Dealing with Messenger spam

Unsolicited Messenger pop-ups can be very annoying and potentially harmful. These messages utilise susceptible connection  ports on your computer, commonly port 139/ 135 typically used for delivering network messages. An example message is as follows:


A few simple steps can be undertaken to prevent these messages appearing depending on your operating system.
Windows XP:- Simply activate the inbuilt XP firewall as described HERE.
Windows NT/2000 (Server and Professional editions):

• Click Start -> Settings -> Control Panel -> Admin. Tools -> Services
• Scroll down and highlight "Messenger" (a single click).
• Right-click the highlighted line and choose Properties.
• Click the STOP button.
• Select Disable or Manual under the "Startup Type" menu selection (we recommend the manual setting).
• Click OK.

Please Note: If you discover that certain software fails to work after disabling the messenger service, reverse the process to reactivate it and use a firewall. 

Windows 95/98/ME:
Remove or disable the file and printer sharing from your network configuration which may require you to reboot depending on your version of Windows. This can be undertaken by:

• Right clicking on the Network Neighbourhood icon on your desktop and selecting Properties from the drop down menu.
• In the Network box which appears click on the button labelled File and Printer Sharing.
• Deselect the checkboxes which appear here.

For information regarding how to deal with email spam click here.

• How can I protect myself from online fraud?
• How to deal with and avoid spam.

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