Messenger Service ???

DeweyBad · May 2, 2006

I am posting a question on the malware and this software forum because I do not know what is going on, I installed winXP from a clean install the other day and this being a new install, I got a window which said Messenger Service at the top of a grey window and other stuff in the window stating things about security issues possible on the system I do not know what is going on help me please.

Hipster Doofus · May 2, 2006

Go to the control panel/admin tools/services.

Scroll down & disable messenger.

Don't worry it is not windows messenger.

Ignore any of those damn messages!

Toni_1947 · May 2, 2006

OR:
Shoot The Messenger
http://majorgeeks.com/Shoot_The_Messenger_d3703.html

Windows NT, 2000, and XP hide an hidden Internet server that is running by default. It receives and accepts, among other things, unsolicited network messages that cause pop-up dialog boxes to appear on the desktop. Internet Spammers have discovered this and are spraying pop-up Spam across the Internet. The Windows Messenger server should never have been running by default, and Microsoft has finally fixed that in Windows 2003, but users of previous Windows need to take responsibility for this themselves.

Download and run the small ShootTheMessenger.exe utility. It will display the current status of your system's Messenger Service. The button near the bottom of its window will allow you to set the service to whichever state — running or disabled — that you desire.

If, for any reason, you should ever choose to re-enable the Windows Messenger Service, simply re-run ShootTheMessenger to do so.
Click to expand...

TimW · May 3, 2006

Also, if you run adaware se ...there are two plug-ins that will address messenger services ....one will stop it from starting completely with outlook express.

DavidGP · May 3, 2006

Also install SP2 for XP as it disables the Messenger Service, by default and installs many more security updates to the core of XP and not just the surface bits you see.

but double check it's actually off via using Hipster Doofus's info above.

Messenger service is a legitimate part of the OS, mainly for messenging ( nothing to do with Windows Messenger or MSN messenger ) around networks, but is used alot by spammers and scammers to issue a popup which look slike a legit windows alert, however click on it and it can install malware... which is why SP2 updates disables this by default as the home user does not need this service.

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Messenger Service ???

DeweyBad Private First Class

Hipster Doofus MajorGeek

Toni_1947 Command Sergeant Major

TimW MajorGeeks Administrator - Jedi Malware Expert Staff Member

DavidGP MajorGeeks Forum Administrator - Grand Pooh-Bah Staff Member