POPUPS!

  • Thread starter Thread starter Adam
  • Start date Start date
For more information about the Messenger Service Spam and how to stop them
from your computer visit this link:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/using/howto/communicate/stopspam.asp

These windows are sent to your system using the Messenger service. You
should either use a firewall to block your file/printer sharing ports
(TCP/UDP ports 135, 137, 138, 139, and 445) from the Internet.

First thing you'll want to do is to install or enable a firewall:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=KB;EN-US;Q330904

Disabling Messenger Service can be a good idea, but it does not solve the
real problem.

The ads are not the real problem, the ads are only a symptom of a larger
issue. The real problem is open ports that allow unwanted traffic into the
computer.

Disabling Messenger does nothing for the open ports. You would need a
firewall that controls the traffic.

The above solution will not work if you have AOL as is not compatible with
Windows XP Internet Connection Firewall (ICF). If you have AOL, you should
contact AOL and/or get a 3rd party firewall.

Disable Messenger Service:
Start/Control Panel, click Administrative Tools, click Services.
Go down to "Messenger".
Right click "Messenger" and select Properties.
Hit the Stop Button under Service Status section
Then under Start-up select DISABLE
Click OK and follow prompts

Check this link:
http://www.aumha.org/a/noads.php
Run Ad-Aware (free version) or Spybot to check for spyware:
http://www.lavasoft.de/
Or
http://spybot.eon.net.au/

For internet pop-ups, try one of these:
http://www.panicware.com/
http://www.bysoft.se/sureshot/stopthepop/index.html
http://www.popupbuster.com/PopUpBuster/
http://www.kolumbus.fi/eero.muhonen/FS/
http://www.endpopups.com/
http://www.adshield.org/
 
Well... it's true, that they're using the Messenger
Service to send you those annoying messages, and shutting
down that service will stop the messages. However, there
are some problems with that solution. First, they're
getting into your system, which tells me that you're not
very secure on the Internet and have some security
problems which could be a lot worse than popups.
Secondly, some anti-virus programs tell you that you have
a virus with the Messenger service. So, if you shut down
that service, it might not be telling you that you have a
virus.

My thought is a smarter, more elegant way to stop this,
is to shut out the way they're getting into your system.
That is to leave the Messenger service running, and
install some sort of firewall on your system. If you're
running XP, you can use the Internet Connection Firewall
(ICF). Here's how to do it
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-
us;283673.

If you're using a firewall product, or have a router,
make sure that you're blocking the ports that they're
using to get in. To manually configure ports in ICF see
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-
us;308127. Those ports, as best I'm aware, are: 135-
139, 445 and UDP 1026. You can go to speedguide.net (or
search the net for a free port probe) to test the open
ports on your system. I've filtered those ports on my
system, and haven't had a problem since. I'm still
running the Messenger service.

Mike Pearl
 
-----Original Message-----
I am always getting popups on my screen. How do I avoid
them?
.
I use a program called Ad-Aware. It is free from
Click to expand...
downloads.com. It searches and eliminates useless
programs running on your PC. My daughters PC had hundreds
of pop-ups an hour and this program eliminated all of
them. Apparently there was a program running on the PC
causing the Pop-ups. Good Luck.
 
Greetings --

There are at least three varieties of pop-ups, and the solutions
vary accordingly. Which specific type(s) is troubling you?

1) Does the title bar of these pop-ups read "Messenger Service?"

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?

2) For regular Internet pop-ups, you might try the free 12Ghosts
Popup-killer from http://12ghosts.com/ghosts/popup.htm, Pop-Up Stopper
from http://www.panicware.com/, or the Google Toolbar from
http://toolbar.google.com/. Myself, I use Norton Internet Security,
which, in addition to containing Norton Anti-Virus and Personal
Firewall, also blocks many of the pop-up adds on the Internet.

3) To deal with pop-ups caused by any sort of "adware" and/or
"spyware,"such as Gator, Comet Cursors, Xupiter, Bonzai Buddy, or
KaZaA, and their remnants, that you've deliberately (but without
understanding the consequences) installed, two products that are
quite effective (at finding and removing this type of scumware) are
Ad-Aware from www.lavasoft.de and SpyBot Search & Destroy from
http://security.kolla.de/. Both have free versions. It's even
possible to use SpyBot Search & Destroy to "immunize" your system
against most future intrusions. I use both and generally perform
manual scans every week or so to clean out cookies, etc.


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
 
Greetings --

Yes, Gary's post already said all of that.

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
 
If the messages are the plain texted version just disable
the messenger service. This will not effect Messenger if
you are running it.
 
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