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A number of Windows NT, 2000 and XP (but not W9X or ME, at least not so far) users have recently been noticing unsolicited pop-up windows displaying a spam message such as an advertisement concerning how to obtain a university diploma. If this happens to you, there is no particular need to worry — your system has not been attacked. What has happened is that someone has sent a message to your system via the messenger service that runs on your system. Turning off the messenger service will help prevent this kind of thing from happening. Here is how to disable the messenger service:

In Windows NT, go to the Control Panel, then to Services. Highlight "Messenger" and click on "Stop."

In Windows 2000 Professional and XP, go to the Control Panel, then to Administrative Tools, and then to Services. Highlight "Messenger" and click on "Stop." You must also set the "Startup Type" to "Disabled." If you do not have enough privileges to disable services or are unsure of exactly how to do this, contact your system administrator or the Help Desk at X4357.