Re: xp firewall and what it should do.

From: Shenan T. Stanley (shenans_tiredofspam_at_my_hotmail.com)
Date: 06/16/03 

Date: Sun, 15 Jun 2003 20:55:07 -0500

"gus" <> wrote in message
> I have windows xp firewall enabled but continue to be
> bombarded with incoming unwanted messages.How may I stop
> this? Is there additional configuration I must do or is
> the answer to get a better firewall? Help please. GUS

You say you are getting bombarded by messages?

Internet popups (meaning they are in Internet Explorer or Netscape or
whatever browser you use to surf the web) cannot be stopped with a normal
firewall. Look into "Popup Stoppers". To see one of these (likely more) -
surf to:

http://www.howto-createpopups.com/

And see one of the most annoying products I have EVER seen. Multiple popups
and popunders may apper while you are here and when you close the window
even. Annoying, isn't it? That is an Internet Web PopUp.. Just a miniature
browser window with pure crap floating in it you did not ask to see.

Messenger Service popups can be stopped by normal firewalls. To see what
one of these looks like, do the following:

Open a command prompt.. Start -> Run and type in "CMD" and click OK.
In the newly opened command prompt, type the following:

    net send 127.0.0.1 I hate Messenger Service Popups

Press ENTER and wait. It should popup in the middle of the screen.
Click OK on this also annoying popup and close the Command Prompt window as
well.

If you have the first, I have no particular software recomendation, perhaps
someone else on these groups might - but if you do a search for popup
stopper or popup killer - I assure you a dozen or more products will come
up. Read about them and choose carefully.

If you have the second, the normal Windows ICF configuration can fix this.
Click on Start -> Help & Support and look up "enable ICF" and you will find
the following:

To enable or disable Internet Connection Firewall

Open Network Connections
Click the Dial-up, LAN or High-Speed Internet connection that you want to
protect, and then, under Network Tasks, click Change settings of this
connection.
On the Advanced tab, under Internet Connection Firewall, select one of the
following:
To enable Internet Connection Firewall (ICF), select the Protect my computer
and network by limiting or preventing access to this computer from the
Internet check box.
To disable Internet Connection Firewall, clear the Protect my computer and
network by limiting or preventing access to this computer from the Internet
check box.

Notes

To open Network Connections, click Start, point to Settings, click Control
Panel, and then double-click Network Connections.

You must be logged on as an administrator or a member of the Administrators
group in order to complete this procedure. If your computer is connected to
a network, network policy settings may also prevent you from completing this
procedure.

If you clear the Protect my computer and network by limiting or preventing
access to this computer from the Internet check box, the firewall on your
computer is disabled, and your network is vulnerable to intrusions.

You should not enable Internet Connection Firewall on virtual private
networking (VPN) connections or on client computers because ICF will
interfere with file and printer sharing.
ICF cannot be enabled on the private connections of the Internet Connection
Sharing host computer.

With this enabled, you SHOULD NOT be getting Messenger Service popups unless
something is wrong with the default configuration or they are coming from
your OWN computer.. The latter *is* a possibility.

If you are (even if you are not) still getting Messenger Service popups,
then do the following:

1. Go to http://tinyurl.com/ee44
2. On the right side, under "Download From", click on the link (one of
them.)
3. Your download should start in a minute.. You can read the instructions
on the page if it does not.
4. Select to SAVE this file and I suggest for ease - you save it to your
desktop. (Click on the desktop icon on the lefter you select "Save" and
then click on the "Save" button in the bottom right of this window.)
5. Once the download is complete - close ALL windows until all you see is
your start bar and desktop and icons there.
6. Locate the file AAW6.EXE on your desktop (it may just be AAW6 on your
desktop) and double click on it.
7. Click "NEXT"
8. Click "NEXT"
9. Click "NEXT"
10. Click "NEXT" (there's a pattern here. hah)
11. Click "Finish"
12. Find the AAW6.EXE (it may just be AAW6 on your desktop) and click on it
ONCE and then hold down your SHIFT key and press your DELETE (DEL) key.
When it asks if you are sure, click "Yes".
13. Now - find the "Ad-aware 6.0" icon on your desktop - should look like a
hand with a red circle/slash over it and a number 6. Double click on this
icon.
14. Once it loads, in the bottom right of the window you will see a "Start"
buttonand right above that the words "Check for updates now". Click on
those words.
15. Click on "Connect"
16. If it tells you there is a New Reference File Available, just Click OK
then Click on Finish.
If it tells you No updated components available, just click OK then Click on
Finish.
17. Now click that Start button.
18. Click on "Next"
19. Wait for it to finish scanning your system.... This could take 60
seconds or it could take 20 or more minutes.
20. When it is done, click on "Next"
21. Make sure all items found are checked for removal then click "Next"
22. It will warn you how many objects are about to be removed.. Click "OK".
23. Once removed, close AdAware.

Do you have an Antivirus software? Is it updated with the latest AntiVirus
definitions? If you answered "No" to either (or "I don't Know") then you
need to get one. Either go buy a commercial product (McAfee,
Norton/Symantec AntiVirus, etc) or grab a free AntiVirus software off the
web. Some choices of a free AntiVirus software to install on your system:

AVG 6.0 - http://tinyurl.com/eod
avast! 4 - http://tinyurl.com/ct9p
AntiVir - http://www.free-av.com/

Download one of your choice (if you do not already have one) and install it.
Keep it updated. Personally I think Norton (Symantec) AntiVirus is well
worth the purchase.

Also - if you feel you still need more firewall protection, choose one of
the free options of that as well:

http://www.free-firewall.org/

Choose one from that site. The difference between those and the ICF windows
has? Well, those likely block (protect yourself) from OUTGOING traffic as
well as INCOMING and they likely have a lot more options. Will they protect
you from Popups anymore than the ICF? Yes and No. Some come with pop-Up
killers as well, but it's not the Firewall doing the blocking - it is the
Popup killer built into the firewall program...