popup

[Sharon]

Hi,

Suddenly I have this horrible pop-up that appears every
20 minmutes of so, advertising a pop-up blocker that they
are trying to sell for 24.95. I have no clue where it
came from and would like to get rid of it. Can anyone
help?? Where should I look for it?? Is it a matter of
taking it our of a startup folder?? No clue here as you
can probably tell. Thanks so much for any help.
Regards,
Sharon Snow

[Perdita X. Dream]

Sharon wrote:
> Hi,
>
> Suddenly I have this horrible pop-up that appears every
> 20 minmutes of so, advertising a pop-up blocker that they
> are trying to sell for 24.95. I have no clue where it
> came from and would like to get rid of it. Can anyone
> help?? Where should I look for it?? Is it a matter of
> taking it our of a startup folder?? No clue here as you
> can probably tell. Thanks so much for any help.
> Regards,
> Sharon Snow

Well you wouldn't be so clueless if you'd bothered to search the group(s)
before posting - this is well and truly an FAQ.

As you don't appear to be capable of helping yourself, I guess I'm going to
have to wipe your arse for you this time...

This particular "sales method" is strikingly similar to the
"protection" rackets offered to small businesses by organized
criminals. Yes, it's a scam; no reputable business would need to
resort to extortion. Particularly since they're trying to sell you a
type of protection that is already available to you free of charge.

This 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

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 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 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?

Equivalent Scenario 1: Somewhere in a house, a small fire starts,
and sets off the smoke alarm. You, not immediately seeing any
fire/smoke, complain about the noise of the smoke detector, and are
advised to remove the smoke detector's battery and go back to sleep.

Equivalent Scenario 2: You over-exert your shoulder at work or
play, causing bursitis. After weeks of annoying and sometimes
excruciating pain whenever you try to reach over your head, you go to
a doctor and say, while demonstrating the motion, "Doc, it hurts when
I do this." The doctor, being as helpful as some of your respondents,
replies, "Well, don't do that."

I'm beginning to think that the people deliberately posting such
bad advice are hacker-wannabes who have no true interest in helping
you secure your system, but would rather give you a false sense of
security while ensuring that your computer is still open to
exploitation.


--
Perdita X. Dream

Please help us to help you
http://groups.google.com
http://www.dts-l.org/goodpost.htm
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html
Please note that the reply address is fake.
Keep all posts to the groups as private requests for assistance
(i.e. email/IM) cannot be acknowledged. Thank you.

[Chris Lanier]

Stopping Advertisements with Messenger Service Titles
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/using/howto/communicate/stopspam.asp

Enable the Windows XP Firewall
http://www.microsoft.com/WindowsXP/home/using/howto/homenet/icf.asp

"Sharon" > wrote in message
...
> Hi,
>
> Suddenly I have this horrible pop-up that appears every
> 20 minmutes of so, advertising a pop-up blocker that they
> are trying to sell for 24.95. I have no clue where it
> came from and would like to get rid of it. Can anyone
> help?? Where should I look for it?? Is it a matter of
> taking it our of a startup folder?? No clue here as you
> can probably tell. Thanks so much for any help.
> Regards,
> Sharon Snow

[Patrick]

Perdita X. Dream wrote:
> Sharon wrote:
>> Hi,
>>
>> Suddenly I have this horrible pop-up that appears every
>> 20 minmutes of so, advertising a pop-up blocker that they
>> are trying to sell for 24.95. I have no clue where it
>> came from and would like to get rid of it. Can anyone
>> help?? Where should I look for it?? Is it a matter of
>> taking it our of a startup folder?? No clue here as you
>> can probably tell. Thanks so much for any help.
>> Regards,
>> Sharon Snow
>
> Well you wouldn't be so clueless if you'd bothered to search the
> group(s) before posting - this is well and truly an FAQ.
>
> As you don't appear to be capable of helping yourself, I guess I'm
> going to have to wipe your arse for you this time...
>
Above is all that you have to say 'Perdita X. Dream '
(unpleasantness and rudeness)

Plagiarised text [SNIPPED]

[Bruce Chambers]

Greetings --

Double-check the headers. It's not the real Perdita, just one of
her many pre-adolescent stalkers lamely trying to make her look worse
than she really is.

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


"Patrick" > wrote in message
...
> Above is all that you have to say 'Perdita X. Dream '
> (unpleasantness and rudeness)
>
> Plagiarised text [SNIPPED]
>
>

[Bruce Chambers]

Greetings --

You kids are really so inept. Do your parents know what you're
doing with their computer?

