Turning off messanger service.

  • Thread starter Thread starter Old Timer
  • Start date Start date
O

Old Timer

I had just reloaded XP onto my PC & had started to reinstall my programs
starting with my antivirus which I have just updated. I had on the
firewall, spam blocking etc turned on. I have just got a pop up message
that my messanger window is open & is vunerable to attack. I never use any
messanger services now nor am I likely to do so in the future. How do I
turn it off?

How do I remove the icon from list at right of taskbar?
 
Take a look at Doug Knox's Website at this link for detailed instructions on
how to disable your Windows Messenger.
http://www.dougknox.com/xp/tips/xp_messenger_remove.htm

When you do this your Windows Messenger won't show up in your taskbar
anymore

However if you want to completely remove/uninstall Windows Messenger from
Windows XP can be found at this website made by Jonathan Kay.
http://messenger.jonathankay.com/problem.aspx?ID=7

Follow the steps and the pictures that the website has and you shouldn't
have anymore problems. Uninstalling Windows Messenger can disable some of
the messenger features such as Whiteboard Sharing, and others on MSN
Messenger if you're using that.
 
-----Original Message-----
I had just reloaded XP onto my PC & had started to reinstall my programs
starting with my antivirus which I have just updated. I had on the
firewall, spam blocking etc turned on. I have just got a pop up message
that my messanger window is open & is vunerable to attack. I never use any
messanger services now nor am I likely to do so in the future. How do I
turn it off?

How do I remove the icon from list at right of taskbar?

Have you tried to delete your cookies, delete your
Click to expand...
temporary internet files and disable the messenging
service?
 
Greetings --

Frankly, if your firewall isn't working properly, you're wisest
course of action would be to disconnect the machine from the Internet
until you get it fixed. Doing anything else is exceedingly foolish,
given today's well-publicized Internet environment.

Use the firewall to ensure UDP ports 135, 137, and 138 and TCP
ports 135, 139, and 445 are _all_ blocked. You may also disable
Inbound NetBIOS (NetBIOS over TCP/IP). You'll have to follow the
instructions from firewall's manufacturer for the specific steps.

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

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
 
Back
Top