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I replaced my hdd and got back on line three days ago, and I keep getting these pop-up messages with a header which reads "Messenger Service", and proceeds to leave messages like "STOP! CRITICAL ERROR DETECTED, and want me to go to their web site ().
I have Zone Alarm, and Shoot the messenger, and they still keep coming! How can I stop this annoying invasion?

P.S. Yes, I am aware that all of these are sales hype.

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Dani AI

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As discovered, those fake “Messenger Service” dialogs are the old net-send / mailslot scare messages — they come from the Windows Messenger service (not the MSN/Windows Messenger chat program). The system service can be safely disabled on most home or single-user machines; that will stop the dialogs immediately and is usually the simplest fix.

To stop it right away (GUI or admin command prompt):

Start -> Run -> services.msc -> locate "Messenger" -> double-click -> Click Stop -> set Startup type to Disabled

Or at an elevated command prompt:

net stop messenger
sc config messenger start= disabled

After disabling the service, harden the system: enable the host firewall, install the latest service pack and security updates for the Windows version in use, and block remote SMB/NetBIOS/RPC access at the router/firewall (common ports to block from the Internet: 135, 137–139, 445). Run a full scan with up-to-date anti-malware tools (anti-spyware and antivirus) and inspect startup items with msconfig or Autoruns to ensure nothing malicious re-enables the service.

Note: if the “urgent” message appears inside a browser window, it is likely scareware/adware from a webpage rather than the Messenger service. In that case, kill the browser process, do not follow the links, clear temporary files, and scan for adware. On multi-machine networks, the source may be another infected PC on the LAN; coordinate with the network admin if applicable.

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