Re: Messenger Service

From: Shenan Stanley (news_helper_at_hushmail.com)
Date: 01/31/04 

Date: Sat, 31 Jan 2004 03:49:04 -0600

Tim wrote:
> I have started to have advertisments appear in windows on
> my desktop. They appear in a seperate window
> marked "Messenger Service" and advertise different
> services for Internet Security or Pornographic Material.
> They do not contain a direct link to the internet but
> just the url of the service. They are repeated and
> appear intermitantly. It looks like a peice of software
> on my PC just displaying these advertisments, I can't see
> anything that might cause this. Is there a way I can
> find the program that is causing this?

It is the "Messenger Service". You can prevent this from happening by
properly installing and configuring a firewall and if you wish, you can
disable the messenger service.

If you are using Windows XP and NOT using AOL, you can use the built in
Windows XP ICF (Internet Connection Firewall) - just use the built in "Help
and Support" and search for information on it.

For the instructions on the above, perhaps this will help:
http://www.microsoft.com/security/protect/
and
http://www.microsoft.com/WindowsXP/pro/using/howto/communicate/stopspam.asp

Since you are having this problem, I have some further advice I would like
to offer you:

You may have other spy/ad/mal-ware on your PC. You should look into (do a
google.com search) for the following products - you may want to run all of
them: LavaSoft AdAware, Spybot Search and Destroy, CWS Shredder and Hijack
This! - you might be surprised what you find when you download, install,
update and run these products.

Also - do you have an antivirus software and do you keep it updated? There
are free alternatives to my favorite (Symantec AntiVirus) - one is Grisoft's
AVG (Free Version) AntiVirus. It's VERY good for a free edition of
AntiVirus software.

Email Spam is also a common problem. My suggestions for helping with this
type of issue is usually Spamihilator or SpamBayes. Both are fine programs
depending on your needs.

You should keep your PC updated with at least "critical" updates. You can
do this easily by visiting and using the web page here:
http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com/

Another thing I might suggest is to "tweak" your system with some free
"powertoys" from Microsoft.

If you have Windows XP - you can visit here:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/downloads/powertoys.asp
And grab at least Tweak UI (doubtful you have an Itanium system.. So choose
the right one. *grin*)

If you have Windows 98-Windows 2000, you can go here to get TweakUI:
http://www.microsoft.com/ntworkstation/downloads/powertoys/networking/nttweakui.asp

Lastly, you should learn to use google (www.google.com) and other search
pages on the Internet. Many of the problems you will encounter using your
PC have been encountered before - and the answers may just be a search away!

Hope some of that helps solve your problem(s)! 

-- 
<- Shenan ->
--

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