Spam by Outlook Express

[yanov]

I get repetitively messages on a grey background advertising college sponsorships or **** enlargement pills.Every 10 or 15 mins I get one of these. And for example when I play warcraft or something it tekes me out of the game to show me the ad. I think it's from the outlook express but not sure.
If anyone could help me cope with this thing I would be very thankful. It's just driving me crazy.
Thanks in advance.
Asen Yanov

p.s. - can it be removed by using some kind of no-adware-software?

[curlykarl]

p.s. - can it be removed by using some kind of no-adware-software?

Sure sounds like you have scumware :(

Ad-Aware and Spybot should sort it out.

Karl

[wruk999]

And if it is not Outlook or Spyware, it could be the Messenger service in Win2k/XP.

That can often be exploited and messages sent through advertising all sorts of things.

If it is a grey box, with the title bar reading "Windows Messenger" then this is what it is.

Go to Control Panel > Admin Tools > Services and disable the "Messenger Service"

wruk999

[kodaks]

You may also want to check your add remove programs list, and search for any foreign software that was installed on your computer. For XP:
start> control panel> add remove programs

[yanov]

wruk999 just got it.
thanks dude. now I'm feeling like in heaven.
btw, is heaven where there are no ads for p3nis enlargement pills?:))

[yanov]

Unfortunately every time I start my computer the service is turned on. Maybe there is some scumware involved.

[SEOMike]

Use two spy / scumware checkers together. One will usually suffice, but two will compliment each other and fill in gaps left by the other ones. I use ad-adware and Spybot Search and Destroy. They work great. Ad-aware runs everytime the computer starts, does a scan, and cleans up anything there might be. I run the other program once a week to get any residual stuff.

There are also some programs (names escape me just now, sorry) that will run in the background and watch for registry changes and anything else that may indicate the addition of un-welcome programs. They even guard agains browser hijacks. Sorry I don't have any names, but with a little Googleing you should have all the FREE software you need in an hour.

Another thing to consider... be careful what you install as a download. I like screensavers... I used to get them from the web. I found out they are CHOCK FULL of spyware. I stay away from them now :( (miss the cool matrix screensaver the most)

Good luck!
-M

[wruk999]

Unfortunately every time I start my computer the service is turned on

If this is the case, and turning the service off manually is stopping the popups, then change the Service startup type (for that service: Messenger Service) to Manual or Disabled.

I prefer disabled personally ;)

Hope this helps stop the popups for good!

Cheers,
wruk999

[Leosghost]

btw, is heaven where there are no ads for p3nis enlargement pills?:))

Nope ..'swhere you don't need em ;)

To be serious ..Google for a thing called "system security suite" ..
it's freeware and it's got no lurking horrors inside it ..install it ..it's very small ...open it ..then go through the tabs ..you'll find "whatever it is" that you've got ...Plus some other stuff like browser "helper" objects mostly ( but not allways albeit 99.9% )scumware ...you can then switch em on and off and then later whan your're feeling more confident about such things you can go in the registry and kill them with your bare hands ;)

There's some others that do this too but this is the simplest of them ...There's also "jv16 power tools". ..another freebie ..clean ..If you're of a suspicious nature when it asks each time it's launched to allow it's .exe to connect to the net ..just say NO ..it still works ...

It's a sort of regedit for the fainthearted ..and it always backs up ( read the helpfiles they're good ) so you can't easily screw up your machine with it unlike some apps ....