desktop advertising popup!! hellllp!!

[mike a]

Recently, advertising popups have been popping up on my
desktop when I am OFFLINE. They have said they use a xp
flaw in messenger?? I dont see any program that has
downloaded itsself? how can I get rid of this??

[neil]

Try downloading Ad-aware from Lavasoft, that might help.
Neil
"mike a" > wrote in message
...
> Recently, advertising popups have been popping up on my
> desktop when I am OFFLINE. They have said they use a xp
> flaw in messenger?? I dont see any program that has
> downloaded itsself? how can I get rid of this??

[Bruce Chambers]

Greetings --

This is "sales method" is strikingly similar to the "protection"
rackets offered to small businesses by organized criminals. No,
they're not "reputable." Particularly since they're trying to sell
you a type of protection that is already available to you free of
charge.

This a type of spam has become quite common over the past few
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. Install and use a decent,
properly configured firewall. (Disabling the messenger service, as
some people recommend, only hides the symptom, and does nothing to
secure your machine.) And ignoring or just "putting up with" these
messages and the problem they represent 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

Additionally:

Blocking Ads, Parasites, and Hijackers with a Hosts File
http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/hosts.htm


Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:
http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html
----
You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on
having both at once. -- RAH


"mike a" > wrote in message
...
> Recently, advertising popups have been popping up on my
> desktop when I am OFFLINE. They have said they use a xp
> flaw in messenger?? I dont see any program that has
> downloaded itsself? how can I get rid of this??