How do I shut off and block Messenger?

MKSheppard · Post by **MKSheppard** » 2003-08-13 07:04pm

I'm getting pop ups on my comp from assholes, thru M$ Messenger,
and I run Win2K SP3...how do I shut that fucking hole shut?

Dahak · Post by **Dahak** » 2003-08-13 07:07pm

Just deactivate the messenger service.

Vendetta · Post by **Vendetta** » 2003-08-13 07:34pm

Specifically, Control Panel, Administrative Tools, Services, and find and double click Messenger. Click "stop" and then set the startup type to Manual or Disabled.

Annoyance ended.

Johonebesus · Post by **Johonebesus** » 2003-08-14 02:10am

Or, if you get vindictive like me, go to program files in the file manager and delete/rename the messenger folder (assuming this is not a work computer where the messenger service is needed).

Post by **Dalton** » 2003-08-14 03:35am

Johonebesus wrote:Or, if you get vindictive like me, go to program files in the file manager and delete/rename the messenger folder (assuming this is not a work computer where the messenger service is needed).

1. This is unrelated to the above problem; and
2. This can cause system problems.

Sektor31 · Post by **Sektor31** » 2003-08-14 07:26am

What does Messenger Service do anyway, other than give a loophole for internet commercials? Does Windows Messenger/AIM/<insert messenger here> require it to be run?

Brother-Captain Gaius · Post by **Brother-Captain Gaius** » 2003-08-14 07:28am

Sektor31 wrote:What does Messenger Service do anyway, other than give a loophole for internet commercials? Does Windows Messenger/AIM/<insert messenger here> require it to be run?

Its for network admins to put messages on everyone's comp, i.e., "Server coming down in 10 minutes".

TheFeniX · Post by **TheFeniX** » 2003-08-14 01:38pm

JediNeophyte wrote:
Sektor31 wrote:What does Messenger Service do anyway, other than give a loophole for internet commercials? Does Windows Messenger/AIM/<insert messenger here> require it to be run?
Its for network admins to put messages on everyone's comp, i.e., "Server coming down in 10 minutes".

It's also handy for people who want to keep track of when someone is printing. A few libraries we've done work for have it setup on one PC so that no patrons can print and then run off without paying (cheap-asses can't afford 5 cents a page?). You can make logs that allow for more info to be pushed to the messener service, but I find it damn annoying most the time.

Most people who have the messenger pop-up problem are either running public (no NAT or firewall) or have some ad/spy-ware that's doing it itself.

Slartibartfast · Post by **Slartibartfast** » 2003-08-14 03:25pm

Messenger Service != MSN Messenger
And deleting the Messenger folder in program files gets rids of the latter, not the former. Doesn't seem to cause any problems and it's a GREAT idea if you use an alternate messenger like Trillian and get pissed off every time MSN gets loaded with Outlook.
The Messenger Service is specifically for popups, originally intended for useful ones (like the admin sending little messages to the other computers in a LAN) but it has been twisted into spyware by spam kiddies.

Lord Pounder · Post by **Lord Pounder** » 2003-08-16 10:08am

I heard the latest version of MSN messanger stored your conversations. I had a phone call from a very panicked sister the other day. Aparently she had been having a very saucey conversation with a man i must now kill and when she logged on the nexy day the conversation had been saved. Whats to stop the Messanger program to save those to MS HQ and break all sorts of privacy laws? Fuck this 1st chance i get i'm cleaning ot my 2 PC's and putting on Redhat.

Slartibartfast · Post by **Slartibartfast** » 2003-08-16 12:55pm

Those privacy laws ARE what's stopping it from sending it. It's the same as asking "what is stopping NOTEPAD or WORD from sending whatever I write everywhere? let's delete all *.txt and *.doc files from the hard drive to prevent it."

From what I know, the servers don't log the conversations, your client does.

phongn · Post by **phongn** » 2003-08-16 01:06pm

Various other clients also autolog (e.g. GAIM); it's nothing new.

Shogoki · Post by **Shogoki** » 2003-08-16 04:31pm

Lord Pounder wrote:I heard the latest version of MSN messanger stored your conversations. I had a phone call from a very panicked sister the other day. Aparently she had been having a very saucey conversation with a man i must now kill and when she logged on the nexy day the conversation had been saved. Whats to stop the Messanger program to save those to MS HQ and break all sorts of privacy laws? Fuck this 1st chance i get i'm cleaning ot my 2 PC's and putting on Redhat.

Use ICQ

Lord Pounder · Post by **Lord Pounder** » 2003-08-16 08:00pm

Next weekend i'll be cleaning out my macnines, dismanteling my network and generally starting over again with my machines. In place i'm putting in a wireless network and Windows 2K. XP all in all has been a dissapointment. XP was suposed to be secure and idiot proof. Obviously Mr Gates underestimated the abilities of malicious hackers and overestimated the idiots of the world.

phongn · Post by **phongn** » 2003-08-16 08:39pm

Lord Pounder wrote:Next weekend i'll be cleaning out my macnines, dismanteling my network and generally starting over again with my machines. In place i'm putting in a wireless network and Windows 2K. XP all in all has been a dissapointment. XP was suposed to be secure and idiot proof. Obviously Mr Gates underestimated the abilities of malicious hackers and overestimated the idiots of the world.

