In the last few weeks, I’ve received an increasing number of messages from people asking about how they can stop annoying pop-up ads that appear on their PCs without any warning. These ads aren’t like regular Web pop-ups. Instead, they look like dialog boxes, with the words “Windows Messenger” in the title bar.
Here’s what’s going on. The Messenger service (no relation to the instant-messaging utilities used by MSN, AOL, and Yahoo) was originally designed for network administrators and programs to send messages over a corporate network. A printer could pop up a window telling you you’re out of paper, or your IT guy could alert you that he’s about to shut down a file server for emergency maintenance.
Although this capability has been in Windows NT and Windows 2000 for years, sleaze merchants only recently discovered this service. The same clowns who sell bulk-mailing software now sell software that can tap directly into your Internet connection and use the Messenger service (a component of Windows, not be confused with the Windows Messenger instant messaging program) to spam you with these ads.
Because these messages look like legitimate Windows dialog boxes, they have the potential to fool users who haven’t heard about this trick. It’s a gross invasion of your privacy, and it ought to be illegal. Utilities designed to stop pop-ups spawned by Web sites will have no effect on these messages. Fortunately, you can block these jokers with any of the following strategies:
- Use a hardware router or a software firewall. These messages typically arrive on ports 135, 137, or 139. By default, a good firewall will block unsolicited requests on any of these ports.
- Turn off the Messenger service. Using Windows 2000 or Windows XP, open Control Panel and find the Services icon. (It’s in the Administratifve Tools folder, under the Performance and Maintenance category.) Find the entry for Messenger, double-click, and click Stop. Then change the startup type to Disable.
You can read more about this topic and download a free utility that will automate the process of disabling this service at the
Stop Messenger Spam site.
Ed Bott 
Thank you!!
Thank you so very much. I just formatted my HDD and installed WIndows XP a few days ago. I thought it was excelent until I recieved thos damn annoying pop ups. I had a pop up blocker for the internet so I didnt want another one Just for this. Thanx Again,
Mike
Brilliant, well explained and it works. Microsoft should be paying you for this service to their customers.
o thank you god. i figured out that my firewall can block it but i turn off my firewall when i play games cause it crashes my games sometimes. so when i play that stupid pop up keep comming and lags out my computer and when i close it all out and go back to my game im dead. thank you very much for the help.
Excellent. I have just turned off the messenger service and it works. Bye the way, the only constant popups i received were from people trying to sell me popup stopping software. I can’t tell you how much i am glad i don’t have to give any cash to these parasites!
Your information was easy to find on the Yahoo search re: those strange, shocking grey popups! And thank you for the simple but not easy to know info on how to turn them off. I’m sure that’s one way these viruses must get in?!
Thank you, sites and people like you are AWESOME!!!!
I appreciate the tip. I was just in the process of downloading a pop up stopper when I came across this website, then I cancled my download immedeatly. Those pop ups are beyond annoying.
What about the messenger look alikes that you get on the webb? You know the ones that say things like “do you want to make this site your home page” and so on. I have win 98 and I get these messages all the time. Nothing stops them. The other day I had 600 files and applications downloaded to my computer and the only way I could stop it was to unplug my computer, every time I clicked no in the dialog box it reappeared again and my harddrive was grinding like crazy. How do I turn it off, or find a program to stop it. richard