How do I get rid of a pop-up Messenger Service?

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Kit McCallum

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Member Laureate

since 2000-04-30

Posts 14774
Ontario, Canada

0 posted 2002-11-14 10:04 PM

I've had a very irritating pop-up box keep coming up while I'm online, and I'm not sure where to look in my system to get rid of it.  It seems to be automatic, and I'm not sure how it lodged itself there in the first place,  but it's just a large grey box, with a title "Messenger Service". The content is basically an advertisement and changes each time it pops up.

It's been popping up for over a week now, I kept clicking the "x" to close it because I haven't had time to bother with it, but tonight, I noticed at the bottom, it said "send e-mail to gevalt1290@yahoo.com for removal instructions".  I thought I'd take a second and give it a shot, but of course, the e-mail bounced back as undeliverable - no such address, so I'm assuming it's just their way of getting around the "legalities of spam etc".

Can anyone tell me where I should look in my system to stop this little pest from starting up?  I need a good fly swatter.

Thanks in advance.

[This message has been edited by Kit McCallum (11-14-2002 10:56 PM).]

Poet deVine

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Member Seraphic

since 1999-05-26

Posts 22612
Hurricane Alley

1 posted 2002-11-14 10:17 PM

Oh, Kit! I've been getting those too! I wond4ered where it was coming from and have just been closing it. I'm afraid to try and find out where they come from. One of them offers me porn!

Kit McCallum

Administrator

Member Laureate

since 2000-04-30

Posts 14774
Ontario, Canada

2 posted 2002-11-14 10:35 PM

I'm not sure how it got in there. I'm thinking maybe a sight I visited, a banner I clicked on, or something I was sent and simply opened/deleted from e-mail that appeared harmless. It's not a virus, but seems to be another frustrating way to spam that's about as welcome as a virus.

It really irks me too Sharon, and I think at least one I noticed was porn related too, but I click it off so quick, I don't even look at the ads. It must be lodged somewhere in a startup sequence somewhere. I just haven't had any time to investigate where it's coming from, and was hoping someone may have an idea and point me in the right direction.

What really scares me anymore, is some of the junk that invades our systems like that, and some of the e-mails that come in. I just can't fathom how on earth parents protect their kids from this kind of thing anymore. It's terrible.

Kit McCallum

Administrator

Member Laureate

since 2000-04-30

Posts 14774
Ontario, Canada

3 posted 2002-11-14 10:42 PM

Actually ... it looks like I found my problem with some quick help from google. Here's a good link, and it appears to be my problem. This is what I was describing...
http://www.itc.virginia.edu/desktop/docs/messagepopup/

Before I go ahead and turn this off ... does it make sense that I'd want to turn this off? The link shows how to do it from my Windows 2000 operating system. Any concerns I should know about before I do it?

[This message has been edited by Kit McCallum (11-14-2002 10:51 PM).]

Christopher

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Member Rara Avis

since 1999-08-02

Posts 8296
Purgatorial Incarceration

4 posted 2002-11-14 10:58 PM

Yes it makes sense and no, you shouldn't have any problems. It was one of the first things i did after loading up XP on my computer. Pop ups while browsing the Internet are irritating, I consider these types invasion.

Kill it, Kit, kill it!

Kit McCallum

Administrator

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since 2000-04-30

Posts 14774
Ontario, Canada

5 posted 2002-11-14 11:01 PM

LOL ... OK Chris ... will do. I'm taking out the fly swatter, and zapping that puppy. Thanks for giving me a thumbs up.

I found this ariticle, which pretty much describes why me, and probably others are running into this recently.

http://news.zdnet.co.uk/story/0,,t295-s2124086,00.html

Thanks again Chris. Much appreciated.

Poet deVine

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Member Seraphic

since 1999-05-26

Posts 22612
Hurricane Alley

6 posted 2002-11-14 11:06 PM

Yes! I zapped it too!

Thank you Chris.

Christopher

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Member Rara Avis

since 1999-08-02

Posts 8296
Purgatorial Incarceration

7 posted 2002-11-14 11:28 PM

Welcome ladies... whenever i get a new system, i always go through all the options, because, frankly, Microsoft is nowhere near as concerned about privacy as they should be.

Ron

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Member Rara Avis

since 1999-05-19

Posts 8669
Michigan, US

8 posted 2002-11-14 11:33 PM

Disabling the Messenger Service "could" cause problems, although probably nothing major. It was NOT originally designed to be used across the Internet, but is a way for network administrators to communicate with their users. Probably not a problem for most of us. But there are also local applications, otherwise running in the background, who use Messenger Service to communicate with the person at the keyboard. For example, there's a decent chance your anti-virus program uses Messenger Services to notify you when it sees something suspicious. If so, turning off Messenger Service might effectively turn off your anti-virus program.

An alternative solution, if you already have a firewall installed (as comes standard with XP), is to simply disable the port where Messenger Service gets its input. That would be port 135, on both TCP and UDP.

Christopher

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Member Rara Avis

since 1999-08-02

Posts 8296
Purgatorial Incarceration

9 posted 2002-11-14 11:53 PM

See, I didn't know that! I use McAfee and have had no problems, though I imagine others could use that. Good to know Ron.

Kit McCallum

Administrator

Member Laureate

since 2000-04-30

Posts 14774
Ontario, Canada

10 posted 2002-11-15 06:10 AM

Thanks for letting us know the other angles Ron. I should be OK from the virus notification side as well.

Glad you were able to turn it off too, Sharon, and thanks again for the confirmation Chris (one more pop-up and I think my head was going to pop-off).

Midnitesun

Member Empyrean

since 2001-05-18

Posts 28647
Gaia

11 posted 2002-12-07 02:59 PM

Ron or Chris, how do I delete that 135 port? where do I find it to see if it is on my PC with XP? I hate those popups that chase each other all over the screen! GRRR!

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