No operating system is 100% secure and idiot proof. Certainly, Microsoft's history has not been stellar, but get off your high horse. For that matter, XP is just as secure - if not moreso - than W2K.

Finally, wireless networking is not easy to secure. WEP is weak and it's replacement, WPA, is not widely implemented. Nor is it particularly fast - 802.11g's 54mbit/sec is mostly theoretical and is shared by the users. Wireless networking (unless you have a phased-array antenna) is pooled bandwidth. Authentication on the network is not easy either unless you're willing to spend the cash to implement LEAP/EAP or 802.11x.

Certainly, it's useful - as I type I'm using an 802.11b connection at home - but conventional wired ethernet is faster and more secure than wireless.

Pu-239 · Post by **Pu-239** » 2003-08-16 11:40pm

I know lots of people who think wireless is better than wired.

Wireless is useless for people without laptops. Is it really that hard to save 50 bucks and just tuck the ethernet cable in the corners?

And it only cost 50$ for two computers (that might be considered expensive though.

BTW, sharing 26.4k dialup between two computers is not that slow.

Embracer Of Darkness · Post by **Embracer Of Darkness** » 2003-08-17 12:10am

Vendetta posted the proper fix to this problem waaay up at the top of this thread so why are people still having going on about how annoying it is and having a "me-too fest" about how crap Windows XP is? I still stand by my claim that I have had an almost flawless run with Windows XP (not counting incidents such as the Blast worm).

Lord_Xerxes · Post by **Lord_Xerxes** » 2003-08-17 12:29am

All XP bashing aside, I had to learn quickly how to disable Windows Messenger last year. It was fucking me and my roomate royally when we played D2. You see, the Window's Messengers are set to such that they appear overtop of any other window, and must be acknowledge. You can't really seem them in D2, only hear the "BOOP! You're character is dead!" noise, and no matter where you click in the game screen, it auto-minimizes to the Windows Messenger window. By the time we closed Messenger window and brought D2 back up, the characters had been slain. Their deeds of valor would not be remembered. This happened to about 3 characters at least. We couldn't fucking figure it out for the life of us. Then I did some research on google, found this:Messenger = teh sux and fucking stopped that bullshit.

As an aside, for all of you that may or may not turn off your computer or leave it on all the time, Messeneger auto-restarts everytime your computer is turned back on. Meaning you must disable it every time you turn your computer on. Another lesson we learned at the lose of yet another character.[/url]

phongn · Post by **phongn** » 2003-08-17 02:02am

Messenger should not automatically load if you set it to "Disabled" in services. For that matter, if it is annoying you then block off port 135. You've got XP, the firewall interface isn't that hard to use.

Einhander Sn0m4n · Post by **Einhander Sn0m4n** » 2003-08-17 02:04am

phongn wrote:Messenger should not automatically load if you set it to "Disabled" in services. For that matter, if it is annoying you then block off port 135. You've got XP, the firewall interface isn't that hard to use.

As a matter of fact, it's always bad to have 135-139 open to the net anyway. That's how MSBlaster spreads!

EDIT: Firewalls are your friend. If someone tells you not to install one, tell them they can fuck off and install that firewall anyway!

Slartibartfast · Post by **Slartibartfast** » 2003-08-17 02:07am

How to disable Messenger Popup has been discussed in this forum like 50 times. And Windows is set up in such a way that services automatically start when (surprise) they're set to "auto". If you set it to manual, it will be off until some program actually NEEDS it. Setting it to disabled, it will not start up at all.

Manually turning them on or off, only works during that session.

Vertigo1 · Post by **Vertigo1** » 2003-08-17 02:09am

phongn wrote:Messenger should not automatically load if you set it to "Disabled" in services. For that matter, if it is annoying you then block off port 135. You've got XP, the firewall interface isn't that hard to use.

I know for a fact that it will not automatically load. Sounds like he either disabled the wrong service or set Messenger to manual instead. Setting it to disabled and clicking the stop button will kill Messenger for good.

Lord_Xerxes · Post by **Lord_Xerxes** » 2003-08-17 02:15am

Vertigo1 wrote:
phongn wrote:Messenger should not automatically load if you set it to "Disabled" in services. For that matter, if it is annoying you then block off port 135. You've got XP, the firewall interface isn't that hard to use.
I know for a fact that it will not automatically load. Sounds like he either disabled the wrong service or set Messenger to manual instead. Setting it to disabled and clicking the stop button will kill Messenger for good.

My mistake guys. I was only using the "Stop" button. I hadn't know that you could totally disable it by right clicking to properties. I wish I had known that beforehand. I had to yell at my GF the other night for not telling me she restarted my comp until after I'd already started playing D2.

Vertigo1 · Post by **Vertigo1** » 2003-08-17 02:58am

lol

Hey, you live and learn.

btw, could someone sticky this thread so someone doesn't ask this question for the umteenth time? (Same for the newest MSBLAST thread)

phongn · Post by **phongn** » 2003-08-17 03:15pm

I'll get around to shoving some information at the top.