Message unwanted

[Guest]

I keep getting popups that save message service. These appear when I am on the desk top or in some programs. I am full time on line with zone alarm active.
These popups are advertising for various Porn and other sites.
Norton anti virus, or spy ware or ad alert do not identifiy this. I have spent a lot of time looking for a cookie, or embedded program to cause this.
the first occurance appeared on a new computer with the first connection to my cable modem.
Any Ideas

 

[dcdon]

Hi Jerry,

You basically need a good firewall.

Why do I say that?

Well, all of the ports are completely open on the back of your computer.

If you would leave all of your windows and dors open on your house and your car,
you wouldn't have time to spend on the computer. Yet, if you put a good firewall
on your computer, you will have time to enjoy it, and have some extra time to wax
your car or enjoy your self. No, not a smart arse.

The instant fix is to set your Messenger Service to Manual and click on Stop.

It's located in your help files.
Just type in "Messenger service"


To find it
right click My Computer
d/c Services and Applications
click Services
find it in right pane
d/c Messenger

To Stop It
click Stop
change to Manual
(this ain't gonna mend your misery)
( but it will stop Popups through Messenger Service)


good computing,
don
------------------




I keep getting popups that save message service. These appear when I am on the
desk top or in some programs. I am full time on line with zone alarm active.
These popups are advertising for various Porn and other sites.
Norton anti virus, or spy ware or ad alert do not identifiy this. I have spent a
lot of time looking for a cookie, or embedded program to cause this.
the first occurance appeared on a new computer with the first connection to my
cable modem.
Any Ideas

 

[Guest]

It sounds like you are having a problem with Microsoft's "Massager" service, DO NOT confuse this with MS Messagner, it is different. Messanger is a service that others can use to send you pop up messages on your coputer. Some larger networks use this to remind people about server maintainence schedules and such. In theory it is a great idea but in practice it is very anoying and outright dangerious (Microsoft just issued a security patch for this yesterday). If you are not on a corperate network (or even if you are) I would suggest that you go to control panel/administrative tools/services and find the service called messenger and double click. On the next box choose start up type "disable" and then click stop and your popups should go away. Remeber that some other devices can call this service such as UPS so this may not be 100% usefill for you but it is a strong recomendation.

Make sure you go to the Microsoft update page and get the security patches for your computer one a month at least.

Lastly get a firewall. The reason you are gettig these popups is someone is reaching your machine from the outside, if they can get to messanger they can get to other things. Check out Watchguard for a good cheap firewall or ZoneLabs for a great free software firewall.

hope this helps.

hope this helps.

 

[George Hester]

"Microsoft just issued a security patch for this yesterday" Name rank and serial number?

 

[dcdon]

LOL
<chuckle a lot>

don
--------------


"Microsoft just issued a security patch for this yesterday" Name rank and serial
number?

--
George Hester
__________________________________

It sounds like you are having a problem with Microsoft's "Massager" service, DO

NOT confuse this with MS Messagner, it is different. Messanger is a service that
others can use to send you pop up messages on your coputer. Some larger networks
use this to remind people about server maintainence schedules and such. In theory
it is a great idea but in practice it is very anoying and outright dangerious
(Microsoft just issued a security patch for this yesterday). If you are not on a
corperate network (or even if you are) I would suggest that you go to control
panel/administrative tools/services and find the service called messenger and
double click. On the next box choose start up type "disable" and then click stop
and your popups should go away. Remeber that some other devices can call this
service such as UPS so this may not be 100% usefill for you but it is a strong
recomendation.

Make sure you go to the Microsoft update page and get the security patches for

your computer one a month at least.

Lastly get a firewall. The reason you are gettig these popups is someone is

reaching your machine from the outside, if they can get to messanger they can get
to other things. Check out Watchguard for a good cheap firewall or ZoneLabs for a
great free software firewall.

 

[Bruce Chambers]

Greetings --

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 are
open to other threats, such as the Blaster and Welchia worms 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

--
Help us help you:



You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on
having both at once. -- RAH

I keep getting popups that save message service. These appear when

I am on the desk top or in some programs. I am full time on line with
zone alarm active.

These popups are advertising for various Porn and other sites.
Norton anti virus, or spy ware or ad alert do not identifiy this. I

have spent a lot of time looking for a cookie, or embedded program to
cause this.