RS4rallydriver

My computers gonna make me pull out my hair! For the past 3 weeks or so it's been giving me these popups from "messenger service" saying that the registry has errors and to download some program to fix it.

But the registry has no errors, it's just a rogue application that's trying to make me think somethings really wrong with the computer to make me buy some $40 program. I tried scanning the computer, but my antivirus program won't find it. I've gone through like 5 different programs and none of them will find or remove it!

I even completely removed, and then installed XP 3 times and still I get the popups. does anybody know how to get rid of these kinds of things? they're interupting everything... in the time it took me to post this, I had to close out 2[].

VIPER458

when you removed xp did you just remove it or did you remove it and reformat your hard disc?

nitro _ burner

i used to get them but then my hard drive went POOF so i had to get a whole new comp, at least it solved the popup problem.

RCtruckRacer

You need to disable Windows Messenger Service. [link=http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/security/learnmore/stopspam.mspx]Click this link[/link] and follow the directions and it should solve your problem.

snowbl!nd

If you think it's something serious then backup all your files and reformat the hard drive...

RS4rallydriver

Quote:

ORIGINAL: VIPER458

when you removed xp did you just remove it or did you remove it and reformat your hard disc?

I just removed it and re- installed it. I made the mistake one day of trying to upgrade my pc from windows 2000 pro to xp using only my friends service pack 1a cd, so like every 30 days I have to put it back in.

It's a pain bcuz to get the internet back, I have to put in all these drivers & use the installation disk for the usb cable modem, and it always wants to fight with me!

RCtruckRacer, I'll try what you said first, bcuz it seems like the easiest one. if it still throws popups at me, then I'll take VIPER458 & snowbl!nd's advice to just reformat it. btw, how do you back up files? can you do it without external storage? thanx for the advice guys.

nitro _ burner, what do you mean "poof"?

VIPER458

yeah i actually would reccomend what rctruckracer said first. if you keep getting the messages after you do that then its a virus trying to trick you. there aslo is a way to do that in msconfig mode but you really can mess stuff up in there so its not really reccomended form me.

if turning the program off dosent work then formatting your harddrive should def work. when you format it its like getting a brand new harddrive. then you just load everything like normal.

to backup your drives you can burn cds but you might need a few. if you can burn dvds then thats even better and you will need less than if you use cds. but an external harddrive is prob easiest and fastest.

RS4rallydriver

Well, It worked to turn messenger off cuz I don't have any more popups, but the computer still doesn't run as fast as it should, like it has spyware. I was reading about these Rogue programs and applications made by software companies that download themselves onto your computer and give false messages saying stuff like:

"STOP NOW! windows registry needs immediate attention! continuing without taking action will result in catastrophic system failure and permanent loss of data! close all windows and download <whatever> from <wherever.com> to end error messages like this one."

(which is what I had.) the idea is to scare you into buying a software license for that same companies antivirus. Is that not the most twisted conspiracy theory you ever heard? anyway, I tried defragmenting the HDD, and that still didn't help runing speed. what do you guys do to get your pc's to work faster?

Foxy

No need for drastic solutions, download AVG Anti spyware (free program) and let it update then scan, it's just a spyware/addware trying to trick you. Disable system restore first or it'll come back. I'm an IT consultant 15 years, pm me if you want more specific help. It's a good idea to disable messenger service anyway.

as for making the PC faster...hmmmm, where to start...

nitro _ burner

to make mine run faster i go through the ENTIRE comp and clean out any old or unused programs, music, pics, data etc etc plus i do defrag, virus scans, disc clean-ups etc.

BTW poof=bam=kaboom=no longer working=throw at wall=sh.......i mean pooed it self=[:@][>:][&o]

sapper ion

Yea, I just got a registry scanner, and the first time around I had 15 hundred and some problems, then the second time around the same 3 would keep coming back, so I guess I don't understand how it works.


Now can anyone tell me why I have trouble viewing Flash/Shockwave files "I have the updated versions as of yesterday"

nitro _ burner

BTW when i had those pop-ups i just left them, because if you close one another one comes up to replace it.

RS4rallydriver

Yeah, that's a good program, I've been using it for a few months now! After I scanned with a registry cleaner and it still had popups I figured that it was just a virus trying to trick me.

Speaking of good free programs, does anyone use "paintbox picture editor"? it's no photoshop, but it makes a great replacement for ms paint. it can resize images without messing them up, and lets you edit without screwing up the color/pixels. [8D]

I don't have many things to delete since I just put xp back on it (and will have to do it again in 28... no, 27 days) I bet it'd be faster if I gave it a memory upgrade. I just have to figure out what kind it needs. it was never especially fast anyway, but it was better when I first got it.

ROFL! I have a friend that did something like that to his old xbox when he got 360! He was like: "Look! there's your replacement so now you're not needed!" and he slammed it! LOL.

nitro _ burner

LOL i could just see somone i know doing exactly that, if it was me.........well lets just say poor xbox
ROFL! I have a friend that did something like that to his old xbox when he got 360! He was like: "Look! there's your replacement so now you're not needed!" and he slammed it! LOL.
[/quote]