The Messenger service is a system notification service designed for system administrators to notify Windows users about their networks using NET SEND. This should not be confused with MSN Messenger, or Windows Messenger as these are totally unrelated.
Advertisers have started using this service to send information about their products using mass-messaging software, and these messages could be used maliciously to distribute a virus. It was because of this issue that the Messenger service has been disabled by default in Windows XP Service Pack 2.
Who is affected ?
This issue only affects Windows NT4, Windows 2000, and Windows XP users.
Windows XP Users
1.To disable the Messenger service:1. Left click the start button, then click Control Panel. Then from the control panel double click the Administrative Tools icon.
2. Then from the Administrative Tools window double click the Services icon.
3. Scroll down the list of services until you find the service called “Messenger”.
4. Double click on the Messenger service icon to bring up the service properties window.
5. From the dervice properties window left click the drop down box called Startup Type and change the startup type from Manual or Automatic to Disabled.
6. Then click the Stop button. Whilst the Messenger service is stopping you will see a blue progress bar appear.
7. Once the service has stopped and the progress bar has gone click Apply, then OK.
Windows 2000 Users
1. Left click the start button, then Settings, and then Control Panel. Then from the control panel double click the Administrative Tools icon.
2. Then from the Administrative Tools window double click the Services icon.
3. Scroll down the list of services until you find the service called “Messenger”.
4. Double click on the Messenger service icon to bring up the service properties window.
5. From the dervice properties window left click the drop down box called Startup Type and change the startup type from Manual or Automatic to Disabled.
6. Then click the Stop button. Whilst the Messenger service is stopping you will see a blue progress bar appear.
7. Once the service has stopped and the progress bar has gone click Apply, then OK.
System Administrators
The Messenger service uses UDP ports 135, 137, and 138; TCP ports 135, 139, and 445; and an ephemeral (that is, short-lived) port number greater than 1024. If you have not already, block these ports on your firewall.
