Popup Advertisments

  • Thread starter Thread starter Kirk
  • Start date Start date
K

Kirk

I am in dire straights here. Popup advertisments,
apparently sent to my IP address, keep appearing on
computer screeen. Not because I've clicked on anything
or even opened the interenet, but just at random. Text
messages only, they cause whatever else I'm doing to
minimize and cna make the entire system lock up and
crash. They also can contain pretty raunchy messages.
How do I make these stop besides chucking my HP out the
window and buying a Gateway?
 
Hi Kirk - 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. (For some other
reasons you should probably also specifically block the following
additional ports as well: UDP 135, and TCP 593)

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.



--
Regards, Jim Byrd, MS-MVP
Please respond in original thread in Newsgroup.




In [email protected], Kirk typed:
 
You will just be wasting your money because then youll
have to toss your gateway out the window too. All you
have to do is get a firewall. Try zonealarm at
zonealarm.com they have a free version.

--But heck what do I know I'm just 15--
 
I was having the same simular problems and I went got
told to got to go get this program, and I did and you
know what, it works! It stops the pop up from happining.
It just lets you know when it stops a pop up from
appearing. I strongly recomend it for putting a stop to
the ever anoying pop ups!


Go to Panicware on the web to get a free program called
PopUp Stopper; it
will eliminate some popups. Also Go to Zone Alarm for a
free firewall which
will stop most spam messages. These are free programs if
you want to save
money but if you want to buy their better versions you
will probably get
better results. Good Luck Kirk

P.S.
I found the Zone Alarm fire a little confusing to use,
but you may have better luck at it than I did. who knows!
 
Thank you, all of you. I was on the verge of tearing my
own skull out. But now, I can avoid that grim fate.
Again, my thanks.

Mr. Byrd, call me Mr. Inept, but how do I block those
ports? I believe my norton antivirus software comes with
a firewall, but I'm not entirely sure how to go about
enabling it. I'll check on it.
 
Hi Kirk - Well, I don't believe you gave us your OS, which would be
relevant. First, you have to understand that I don't recommend having
any Symantec/Norton software of any kind on any computer. If you insist
on using it, you'll need to enable the firewall and use it's appropriate
procedures to block these ports if they're not automatically blocked by
the default configuration of the firewall (they are with most firewalls,
but I don't specifically know for Norton). If you're on XP, you could
use the XP provided firewall which will handle the problem. This has
one drawback, however, in that the XP firewall only handles inbound
stuff and is consequently a deficient solution to the general firewall
issue IMO. I would specifically recommend instead going to one of the
free firewalls available - Zone Alarm, Kerio, etc - there are a number,
each with it's own (usually fervent) proponents. I personally use
ZAPro4 and am very satisfied with it, however, the free version of ZA or
any of the other more well know free firewalls will certainly do fine
for your needs using their basic install configurations. Aside from the
Popup issue, you (and everyone else) should be running a good hardware
or software firewall anyway for protection against some stuff that can
be a lot more damaging than popups. That help?
--
Regards, Jim Byrd, MS-MVP
Please respond in original thread in Newsgroup.




In [email protected], Kirk typed:
 
Jim
Just wondering?, for I have an open case with Microsoft
which has yet to be resolved. What is the reason for your
saying that you suggest "never running any
Symantec/Norton software of any kind on any computer". I
have been running it for several years with what I
thought wonderful results as it has succesfully
quarintinned many viruses with no need on my part to run
a removal tool. But if this third party software is
somehow in conflict with my OS (windows XP HE) and
causing me problems, please let me know.
Thanks in advance
Respectfully
Gene Murphy
-----Original Message-----
Hi Kirk - Well, I don't believe you gave us your OS, which would be
relevant. First, you have to understand that I don't recommend having
any Symantec/Norton software of any kind on any computer. If you insist
on using it, you'll need to enable the firewall and use it's appropriate
procedures to block these ports if they're not automatically blocked by
the default configuration of the firewall (they are with most firewalls,
but I don't specifically know for Norton). If you're on XP, you could
use the XP provided firewall which will handle the problem. This has
one drawback, however, in that the XP firewall only handles inbound
stuff and is consequently a deficient solution to the general firewall
issue IMO. I would specifically recommend instead going to one of the
free firewalls available - Zone Alarm, Kerio, etc - there are a number,
each with it's own (usually fervent) proponents. I personally use
ZAPro4 and am very satisfied with it, however, the free version of ZA or
any of the other more well know free firewalls will certainly do fine
for your needs using their basic install
Click to expand...
configurations. Aside from the
 
go to control panel/performance and
maintenance/system/services/.. in that list look for
messenger(it,s got nothing to do with windows
messenger) , double click and in start-up type drop list
select disabled.
 
Jim
Thanks so much for your help! And I know this is not the
place to usually say anything "nice" about Microsoft but
for me if you approach them with some ethics and treat
them as you expect to be treated they will do the
same.Guess I will get "spammed" for that remark, but oh
well I think I can handle it. But to the point. You were
right. Just got a response from Microsoft regarding my
troubles with Outlook 2002 after installing the latest
updates 823980 and 821557 and they sent me to the
following article:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=KB;EN-
US;813514
It might help others. Indeed it was Norton for I run
Norton Professional AV and Norton Personal Firewall. The
first thing I did was disable scanning of outgoing and
incoming mail and that solved my issue (which was
constant errors from my server ie; no response from
server or time out response) Then with a simple following
of the instructions above I went into Norton Personal
Firewall and manually configured it for Outlook 2002
changing its options from >permit to >automatic. Next I
went back and turned back on Norton's scanning of email
both incoming and outgoing.(I would suggest rebooting
between each of these operations) and everything is still
ok. So I think that it was the configuration of Nortons
Personal Firewall that was the issue. All of this did
work however before the download of the two security
updates and I know there are some know issues with those,
but it should be said that Microsoft does I think do its
best based on the number of issues it has to resolve and
what priority to assign to each one, thus I will remain a
user of theirs as I have been for 12 years. I however
will not be updating my subscrition with Norton and would
like to know what AV software you would suggest me to
use. I would prefer one that costs instead of shareware
or a free one for I have used some of those and did not
feel to secure.
Once again, Thanks for you postive posts!
Respectfully
Gene Murphy
 
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