Hi Ed,
REMOVING "Messenger Service" POPUPS (immediate Temporary fix)
=========================
Note: This DOES NOT take the place of a good firewall like Zone Alarm Pro. You need it. Get
one; you are vulnerable. Learn the easy way or the hard way. A hardware firewall is great
like a Cayman or SoHoware Router, and of course virus protection is an absolute must
(updated every day).
REMOVING "Messenger Service" POPUPS (immediate Temporary fix)
Recently some smart programmers came up with a way to send SPAM through the network
messaging system provided in Windows 2000 and Windows XP. What happens is for no reason,
without Internet Explorer or Outlook Express open, a PopUp shows up on the desktop with SPAM
(some common ones are offering a college diploma based on your life experiences). Using
Outlook will not prevent this from happening. To stop this from happening do the following:
Note: This feature is normally available to administrators to send messages over a
network(s), and those with authority to send popups concerning corporate events, schedules
etcetra.
Note: This generally happens to broad band internet connections that stay open, but may be
sent to anyone while online with Windows 2000 and Windows XP (all versions).
Start >Settings >Control Panel >Administrative Tools >Services >double-click Messenger
Startup drop-down set to Manual >OK >restart
Note: There is a freeware download that will toggle messenger service "on" and "off" at
http://grc.com/freepopular.htm
IMPORTANT: By doing only that, the computer will STILL be open to the Internet and be pretty
unsecured. The Messenger Service messages is only the symptom, and not the cause. This type
of SPAM is just a sign that you are exposing NETBIOS ports to the Internet, this you should
block with a firewall.
=========================
Note: This DOES NOT take the place of a good firewall like Zone Alarm Pro. You need it. Get
one; you are vulnerable. Learn the easy way or the hard way. A hardware firewall is great
like a Lynksys Router, and of course virus protection is an absolute must (updated every
day).
=========================
Microsoft link concerning "Messenger service"
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=330904
=========================
"For this reason, Microsoft recommends that you install a firewall and configure it to block
NetBIOS traffic instead of merely just turning off the Messenger service."
That means blocking internet access to ports 135, 137-139 and 445 with a firewall.
As I stated, you need a firewall and AVP.
Also you would do well to have Ad-Aware and SpyBot S&D
Here is a website that can direct you both and many more.
www.spychecker.com
good computing,
don
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*END*
I have popup on my desktop all day long If I am out of the
office they will be stackedup waiting. I am sure I have
something on my computer that is causing this to happen I
am on a dsl so I am online all the time. I don't have to
be surfing for them to appear. Can anyone tell me how I
can find the bug and get it removed
