I've been having a problem that started within the last couple of weeks. I can be on the computer....do some surfing, check my mail with no problem. Then I get on a game and play for a while...no problem. All of a sudden the game shuts down and I see that there is a pop up ad of sorts. Not your normal "Orbitz" type ad. It's in a regular Windows box with the blue bar on top. On the bar it says "Windows Messenger". Then there will be an ad in the box for something...it's been different each time. But the ad is just typewritten out...like this post. Nothing fancy. I wouldn't classify this as a normal pop up ad because it'll come up when I'm playing a game or if I just leave the computer on with all programs closed. Any help on how I can locate the source of this on my disc and get rid of it would be appreciated. Thanks.
Try this if you're using Windows XP: Right click on My Computer, Click on Manage. Go under the Services tab in the following window, then click on "Messenger" in the right column. Select its properties and change the Startup Type to "Disabled". Finally, shut down pc and go play GTA: Vice City.
Earl, Done. I hope that was it. I'm not 100% sure it is a real Widows Messenger though. I think it's a fake ad made to look like one. I guess time will tell. I don't have a PS2 so Vice City is outta the question...thanks for rubbing it in.
I saw this on Tech Tv the one time I watched it. It is a bug in Windows XP that they refuse to fix. Use Cureton's method and it is fixed.
Yeah dude......I got that too Are you running XP? This is the only thing I can figure out.... It could be part of XP's remote assistance bs.....not completely sure. If I had a Win 2000 machine still up, there's better doumentation on it in there, I think it was used for a different purpose over there. I do know that it's the same Messenger service I used to use to pop-up provocative messages on our sexy-as-hell CM babe two cubes over But that was on a LAN......not sure how're they acessing over the internet except that they probably have your IP.....maybe your puter name. I seemed to have stopped it though......go into....Control Panel....Adminstrative Tools.....Services and set Messenger to Manual. Anybody else got a take on this?
You're connected to the internet directly aren't you? I'm about 95% certain I know what you're talking about, and Earl Cureton has the right idea. A new way of spamming has arisen for people who have their computers directly associated with an IP address, running MS Windows with the Messenger service enabled. There is a command in Windows and Dos called "net". It has a switch called send that allows you to send a text message to another computer on a network. Therefore, you could type in: net send IPaddressofcomputer MESSAGE HERE And *poof* it comes up instantly on the computer you sent it to. It'll say where it came from, but only display the computer's "Name". I get 2 or 3 of these a week on the two Windows servers we have direct to the internet. They don't hurt anything, they are just annoying as hell. Turn off that Messenger service and you'll be fine.
I had already run and cleaned adaware...it happened after that though...it hasn't popped up yet today.
I found some program with the word "Totem" in it that I don't know exactly what it is. I got rid of it...I think it may be it.
dammit! I stepped away from my computer for awhile and came back to find another waiting for me. here's exactly what it says: Message from LINDA to (my ip) 11/23/2002 9:04:10PM Hey, I just got my webcam and i need a few people to help me test it out. go to Http://initts.com/linda it's completely free so you have nothing to lose and everything to gain! ====== it's in a regular windows box that says: Messenger Service at the blue bar on the top
damn, i was so sure the method would have worked. I used to get random messages like that, but they went away after I disabled its startup option. anybody else have any ideas? all i can think of is maybe running some kind of antivirus program?
i saw this same thing on Tech TV. Cureton's instructions should have worked. i'm at a loss. its not a virus, its actually just spam that is using a loophole in XP. disabling Messenger is supposed to stop the popups.
FA: did you actually stop the Messenger service (from either Properties or the "Stop" link in the extended view)? Just changing its startup type to "Disabled" won't stop it -- stopping is a separate step. (I've never had this problem myself -- my PC's behind a firewall.)
Go to start / Run and type "msconfig" When the configuration tab comes up select the "services" tab Find the line that says "messenger" and uncheck it ..problem gone
