Yep, turn off messanger. You most likey do not have a virus (or rather this problem is likely not the result of a virus. Messanger is a “service” provided by Windows which allows people to send you offical-looking messages if they have your IP. It has been caught on to by the spammers. You are best off turning it off, and as mentioned getting Zone Alarm or similar.
Those are three of the biggest.
Although there are many Shareware/Freeware/Reduced Freature anti-virus programs. Check out Cnet’s download area - http://download.com.com/3150-2239-0.html?tag=dir
It sounds to me more like adware than an actual virus (appart from your picture disappearing there seems to be no real damage done to your computer?) If that’s the case, one thing you could try doing is uninstalling the last program you installed (unless it’s legit software). Or grabbing yourself an adware/spyware checker, info & links here - http://www.adware.info/
If you like, you can email me the details you omitted, and I’ll see if I can do a bit of research on it for you. email addy in profile.
I wish people would focus on what the OP is asking rather than just posting canned “good advice” stuff which, while it may be good in a general sense it just dilutes the more narrowly focused answers other are posting. "Brush and floss your teeth regularly and eat your vegetables"is also good advice but it has its place and time.
Bosda, scr4 gave you good advice directly related to your problem. It seems you have Messenger enabled and you might want to diable it. The popups are annoying but not dangerous AFAIK.
Installing a firewall might be good advice but it is not directed at your problem and is not going to make much difference.
Installing antivirus programs might be good advice but can also cause you more probelms than it solves. I know plenty people who have problems due to antivirus software. One of the effects you might notice is that it slows down your computer considerably (not to mention crashes and other side effects).
The main drawback I find with anti-virus software is that people rely on it and do not use common sense so that it gives a false sense of being 100% protected. Antivirus software vendors cultivate the fears. I have not had any antivirus software installed in years and have never been infected. The best antivirus software is free and is between your ears.
If you want to scan your computer regularly or ocassionally or just specific files or folders you can do this without installing anything and for free in several websites. Two of them are http://www.pandasoftware.com/activescan/com/ and http://www.pcpitstop.com/antivirus/default.asp which are free and always up to date and do not require you running anything permanently in your computer. You might want to run their tests to see if anything is detected.
As for general good advice: defrag and backup regularly, don’t talk to strangers, workout three times a week, always wear clean underwear, practice safe sex, etc.
Seconding sailor’s advice, and, while you’re at it, just search these boards for “Windows Messenger.” This subject has come up at least four times in the last few months, and each time, several people have given clear, simple instructions about how to turn it off. This is not a virus. This is not a trojan. This is just someone using a feature of Windows to convince you to pay them money to turn it off for you. You can do it yourself, for free, in about 30 seconds.
I’ve got a router with a built-in firewall. And if that sounds strange, it was recommended by my brother, who’s chief of computer security at Vander built University Hospital.
Many thanks for the kind help, but please stay tuned to this Bat Channel, just in case it don’t work.
If you don’t have any antivirus try this one (http://housecall.trendmicro.com/), it is a free online scan (as it says on their site, you shouldn’t use this as a replacement for antivirus, just a check to see if you have anything).
I ran it because I was suspicious of processes running on my computer, it found 67 infected files and about 5 different worms/viruses, they cleaned and deleted all but one of them which was embedded in explorer.exe.
Well, pardon us all for not having the same omnisicence you seem to have.
I assume you’re having a dig at me for posting a few possible solutions, instead of “focusing on answers”.
Terribly sorry, but from the OP is wasn’t immediately apparent what the problem might be. Maybe I’m out of touch on the oh-so-slow-changing world of information technology. Maybe some of us don’t have your all-encompasing knowledge, but would still like to be helpful.
God knows what would happen to the world if only “experts” were allowed to offer any advice on something.
Hold on, didn’t I read an “AFAIK” and a couple of “mights” in your reply?
If it had been a virus/trojan, installing any decent anti-virus program would have sorted it out. If it had been adware… blah blah blah…
Yes of course, there are no “big name brands” who offer this kind of facility. Once you install something IT’S THERE FOREVER! JUST YOU TRY REMOVING IT, YOU’LL GET 40,000 AMPS THROUGH YOUR MONITOR!!! :rolleyes:
Are you sure you’re not limiting that to personal experience?
In fact, the OP very clearly reveals the source of the “problem,” and it’s been answered on this very board repeatedly over the past few months. Bosda himself said that it was a message window, and that the contents of the message said that it had been sent using Windows Messenger. There was absolutely no indication in the OP that this had anything to do with a virus or with spyware.
So, like sailor said, your advice was good, but irrelevant. You didn’t recognize the problem, so you just took a wild guess at it. In General Questions, if you don’t have at least a fairly good idea about the answer, it’s best not to start tossing out guesses. And, in this instance, scr4 had already provided the solution that is almost certainly correct.
Not to me it wasn’t Early.
First it was a Trojan (we think), then it was a virus (as per the warning recieved), then a graphic disappeared from an email (no client/host was specified), then a message popped up.
No time scale specified, and regardless it doesn’t mean these things are necessarilly all related, unless you want to explain to me exacltly a random message on an IM can cause files (graphic or otherwise) to go missing from your machine/browser-based email?
So whoopie do, you seen this problem before, well, lets create a sticky saying not to post this redundant query anymore cos it’s already been answered by the experts.
Just a nitpick: It’s the Windows Messenger Service not the Windows Messenger. The Messenger service is not the same as the Instant Messenger (Windows Messenger/MSN Messenger).
Here’s a description of what Messenger Service messages look like and how to disable it:
Thanks for the clarification. I really wish the dear folks at Microsoft wouldn’t keep screwing around with the names of these suckers - it gets me confused every time. It’s bad enough that they called the service “Messenger,” but then they’ve gone and repeatedly changed their minds about whether the instant messaging thingie is “Windows Messenger” or “MSN Messenger.”
Not only is it confusing, but when you tell someone to disable the Messenger Service, they get all worried that it’s going to knock out their instant messaging stuff. It’s hard to explain to them that the two have nothing whatsoever to do with each other.
I wish they’d called the service something like “Network Notice” service, which would more accurately describe what it’s usually used for (e.g., your network admin telling you to save your open documents and logout, because he’s taking down the servers - that kind of stuff).