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


"Perdita X. Dream" > wrote in message
...


Snipped....

[Perdita X. Dream]

Bruce Chambers wrote:
> Greetings --
>
> Double-check the headers. It's not the real Perdita, just one of
> her many pre-adolescent stalkers lamely trying to make her look worse
> than she really is.
>
> Bruce Chambers

You really think I'm that bad, Brucie?! Come on, I'm a pussycat! ;o)



--
Perdita X. Dream

Please help us to help you
http://groups.google.com
http://www.dts-l.org/goodpost.htm
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html
Please note that the reply address is fake.
Keep all posts to the groups as private requests for assistance
(i.e. email/IM) cannot be acknowledged. Thank you.

[John]

"Bruce Chambers" > wrote in message
...
> Greetings --
>
> Double-check the headers. It's not the real Perdita, just one of
> her many pre-adolescent stalkers lamely trying to make her look worse
> than she really is.
>

Um, that is her, not an impostor.
Note the IP addy;

Subject: Re: popup
Date: Tue, 2 Sep 2003 22:10:01 +0100
Lines: 91
Message-ID: >
References: >
NNTP-Posting-Host: 81.79.61.85
X-Trace: news7.svr.pol.co.uk 1062537002 19809 81.79.61.85 (2 Sep 2003
21:10:02 GMT)
NNTP-Posting-Date: 2 Sep 2003 21:10:02 GMT
X-Complaints-To:

Then, look at the results of a post she made later (different thread):

Subject: Re: test post
Date: Tue, 2 Sep 2003 23:41:40 +0100
Lines: 26
Message-ID: >
References: >
NNTP-Posting-Host: 81.79.61.85
X-Trace: news8.svr.pol.co.uk 1062542500 25314 81.79.61.85 (2 Sep 2003
22:41:40 GMT)
NNTP-Posting-Date: 2 Sep 2003 22:41:40 GMT
X-Complaints-To:
X-Priority: 3

What you fail to see, is that the difference in IPs between her nasty post,
and the one she made to you are from the same household, using to different
connections. Browse Google for her, and you'll see her consistently using
them. I cannot reveal the direct source of the connections due to privacy
concerns, but can tell you they are very real, and from one household. Note
also, she got nasty, while using your words with your permission.

[Bruce Chambers]

Greetings --

You have your moments. ;-}

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


"Perdita X. Dream" > wrote in message
...
>
> You really think I'm that bad, Brucie?! Come on, I'm a pussycat! ;o)
>
>
>
> --
> Perdita X. Dream
>
> Please help us to help you
> http://groups.google.com
> http://www.dts-l.org/goodpost.htm
> http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html
> Please note that the reply address is fake.
> Keep all posts to the groups as private requests for assistance
> (i.e. email/IM) cannot be acknowledged. Thank you.
>
>
>
>

[Bruce Chambers]

Greetings --

You do seem to be correct. Thanks for pointing out my over-sight.

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


"John" > wrote in message
s.com...
>
>
> Um, that is her, not an impostor.
> Note the IP addy;
>
> Subject: Re: popup
> Date: Tue, 2 Sep 2003 22:10:01 +0100
> Lines: 91
> Message-ID: >
> References: >
> NNTP-Posting-Host: 81.79.61.85
> X-Trace: news7.svr.pol.co.uk 1062537002 19809 81.79.61.85 (2 Sep
2003
> 21:10:02 GMT)
> NNTP-Posting-Date: 2 Sep 2003 21:10:02 GMT
> X-Complaints-To:
>
> Then, look at the results of a post she made later (different
thread):
>
> Subject: Re: test post
> Date: Tue, 2 Sep 2003 23:41:40 +0100
> Lines: 26
> Message-ID: >
> References: >
> NNTP-Posting-Host: 81.79.61.85
> X-Trace: news8.svr.pol.co.uk 1062542500 25314 81.79.61.85 (2 Sep
2003
> 22:41:40 GMT)
> NNTP-Posting-Date: 2 Sep 2003 22:41:40 GMT
> X-Complaints-To:
> X-Priority: 3
>
> What you fail to see, is that the difference in IPs between her
nasty post,
> and the one she made to you are from the same household, using to
different
> connections. Browse Google for her, and you'll see her consistently
using
> them. I cannot reveal the direct source of the connections due to
privacy
> concerns, but can tell you they are very real, and from one
household. Note
> also, she got nasty, while using your words with your permission.
>
>
>
>