# Windows Messenger

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-messenger/135885>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [November 8, 2002, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-messenger/135885 "2002-11-08T14:46:04Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\
**Post date:** [November 8, 2002, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-messenger/135885/1 "2002-11-08T14:46:04Z")

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We are beginning to get advertisements via Windows Mesenger. How do you block this junk?

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**Author:** ![Gartog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/22d042/32.png) [@Gartog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gartog)\
**Post date:** [November 8, 2002, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-messenger/135885/2 "2002-11-08T15:00:10Z")

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If they are from the same user(s), you can add them to your block list.

Under Tools\>Options\>Privacy

The other thing is, don’t put your msn email address on the web . . . although I have just so today, we’ll se how it goes.

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**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\
**Post date:** [November 8, 2002, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-messenger/135885/3 "2002-11-08T15:16:56Z")

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This is coming to a Novell LAN through the state router.

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**Author:** ![Number](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/number/32/242_2.png) [@Number](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Number)\
**Post date:** [November 8, 2002, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-messenger/135885/4 "2002-11-08T18:24:07Z")

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Just to clarify, I believe the OP is talking about the Windows Messenger service, not MSN Messenger. It runs by default on Windows NT/2000/XP machines to allow use of the **net send** command. Spammers have been abusing it lately. [TechTV](http://www.techtv.com/screensavers/answerstips/story/0,24330,3374542,00.html) has a good article explaining what to do. Basically you can disable the service or block TCP port 139.

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**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\
**Post date:** [November 8, 2002, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-messenger/135885/5 "2002-11-08T19:01:54Z")

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Thanks, Number!

-CP

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**Author:** ![Pythagras](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/45deac/32.png) [@Pythagras](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pythagras)\
**Post date:** [November 8, 2002, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-messenger/135885/6 "2002-11-08T19:02:43Z")

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I had this problem on my home PC, heres what you do

As an admin at a win2k computer: START-\>Settings-\>Control Panel-\>Administrative Tools-\>Services

Scroll down to “Messenger”  
Right click, hit properties  
First tab, Startup type: “Disabled” and click “Stop”

You have to do this on each computer though, I dont know anything about disabling the service or blocking stuff via as a network admin.

BTW dont worry about disabling this service, its completly worthless.