unsolicited popups

[DC Hendrickson]

Over the past few weeks to a month each time I boot up
(Window XP), I get multiple popups simulating a Window
with the title 'Messenger Service'. There is a message
that I should go to such sites as MessengerKiller.com,
etc. to stop these unwanted popups. These obnoxious
popups will take anywhere from 6 to 12 attempts to delete
them initially, and they will continue to pop us off and
on as I continue to use the computer, online or off. How
do I go about getting rid of them? Thanks for your
reply. DC Hendrickson

 

[Smeghead]

Over the past few weeks to a month each time I boot up
(Window XP), I get multiple popups simulating a Window
with the title 'Messenger Service'. There is a message
that I should go to such sites as MessengerKiller.com,
etc. to stop these unwanted popups. These obnoxious
popups will take anywhere from 6 to 12 attempts to delete
them initially, and they will continue to pop us off and
on as I continue to use the computer, online or off. How
do I go about getting rid of them? Thanks for your
reply. DC Hendrickson

You can turn off the messaging service via the Componant Services tool, or,
if you're behind a firewall, you can block the port that the service uses.
If you're on a home network or LAN, turning off the service altogether is
kind of heavy handed, since it can be useful.

If you never use the service and have no plans to ever use it follow these
steps...

1. Click Start, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel.
2. Double-click Admin Tools.
3. Double-click Service.
4. Double-click Messenger.
5. In the Startup type list, click Disabled.
6. Click Stop, and then click OK.

Hope this helps.

 

[Bruce Chambers]

Greetings --

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?


Bruce Chambers

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