Annoying pop ups

[Dean Lambert]

Xref: kermit microsoft.public.windowsxp.basics:227142

Right forgive me for sounding rather stupid but here goes.

Iris and her annoying chums are doing my head in with these annoying pop ups
from Windows messenger. Just how they are doing it I'll never know cos
Windows Messenger isn't even downloaded!
Now assuming Microsoft know about this I'm assuming that there will be some
sort of fix for this on the update page, or am I wrong? I've just installed
XP so obviously I will have to spend 7 years downloading fixes.

[Rick \Nutcase\ Rogers]

Hi,

Right-click your connection in the networking folder (control panel), choose
properties. Go to the advanced tab, enable the internet connection firewall.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers aka "Nutcase" MS-MVP - Windows
Windows isn't rocket science! That's my other hobby!
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/
Associate Expert - WinXP - Expert Zone
www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone
Win98 Help - www.rickrogers.org

"Dean Lambert" > wrote in message
...
> Right forgive me for sounding rather stupid but here goes.
>
> Iris and her annoying chums are doing my head in with these annoying pop
ups
> from Windows messenger. Just how they are doing it I'll never know cos
> Windows Messenger isn't even downloaded!
> Now assuming Microsoft know about this I'm assuming that there will be
some
> sort of fix for this on the update page, or am I wrong? I've just
installed
> XP so obviously I will have to spend 7 years downloading fixes.
>
>

[Kaylene aka Taurarian]

Windows Messenger - stopping spam and pop ups
The issue is that currently ANYONE can actually send you a message through the
..NET Messenger network without being on YOUR contact list!
You can change this so that people will have to add you to their contact lists
before they can send you a message (which will have the effect of blocking these
Spam messages in the future).
Open up the main Messenger window, click Tools, then Options, then the Privacy
tab, click All users and then click the Block >> button.
This way you can manually add who you want to receive messages from and block
all others.

Messenger Service Window That Contains an Internet Advertisement Appears
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=330904

Enable or Disable Internet Connection Firewall in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;283673
NB: AOL is not compatible with Windows XP Internet Connection Firewall (ICF)
If you have AOL, you should contact AOL and/or get a 3rd party firewall.

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


"Dean Lambert" > wrote in message
...
> Right forgive me for sounding rather stupid but here goes.
>
> Iris and her annoying chums are doing my head in with these annoying pop ups
> from Windows messenger. Just how they are doing it I'll never know cos
> Windows Messenger isn't even downloaded!
> Now assuming Microsoft know about this I'm assuming that there will be some
> sort of fix for this on the update page, or am I wrong? I've just installed
> XP so obviously I will have to spend 7 years downloading fixes.
>
>

[David Candy]

Disable NetBIOS over TCP/IP. It's your responsibility to correctly =
configure your machine.

--=20
----------------------------------------------------------
http://home.comcast.net/~wizardofwhimsy/index.html
"Dean Lambert" > wrote in message =
...
> Right forgive me for sounding rather stupid but here goes.
>=20
> Iris and her annoying chums are doing my head in with these annoying =
pop ups
> from Windows messenger. Just how they are doing it I'll never know =
cos
> Windows Messenger isn't even downloaded!
> Now assuming Microsoft know about this I'm assuming that there will be =
some
> sort of fix for this on the update page, or am I wrong? I've just =
installed
> XP so obviously I will have to spend 7 years downloading fixes.
>=20
>

[Dean Lambert]

"Rick "Nutcase" Rogers" > wrote in message
...
> Hi,
>
> Right-click your connection in the networking folder (control panel),
choose
> properties. Go to the advanced tab, enable the internet connection
firewall.

With a bit of luck that will work

[Dean Lambert]

"Rick "Nutcase" Rogers" > wrote in message
...
> Hi,
>
> Right-click your connection in the networking folder (control panel),
choose
> properties. Go to the advanced tab, enable the internet connection
firewall.

