windows messenger

[brian]

i have just purchased a new sony W1 pc but when i connect
to the internet i keep getting "suggestive" pop messeges
from young girls,...aol advised Start>Run,type
services.msc/s then follow prompts...but a messege comes
up saying unable to find file...can you help!!!

 

[Willit]

Get a fire wall or turn on the built-in one.
Go to control Panel> Network connections > *Your
connection* rt click >properties, Advanced Tab, check to
enable> The Firewall.

And

If They say "Messenger Service" in the top frame. There
are Several ways to do it.

Disable Method: Start > Run > Type "services.msc" >ok ,
on the services and applications find "Messenger" and
right click on it and choose properties choose "Disable"
in the middle Apply > ok.

or

Start Method : goto Start > Run > Type "msconfig" on the
Start Config. Menu go to Services Tab , go down the list
to "Messenger" uncheck, apply> ok re-boot. you will get a
warning when you re-boot >ok Done.

or

If you don't want it or need it or the Alerter Service
Delete it. Most don't, unless you are on a network, other
than your own. The Alerter Service is used on a network to
send virus alerts. You have to be on a network before
either have any use.

To Delete the Messenger Service:

Go to Start/Run/CMD and type in: sc delete messenger.
Reboot.

or

Or go to Start/Run/Regedit and go to this key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\
Messengerservice Delete Key. You can export it in case you
want it again,
then delete. Reboot

 

[Doug Knox MS-MVP]

Open Help and Support and search for "firewall". This will tell you how to
enable XP's built in firewall. If you have a valid reason not to use a
firewall, click Start, Run and enter SERVICES.MSC Locate the Messenger
entry and double click it. Set it to Stopped and Disabled.

However, the reason they can get to the Messenger Service (not to be
confused with Windows Messenger) in the first place, is that your internet
connection is not secure.

http://www.dougknox.com/xp/tips/winmesspop.htm

 

[Bruce Chambers]

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 year, 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 almost 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

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/.

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

 

[Bruce Chambers]

Greetings --

You'll either need to find a 3rd party firewall that is compatible
with AOL, or switch to a real ISP that is compatible with the real
Internet..

AOL is an on-line content provider that ignores international
Internetworking standards in favor of its own proprietary products,
and has deliberately made its connection software incompatible with
both WinXP's built-in firewall and WinXP's Internet Connection Sharing
feature. AOL's proprietary connection applet is deliberately designed
to preclude your setting/adjusting any of its properties, to include
enabling/disabling WinXP's ICF and ICS.


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

 

[Kevin Davis³]

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?

Oh, and don't forget that the Messenger Service would also provide a
useful service to hackers if it is not patched:

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/treeview/default.asp?url=/technet/security/bulletin/ms03-043.asp

Setup a firewall first, but if you don't need the Messenger Service,
turn it off. If you need it, patch it. You would also be well
advised to spend $50 and buy a home router.

Be especially wary of people who would insist on having you keep the
Messenger Service on as a "helpful feature" and conveniently
forgetting to inform you that it has a very serious vulnerability that
needs to be patched immediately.

And of particular interest is that Microsoft itself and security
experts are seriously reconsidering the role of the Messenger service:

http://www.infoworld.com/article/03/10/28/HNmessengeroff_1.html

http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,113321,tk,dn110703X,00.asp

http://news.com.com/2100-7355_3-5095935.html

http://www.cnn.com/2003/TECH/internet/11/07/microsoft.popup.reut/index.html


Here's a link where Microsoft actually outright advises the user to
turn off the Messenger Service:

http://www.microsoft.com/WindowsXP/pro/using/howto/communicate/stopspam.asp


Those who would advise not to turn off the Messenger Service for the
less than trivial unintended side benefit of being a warning is
dispensing advice which contradicts the advice of many real security
professionals.