Re: disable windows messenger

From: Alun Jones [MS MVP] (alun_at_texis.com)
Date: 07/08/03 

Date: Tue, 08 Jul 2003 11:48:34 GMT

In article <05e801c3440f$ee431dc0$a001280a@phx.gbl>, "adene12"
<Adenebalzer@aol.com> wrote:
>I want to try to disable windows messenger to get rid of
>those darn pop-up ads as per the advice of the Kim K.
>shows tips.

Kim's advice is generally sound, if a little simplistic (but then, how much
can you say in a radio show?). In this case, however, she's
over-emphasising a non-solution.

To be fair to Kim, she does preface the mention of disabling the Messenger
Service (not "Windows Messenger") with a note that you should install a
firewall. Once you've installed the firewall, there's no point to disabling
the Messenger Service. In fact, it would be advantageous to keep the
Messenger Service around. Why? Because you know that if you start
receiving those popups again, your firewall settings need to be checked!

Once you've installed the firewall correctly, Messenger Service will only
tell you locally-generated messages (such as "your antivirus software has
found a virus", or "network going down in five minutes"). If it tells you
other things, then you obviously haven't installed the firewall correctly.
Why turn off an indication that your security isn't tight, when that
indication itself poses no threat other than having to click the close
button?

Alun.
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