Stop Pop-Up Spam Messages (Win XP)
In a new low, spammers are now abusing a
seemingly-innocuous feature in Windows 2000 and
Windows XP systems to place pop-up messages on
systems with high-speed connections to the
Internet.
The NET command is used to send such messages
(e.g. net send * Hello World), and the messenger
service (different than Windows Messenger)
allows users to receive such text messages. By
default, it is running and active on all Windows
2000 and Windows XP systems. Here's how to turn
it off:
1. Open the Services window (services.msc).
2. Double-click the Messenger entry in the list.
3. Click Stop to close the service.
4. Select Disabled from the Startup type list to
prevent it from loading automatically the next
time Windows starts.
5. Close the Services window when you're done.
Once it has been disabled, you will no-longer
receive such messages. Note that many firewalls
also prevent this type of data from reaching
your computer in the first place, but it
certainly can't hurt to turn off the service
anyway
Enabling or Disabling Automatic Windows Update
in XP!!
Depending on your settings, Windows XP may
routinely activate the Windows Update feature to
scan for and download updates to Windows XP
automatically. If you have a fast Internet
connection, and usually don't remember to check
for updates yourself, you'll probably want this
feature turned on. However, if you already check
for updates, and would rather not have your work
interrupted, you'll probably want to disable
automatic updating.
• To control or disable automatic updating,
open the System icon in Control Panel (or
right-click My Computer and select Properties),
and choose the Automatic Updates tab.
• To check for updates manually, open Internet
Explorer and select Windows Update from the
Tools menu.
Note: even if you have enabled full automatic
updating, Windows XP may only install critical
updates. It's a good idea to check with Windows
Update manually to make sure the updates you
want are installed
Stop Windows XP from asking if you want to send
a report to Microsoft whenever a program
crashes!!
Whenever a program crashes, whether it’s a
Microsoft application, a component of Windows,
or a third-party application, a window appears,
prompting you to send a "report" to Microsoft.
If you actually believe that Microsoft will use
the data you send them to fix bugs in Windows, I
have some beach-front property in Nevada to sell
you...
Here's how to disable this feature, either
completely or selectively:
1. Open System in the Control Panel (or
right-click on the My Computer icon and select
Properties.
2. Choose the Advanced tab, and click Error
Reporting.
3. You can disable error reporting entirely
here, or enable it selectively for certain
programs. Click Ok when you're done.
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