How do I prevent Messenger pop-ups?

Updated: 01/24/2018 by Computer Hope

Disable Microsoft Messenger


Disabling the Microsoft Messenger will not cause any problems with MSN Messenger. This service is commonly used to distribute text messages between computers and commonly only used in a business to distribute messages between employees.

Windows Messenger

To disable Microsoft Messenger service, follow the steps below.

Windows 2000 and XP users

  1. Open the Control Panel.
  2. Open the Administrative Tools.
  3. In the Administrative Tools window, open Services.
  4. Locate Messenger and double-click the icon to open Messenger Properties
  5. In the Messenger Properties, set the Startup type to disabled and click the Stop button.
  6. Click the Apply button and close out of all windows.

Setup firewall to block UDP and NetBIOS

If your computer needs messenger, the alternate solution to the above recommendation is to disable all incoming UDP and NetBIOS on your firewall.

Additional information