WINDOWS MESSAGING SERVICE...????

[James]

CAN SOMEONE "PLEASE" TELL ME WHY THE HELL DID MICROSOFT
PUT THIS "MESSAGING SERVICE" WITHIN XP..?

AND CAN SOMEONE "PLEASE" TELL ME HOW TO REMOVE IT FROM MY
SYSTEM BECAUSE I HONESTLY DON'T THINK THAT I SHOULD BE
FORCED TO HAVE TO CLOSE ONE INCOMMING POPUP AFTER ANOTHER
ALL BECAUSE MICROSOFT THOUGHT I WOULD BE NICE TO INCLUDE
IT INTO THEIR OPERATION SYSTEM..?




"A VERY DISSAPOINTED XP USER..."

 

[Nicholas]

How are MSN Messenger and Windows® Messenger different?
http://messenger.msn.com/support/helphome.asp?client=1#Q1b

Prevent Windows Messenger from automatically running
http://www.dougknox.com/xp/scripts_desc/xp_messenger_autorun.htm

Note: Disable your antivirus program before running this script.


--
Nicholas

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|
|
| CAN SOMEONE "PLEASE" TELL ME WHY THE HECK DID MICROSOFT
| PUT THIS "MESSAGING SERVICE" WITHIN XP..?
|
| AND CAN SOMEONE "PLEASE" TELL ME HOW TO REMOVE IT FROM MY
| SYSTEM BECAUSE I HONESTLY DON'T THINK THAT I SHOULD BE
| FORCED TO HAVE TO CLOSE ONE INCOMMING POPUP AFTER ANOTHER
| ALL BECAUSE MICROSOFT THOUGHT I WOULD BE NICE TO INCLUDE
| IT INTO THEIR OPERATION SYSTEM..?
|
|
|
|
| "A VERY DISSAPOINTED XP USER..."
|
|

 

[rifleman]

In

CAN SOMEONE "PLEASE" TELL ME WHY THE HELL DID MICROSOFT
PUT THIS "MESSAGING SERVICE" WITHIN XP..?

AND CAN SOMEONE "PLEASE" TELL ME HOW TO REMOVE IT FROM MY
SYSTEM BECAUSE I HONESTLY DON'T THINK THAT I SHOULD BE
FORCED TO HAVE TO CLOSE ONE INCOMMING POPUP AFTER ANOTHER
ALL BECAUSE MICROSOFT THOUGHT I WOULD BE NICE TO INCLUDE
IT INTO THEIR OPERATION SYSTEM..?




"A VERY DISSAPOINTED XP USER..."

Please do NOT post in caps - it's considered shouting.

Windows messenger is there for the propagation of network messages.

Your solution, (which you would have easily seen if you'd bothered to look
at any of the other posts about pop-ups) is to install a fire wall.

 

[purplehaz]

The messenger service is in other versions of windows as well and is a very
useful tool, that I for one, could not live without. Learn about computer
security before you blam others for your mistakes.


If they say messenger service in the title bar, these have nothing to do
with MSN messenger or Windows messenger. What this is a new way for spammers
to attack your computer and send you pop-up ads. If you receive these ads it
means that your computers netbios ports are wide open to the internet and
this could be a real security problem. What you should do is install a good
firewall that will block the ports the spammers use and stop the ads. A good
place to start is Zone Alarm ( www.zonelabs.com ) for an inbound/outbound
blocking firewall or use the inbound blocking only firewall built in to XP.
If needed configure the XP firewall to block ports 135, 137-139 and 445.
Zone Alarm will block these ports by default.

Use this site to test some of your ports security:
https://grc.com/x/ne.dll?bh0bkyd2

You can disable the messenger service, which is the service the spammers
exploit, but it isn't needed to stop the ads and disabling the service will
not secure your computer from outside attacks or block the open netbios
ports.

Note: If the Messenger service is stopped, messages from the Alerter
service (notifications from your antivirus software, for example) are
not transmitted. If the Messenger service is turned off, any services
that explicitly depend on the Messenger service do not start, and an
error message is logged in the System event log. For this reason,
Microsoft recommends that you install a firewall and configure it to
block NetBIOS and RPC traffic instead of turning off the Messenger
service.

 

[Jeff Malka]

I am aware of the need for a firewall - and have a personal one installed -
but I am intrigued by the statement "is a very useful tool, that I for one,
could not live without". What exactly do you use it for.

I can see its possible uses in a work network, but if you only have a 2 PC
home network, does it have much use there? Maybe I am missing something.

Thanks.

 

[purplehaz]

I don't use it in a home environment. I'm the Systems Admin at this office
and use it all the time to send network messages to all the users. Not many,
about 17 users, but it's still better than going to each person and faster
than email.(some users forget to check there email for days, even with
outlook set to launch at startup). The messenger service instantly tells
them what I need to tell them. I also use a program that runs on top of the
messenger service called win messenger. This way I don't have to goto
command prompt and use netsend. I use win messenger, which uses the
messenger service.(don't get win messenger, and windows messenger confused,
they are different). The messenger serivce makes my job a bit more "user
friendly".
Also in a home environment you could use it if say one computer is upstairs
in the kids room and they shut the door. When dinners ready, you just
message them that dinners ready, instead of yelling to them. This way you
don't need to install an internet IM either.

 

[Alex Nichol]

CAN SOMEONE "PLEASE" TELL ME WHY THE HELL DID MICROSOFT
PUT THIS "MESSAGING SERVICE" WITHIN XP..?

Please do *not* use CAPS.

The Messaging Service (NOT Windows Messenger) is used by network admins
to send out messages like 'Server closing for maintenance'. It uses the
NetBios communications system. Spammers are using the access to it to
send out nasty adverts - if not worse.

You need to install the XP Firewall - or set any other one to block
NetBIOS from the internet. Then you can disable the Messenger service
as well (It is not going to do any good unless you *are* on a LAN) -
Control Panel - Admin Tools - Services, double click it, click Stop,
then set Startup type to Disabled and Apply.

 

[purplehaz]

You're welcome.

Thanks. That's what I thought. I appreciate the clear explanation.

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