Your idea seems to have worked for know. Either that or she's ****ed off
for here dinner.

[Dean Lambert]

AAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH!!! !!!!!!!!!

She went for here dinner, just got another of those sodding pop ups!!


"Dean Lambert" > wrote in message
...
> "Rick "Nutcase" Rogers" > wrote in message
> ...
> > Hi,
> >
> > Right-click your connection in the networking folder (control panel),
> choose
> > properties. Go to the advanced tab, enable the internet connection
> firewall.
>
> Your idea seems to have worked for know. Either that or she's ****ed off
> for here dinner.
>
>

[Bruce Chambers]

Greetings --

There are at least three varieties of pop-ups, and the solutions
vary accordingly. Which specific type(s) is troubling you?

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

This type of spam has become quite common over the past year or
so, 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 most definitely open to other threats, such as the Blaster,
Welchia, and Sasser Worms that still haunt 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

If you're using AOL, you'll either need to find a 3rd party
firewall that is compatible with AOL, or switch to a real ISP that is
compatible with the real Internet. This is because AOL is an on-line
content provider that ignores international Internetworking standards
in favor of its own proprietary products, and has deliberately made
its connection software incompatible with both WinXP's built-in
firewall and WinXP's Internet Connection Sharing feature. AOL's
proprietary connection applet is deliberately designed to preclude
your setting/adjusting any of its properties, to include
enabling/disabling WinXP's ICF and ICS.

Whichever firewall you decide upon, be sure 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.

You can test your firewall at:

Symantec Security Check
http://security.symantec.com/ssc/vr_main.asp?langid=ie&venid=sym&plfid=23&pkj=GPVHGBYNCJEIMXQKCDT

Security Scan - Sygate Online Services
http://www.sygatetech.com/

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?

2) For regular Internet pop-ups, you might try the free 12Ghosts
Popup-killer from http://12ghosts.com/ghosts/popup.htm, Pop-Up Stopper
from http://www.panicware.com/, or the free Google Toolbar from
http://toolbar.google.com/, which is what I use.

3) To deal with pop-ups caused by any sort of "adware" and/or
"spyware,"such as Gator, Comet Cursors, Xupiter, Bonzai Buddy, or
KaZaA, and their remnants, that you've deliberately (but without
understanding the consequences) installed, two products that are
quite effective (at finding and removing this type of scumware) are
Ad-Aware from www.lavasoft.de and SpyBot Search & Destroy from
www.safer-networking.org/. Both have free versions. It's even
possible to use SpyBot Search & Destroy to "immunize" your system
against most future intrusions. I use both and generally perform
manual scans every week or so to clean out cookies, etc.


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


"Dean Lambert" > wrote in message
...
> Right forgive me for sounding rather stupid but here goes.
>
> Iris and her annoying chums are doing my head in with these annoying
pop ups
> from Windows messenger. Just how they are doing it I'll never know
cos
> Windows Messenger isn't even downloaded!
> Now assuming Microsoft know about this I'm assuming that there will
be some
> sort of fix for this on the update page, or am I wrong? I've just
installed
> XP so obviously I will have to spend 7 years downloading fixes.
>
>

[Miss Perspicacia Tick]

Dean Lambert wrote:
> Right forgive me for sounding rather stupid but here goes.
>
> Iris and her annoying chums are doing my head in with these annoying
> pop ups from Windows messenger. Just how they are doing it I'll
> never know cos Windows Messenger isn't even downloaded!
> Now assuming Microsoft know about this I'm assuming that there will
> be some sort of fix for this on the update page, or am I wrong? I've
> just installed XP so obviously I will have to spend 7 years
> downloading fixes.

1) Yes, Windows Messenger /is/ installed. It is installed with Windows by
default.

2) However these messages have nothing to do with Windows Messenger. They
are generated by the Messenger Service which has absolutely nothing
whatsoever to do with Windows Messenger.

3) Please read, and follow, the advice provided by Bruce Chambers