messenger
In the Messenger Properties window, select Stop,
Then choose Disable as the Startup Type
Click OK

Windows 98 & ME
Windows Messenger Service cannot be disabled

 

[shaun]

-----Original Message-----


http://www.itc.virginia.edu/desktop/docs/messagepopup/

Disabling the Messenger Service
To remove the ability for anyone in the world to pop up messages on your
computer, you can disable the Messenger service. Its easy to reverse at a
later time if you wish to do so.



Windows 2000
Click Start-> Settings-> Control Panel-> Administrative Tools->Services
Scroll down and highlight "Messenger"
Right-click the highlighted line and choose Properties.
Click the STOP button.
Select Disable or Manual in the Startup Type scroll bar
Click OK


Windows XP Home
Click Start->Settings ->Control Panel
Click Performance and Maintenance
Click Administrative Tools
Double click Services Scroll
down and highlight "Messenger"
Right-click the highlighted line and choose Properties.
Click the STOP button.
Select Disable or Manual in the Startup Type scroll bar
Click OK


Windows XP Professional
Click Start->Settings ->Control Panel
Click Administrative Tools
Click Services
Double click Services Scroll
down and highlight "Messenger"
Right-click the highlighted line and choose Properties.
Click the STOP button.
Select Disable or Manual in the Startup Type scroll bar
Click OK


Windows NT
Click Start ->Control Panel
Double Click Administrative Tools
Select Services-> Double-click on Messenger
In the Messenger Properties window, select Stop,
Then choose Disable as the Startup Type
Click OK

Windows 98 & ME
Windows Messenger Service cannot be disabled


.
If you still want to use the messenger service I would

suggest that you first
1. Right click My Network Places and go to Properties
2. Find your connection there then right click it and go
to properties.
3. Go to the advanced tab
4. Check the checkbox to prevent access from the internet.
This way you can still use messenger without all the
annoying popups.

 

[Jim Byrd]

Hi Simple - These are most likely due to open NetBios ports 135, 137-139 and
445. You really need to block these with a firewall as a general protection
measure. You can stop the popups by turning off Messenger Service; however,
this still leaves you vulnerable. If you have an NT-based OS such as XP or
Win2k, you should probably also specifically block the following additional
ports as well: UDP 135, and TCP 593, and install the very important 823980
patch from MS03-026, here: http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=823980.


See: Messenger Service Window That Contains an Internet Advertisement
Appears http://support.microsoft.com/?id=330904 which identifies reasons to
keep this service and steps to take if you do.

You can test your system and follow the 'Prevention' link to get additional
information here:
http://www.mynetwatchman.com/winpopuptester.asp Unless you have very good
reasons to keep this active, it should be turned off in Win2k and XP. Go
here and do what it says:
http://www.itc.virginia.edu/desktop/docs/messagepopup/ or, even better, get
MessageSubtract, free, here, which will give you flexible control of the
service and viewing of these messages:
http://www.intermute.com/messagesubtract/help.html Recommended.

(FWIW, ZoneAlarm's default Internet Zone firewall configuration blocks the
necessary ports to prevent this use of Messenger Service. I don't know the
situation with regard to other firewalls.)

Messenger Service is not per se Spyware or something that MS did wrong - It
provides a messaging capability which is useful for local intranets and is
also sometimes (albeit nowdays infrequently) used by some applications to
provide popup messaages to users. However, it can also be (and now
frequently is) used to introduce spam via this open NetBios channel. For a
single user home computer, it normally isn't needed and can be turned off
which will eliminate the spam popups. This DOESN'T, however, remove the
vulnerability of having these ports open, when in fact they aren't needed,
since they can be perverted in other ways as well, some of which can be much
more damaging than just a spam popup.


--
Please respond in the same thread.
Regards, Jim Byrd, MS-MVP



In

 

[Frank Saunders, MS-MVP]

These really annoying messages keep popping up when i am
signed onto my computer. The words "messenger service"
are in the title bar... and they're mostly about
subscribing to end pop ups adds. I shouldn't have to
pay to end these. Does anyone know what I can do?

If you are using WinXP, applying WinXP's firewall to your connection will
stop these.
Right click your connection and choose Properties. Go to the Advanced tab.

 

[josie]

Hi Jim, reading your response re: pop ups and visiting the sites you refer
to has made me curious about some of the the security issues you mention and
I'd appreciate comments to a few questions I have. I recently started using
DSL and have become more aware about security risks. So I've installed Zone
Alarm, SpyBot and Ad-Aware and disabled Messanger in my Win XP desktop and
my Win2kpro laptop. These two PCs are in a wireless network sharing DSL
connection but are not connected to each other for other task. I am the sole
user of these separate PCs and from what I am reading the network
capabilities makes their security more vulnerable. Is it possible to
totally or partially eliminate the network feature from my Win 2kpro laptop?
(passed on to me by my son) And the XP? If so where can I get any info on
this? Also, about your comments on the NetBios and the ports to close, Zone
Alarm sent me an alert that ports 138 and 139 were being accessed and
something about NetBios. But I did not agree to block because I didn't know
what it meant. Now after your comment here I am concerned and wonder how to
close these ports. What is NetBios? ZA is not easy to configure for an
unexperienced user, the alerts offer info but not enough for a newbie.
Please comment on this. Thank you. Josie

 

[Robert Aldwinckle]

What is NetBios?

Steve Gibson has some readable information on this issue.
Try his Shields Up! site at grc.com

Unfortunately it hasn't been updated to mention
if XP's firewall changes things.