how do I prevent unsolicited windows messenger spam on XP?

[Lee]

Hi.

You can disable the messenger service for this.

Goto Control Panel, Administrative Tools, Services.

Look down the list for the Messenger service. Right click
on it and click Properties. In the first window stop the
service and change the startup type to Disabled.

Hope this helps.

Lee.

>-----Original Message-----
>how do I prevent unsolicited windows messenger spam on
>XP?
>.
>

[Alun Jones [MS MVP]]

In article >, "Lee" <lee@here> wrote:
>You can disable the messenger service for this.

Bad move.

Messenger Service can be reached by these spammers simply because your
system is open to incoming packets on a set of ports. Disabling Messenger
Service simply hides the notifications, but still allows incoming packets on
those ports. What you want to do is install or enable a firewall. MS has
some good instructions on this at http://support.microsoft.com/?id=330904

The Messenger Service spam, in that case, works to your advantage - if you
see it, it's a sign that your firewall is not working properly, and so is
likely letting in all sorts of malicious hackers. I can imagine that such
malicious hackers squeal with delight whenever they see someone post
"disable the messenger service" - I've even wondered out loud how many such
posts are put out by malicious hackers as an attempt to cut down on the
number of people installing firewalls to protect themselves.

Alun.
~~~~