Windows Messenger

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I have receiving 30 to 50 unwanted messages via Windows Messenger each day! How can I turn off Windows Messenger? Miscrosoft Knowledge Base says that I go to START, PROGRAMS, and then WINDOWS MESSENGER. However, there is no WINDOWS MESSENGER under my programs, or anywhere else that I can find. FIND cannot find Windows Messenger. Any help is Very, Very Much appreciated!

These popups are coming even when both email and internet are closed. (I use Internet Explorer& Outlook Express). I have cable internet. I use Windows 200 Prof.

Hate spammers. There otta be a law!

Cathleen Morris
 
California may have a new law shortly. But I doubt it will do any good. To help you:

Start | Settings | Control Panel | Administrative Tools | Services | double-click Messenger | Startup dropdown set to Manual | OK | reboot.
 
Well, I can help you...
Get your self a good AVP (antivirus program), and a good hardware or
software firewall.
The reason; you are being hacked through a type of "messenger service" that
shows your computer to be vulnerable.
Go to www.spychecker.com
Free AVP is www.grisoft.com
Free firewall is www.zonelab.com
both are in the first site I gave to you.

For an immediately resolution to your delima
Turn off "messenger service"
Go to Start > Help > type messenger service
read the definition


REMOVING "Messenger Service" POPUPS (immediate Temporary fix)

This does not take the place of safe computing, known as "Safe Hex" [See,
Read, and Follow the Microsoft article near bottom]

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).

1. Click on Start | Choose Settings/Control Panel/Administrative Tools |
Services
2. Scroll to and double click "Messenger"
3. Click on "Startup Type" window, and choose "Disabled".
4. Click "Stop" button
5. Click "Okay"

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.


bon apetite'
don
=========================
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.



=============================================
Below is the same thing with more added
=============================================

10:29 9/16/2003
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯




You need to be running a firewall and a good AVP with uptodate definitions
Turning off Messenger Servicewill is like putting a bandaid on a shark
bite.
Here goes with teh "Stop Messenger Service" directions:


REMOVING "Messenger Service" POPUPS (immediate Temporary fix)

This does not take the place of safe computing, known as "Safe Hex" [See,
Read, and Follow the Microsoft article near bottom]

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).

1. Click on Start | Choose Settings/Control Panel/Administrative Tools |
Services
2. Scroll to and double click "Messenger"
3. Click on "Startup Type" window, and choose "Disabled".
4. Click "Stop" button
5. Click "Okay"

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.


bon apetite'
don
=========================
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 adn SpyBot S&D
Here is a website that can direct you both adn many more.

www.spychecker.com

I do not have anything to do with, sell,or solicit any programs



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


*END*
I have receiving 30 to 50 unwanted messages via Windows Messenger each day!
How can I turn off Windows Messenger? Miscrosoft Knowledge Base says that I
go to START, PROGRAMS, and then WINDOWS MESSENGER. However, there is no
WINDOWS MESSENGER under my programs, or anywhere else that I can find. FIND
cannot find Windows Messenger. Any help is Very, Very Much appreciated!

These popups are coming even when both email and internet are closed. (I
use Internet Explorer& Outlook Express). I have cable internet. I use
Windows 200 Prof.

Hate spammers. There otta be a law!

Cathleen Morris
 
Here's an article about this that I saved....

Turn Off IP Messaging Service
By Jonathan Roubini
August 19, 2003
Network administrators have used the Messenger service built into both
Windows 2000 and XP (not to be confused with Windows or MSN Messenger) to
broadcast notices to all network users using the NET SEND command. These
days, however, they're much more likely to use e-mail. In their place,
spammers and users on your network who know your IP address can use
Messenger to pester you with alerts.
The service is loaded at start-up by default. If you don't want to receive
these messages any more, you need to follow the following steps.
Click on Start and select Run. Type services.msc and press OK. Now
double-click on the Messenger service and press Stop. From the Startup type
list, select Disabled to prevent Messenger from loading automatically the
next time Windows starts up.
If you are running a hardware firewall, messages from outside your network
won't get to you anyway; with a software firewall your system will not
receive messages even from within your network. But you might as well turn
off the service if you are sure you don't need it.
 
Greetings --

Does the title bar of these pop-ups read "Messenger Service?"

This type of spam has become quite common over the past several
months, 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
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


Cathleen said:
I have receiving 30 to 50 unwanted messages via Windows Messenger
Click to expand...
each day! How can I turn off Windows Messenger? Miscrosoft Knowledge
Base says that I go to START, PROGRAMS, and then WINDOWS MESSENGER.
However, there is no WINDOWS MESSENGER under my programs, or anywhere
else that I can find. FIND cannot find Windows Messenger. Any help
is Very, Very Much appreciated!
These popups are coming even when both email and internet are
Click to expand...
closed. (I use Internet Explorer& Outlook Express). I have cable
internet. I use Windows 200 Prof.
 
Bruce I have never suggested "disabling" the messenger service. I suggest set it to manual. If manual works as it supposed to then it should provide what is needed for internal use of Windows 2000 and avoid the issue from outside the local machine. I believe this issue is over blown. I am not disagreeing with you. What you say is in fact what Microsoft suggests. But we need to be careful in this regard. A software or hardware firewall can really do some damage if we are not careful. I have set it to manual and so far as well as I can tell there haven't been any issues. And this is without a firewall. I tried one once. I was not happy with it. I really don't like having such a thing perpetually running when I can usually avoid what they are protecting myself from using the security settings and a choice of the security bulletins provided by Microsoft.
 
Greetings --

On what do you base such an assertion? Please provide some
documentation on the type and severity of damage caused by firewalls.
I've never even heard anyone make such a claim before, much less seen
any documentation to this effect.

The bottom line is that disabling the messenger service, or even
setting it to manual, does absolutely _nothing_ to secure a PC that's
open to the Internet. The most it will do is turn off a valuable
"security alert."


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



Snipped...

... A software or hardware firewall can really do some damage if we
are not careful.
 
Hello:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;823087&Product=win2000

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;264794&Product=win2000

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;285549&Product=win2000

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;320931&Product=win2000

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;328256&Product=win2000

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;325122&Product=win2000

There are many more. For me the issue is SQL. I am not sure what you are referring to when you say, "security alert" but be that as it may I suppose that's a good reason to not set the Messenger service to manual. But again if manual works as it should Messenger service should start if needed. I am sure you have noticed in Services services that have started that are set to manual.
 
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