Anoying Messenger pop-up ads

[Kurtis500]

Anyone else get the 'Messenger' pop-up ads? I wake up in the morning to find up to 10 of these things all in the middle of the screen. Somehow thier program is installed on my computer, anyone know what this is?

[MagicMtnDan]

Sounds like ad ware - you might want to run a program to find out what's on your computer (not a virus).

[HighRoller]

Go to spybot.com and download the anti-popup software.It will seek out and list all the spyware programs that have gotten on to your computer and then you can select the ones you want wiped out.

[572Daytona]

Usually the popups are not an indication that you have a virus or spyware on your system. People are taking advantage of a windows feature that allows messages to be sent over a network. There are legitimate uses for it in a corporate LAN environment. If you are on Win2K or XP you can disable the messenger service to prevent this. See the following link: http://www.itc.virginia.edu/desktop/docs/messagepopup/
Having said that, I think a better solution is a firewall. It sounds like you are on cable or DSL, in which case you may want to consider putting a router with a firewall in between your cable/dsl modem and your computer. In addition to letting you share that connection, most routers also have a built in firewall that prevents these popups as well as lots of other stuff from even reaching your computer.
[ August 20, 2003, 08:18 AM: Message edited by: 572Daytona ]

[OGShocker]

Howdy,
The toolbar from Google has the BEST pop-up blocker I have seen. Go to this link and download this tool bar. Google Toolbar (http://toolbar.google.com/) Load WITH advanced features. You must have IE 5.5 or newer. It does not work with NETSCAPE.
Goodluck!
OGS
Kill All SPAMMERS!!!
HighRoller:
Go to spybot.com and download the anti-popup software.It will seek out and list all the spyware programs that have gotten on to your computer and then you can select the ones you want wiped out.

[dorC]

I just went through this. Pop up blockers will not work as they are not a popup. 572 Datona has it correct. You need to disable the windows messenger.

[TheEduKATor]

Kurtis, I'm having the same problem as you. I've done all the things mentioned on here and from my Dell Tech Support, but nothing seems to work. I've disabled the messenger program, installed pop up stopping software, tweaked the security settings in internet explorer, but nothing works. It's f*#@ing pissing me off now. The only thing that seemed to work even a little bit was a program called zero spyware and zero addware. The reason I say seemed to work is because there was a pop up stopper counter on the toolbar that counted each pop up that was stopped. It counted that it stopped 1200 in a week, but at the same time I still had 10-15 popping up every 5 minutes or so. I left my computer sitting for an hour, I came back and I had 63 pop up adds on my desktop. It's come to the point were I now click work offline under the internet explorer file menu when I am reading a post in the forum or working on my computer desktop. I'm glad i'm not the only one, but if there is a cure all, fix all, I'd sure as hell like to know about it as well. By the time I finished this reply, I had to click off 12 pop ups. Technology is a beautiful thing.

[572Daytona]

It seems like we are talking about 2 types of popup windows here. The kind that I thought Kurtis was referring to are Windows messenger popups and look like this, notice the Messenger Service in the title bar:
http://www.itc.virginia.edu/desktop/docs/messagepopup/messagepopup.gif
You should be able to stop those by disabling the messenger service.
The other type that is more commonly refered to as Popups are basically just smaller Internet Explorer (or Netscape) windows. Those get generated when thru web browser script code when you visit certain websites (porn sites are notorious for this, at least this is what I've heard wink ) and can actually change your web browser setting so you continue to get them. A spyware remover is the best way to get rid of those, I use a product called Ad aware: http://www.lavasoftusa.com/software/adaware/ But even after you clean it up, the next time you visit the offending website you can get messed up again. Whenever you see the windows that ask you if you want to install gator or comet cursor free software or crap like that ALWAYS say no.

