System Pop-Ups - need help (SO ANNOYING)

NewSc2

Diamond Member
Apr 21, 2002
3,325
2
0
I just moved my computer back home from my apartment at college, and first ten minutes I get these weird System popups. They're not internet pages, they're actual system windows that pop up in the middle of Counterstrike, surfing the web, or even when I'm not surfing the web and idling. They all tell me to go to messageaway.com or blockmessenger.com to buy these $30 one-time programs that will block these stupid ads.

Of course I'm not going to buy these ads, but I'm not sure what's causing these and/or how to stop them. I don't have any firewalls, as I've never found it necessary to load them up, although I just did go into my network settings and put up a firewall for the time being. I know it'd probably conflict with my games and sharing, so I'd like to figure out a way to just stop these system popups without doing any of that. I ran the latest updated Ad-Aware, and I just did all my critical updates for WinXP (pro).

Any help?
 

AgaBoogaBoo

Lifer
Feb 16, 2003
26,108
5
81
Wrong forum, hehe. You have 2074 posts and still learning... ;)

Post it in the Programming/Apps forum or whatever its called.
 

EeyoreX

Platinum Member
Oct 27, 2002
2,864
0
0
You need to disable the Windows Messenger Service (NOT the same thing as MSN Messenger). Go to Control Panel -> Administrative Tools -> Services. Look for the "Messenger" entry, right click it and go to Properties. At "Startup Type" set it to "Disabled". Also make sure to stop the current running service. You should not have these messeges anymore. This service is helpful in a network environment where there are many computers that need to be messeged by an administrator. Unfortunately, spammers have started to take advantage of a very useful service. Also, you could get a firewall, and this should stop the popups as well.

\Dan
 

NewSc2

Diamond Member
Apr 21, 2002
3,325
2
0
Thanks Eeyore, I hope that solved the problem.

Sorry if this was in the wrong forum, mods, I usually post simple problems here because the more technical forums get less traffic.
 

Twista

Diamond Member
Jun 19, 2003
9,646
1
0
Windows xp firewall doesn't effect anything because its not really strong so all your programs will work like before.



Thxs
 

Barnaby W. Füi

Elite Member
Aug 14, 2001
12,343
0
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Originally posted by: NewSc2
I usually post simple problems here because the more technical forums get less traffic.

Well if you know you're not supposed to do it, then DON'T! </asshole>
 

NokiaDude

Diamond Member
Oct 13, 2002
3,966
0
0
Originally posted by: Twista
Windows xp firewall doesn't effect anything because its not really strong so all your programs will work like before.



Thxs

You're kidding right ?