[AZKC]

572Daytona:
Usually the popups are not an indication that you have a virus or spyware on your system. People are taking advantage of a windows feature that allows messages to be sent over a network. There are legitimate uses for it in a corporate LAN environment. If you are on Win2K or XP you can disable the messenger service to prevent this. See the following link: http://www.itc.virginia.edu/desktop/docs/messagepopup/
Having said that, I think a better solution is a firewall. It sounds like you are on cable or DSL, in which case you may want to consider putting a router with a firewall in between your cable/dsl modem and your computer. In addition to letting you share that connection, most routers also have a built in firewall that prevents these popups as well as lots of other stuff from even reaching your computer. Does the D-Link DI-614+ have the firewall built in? And are they pretty simple to hook up for a home network? I've got one sitting around that somebody gave to me and have not used it yet.
KC
KC

[572Daytona]

AZKC:
Does the D-Link DI-614+ have the firewall built in? And are they pretty simple to hook up for a home network? I've got one sitting around that somebody gave to me and have not used it yet.
KC
KC Yes it does, the DI-614+ is a wireless but you could still use it as a wired router. Using it in wireless mode would require getting a wireless ethernet card for your computer. I've never setup a Dlink router but my Linksys was pretty easy, basically you just plug the network cable from you computer into the router, and plug your router into your cable/dsl modem. Configure the router with your ID/Password, reboot and you should be good to go. There may be a couple of other things you need to do depending on who your ISP is but if you are on one of the major ones, you should have instructions that come with the router on how to configure it.
Edit - just wanted to mention that the firewall will only help prevent the messenger type popups, it won't help with the Web Browser popups.
[ August 20, 2003, 12:53 PM: Message edited by: 572Daytona ]

[Phat_Kat]

Yes a router will get rid of these things for good because the subnet IP will throw off the message. I remember someone posted a way to turn this stupid thing off a while back. Do a search on the forums for it. Beware routers though, they have their advantages but you'll notice that a lot of web based programs will stop working or will start acting up.

[Kurtis500]

THANKS! I got it stopped. I fixed it by turning off the messenger by using the above link from 572Daytona. Those were the exact messages I was getting 572daytona...thanks again everyone.

[mickeyfinn]

If you want to get rid of the messenger ads you can just check out this thread.
messenger spam (http://forums.***boat.net/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=15;t=005598)

[I_C_E_Y]

This is a windows popup that is easily disabled. I will search how now.

[I_C_E_Y]

start -> controlpanel -> admin tools -> computer management -> services
Then you double click on services and find "messenger" double click that and then you put the option on disable.

[shockwavebd]

This sucks cause I am still running windows 98 and can't turn any of it off argue

[bigq]

Phat_Kat:
Yes a router will get rid of these things for good because the subnet IP will throw off the message. I remember someone posted a way to turn this stupid thing off a while back. Do a search on the forums for it. Beware routers though, they have their advantages but you'll notice that a lot of web based programs will stop working or will start acting up. Listen to 572. The router/firewall will close the port that netsend uses from the outside world. This is a legitimate command that network administrators can use to send messages to users. Unfortunatly spammers have figured it out.

[mickeyfinn]

ICEY got it right. It is windows messenger service. If you are running windows 98 it shouldn't be a problem. You don't have that service. This doesn't block pop-up internet pages just the messenger service ads.

[I_C_E_Y]

I_C_E_Y:
start -> controlpanel -> admin tools -> computer management -> services
Then you double click on services and find "messenger" double click that and then you put the option on disable. I am 100% Correct. One last bumb for all of you who havn't seen this.

[I_C_E_Y]

I forgot to add, Windows 98 does not have the "messenger" service. It was added recently in the XP version. I'm pretty sure the horrible ME doens't have it either. I have forgoten on that one it's been to long so don't mark my word.

[mickeyfinn]

It is only in XP, 2000 and maybe NT.

[I_C_E_Y]

mickeyfinn:
It is only in XP, 2000 and maybe NT. I don't think 2000 has it, I could be wrong I have never used it. 2000 is more of a buisness OS and therefore I don't think it would have it....

[572Daytona]

Win9x and ME don't have the messenger service (NT does) but you can still receive the messages if you have the Winpopup program running. Fortunately it is not running by default so it would be very unlikely that you would be running except maybe in a corporate environment.

[mickeyfinn]

The service we are talking about is the one used to send messages from the server (shutdown warnings at our place) or messages from your ups or routers. It is not a chat program.