"Connect to MSN" box pops up

BardSkye · Mar 17, 2011

Lately, every once in a while, I get a pop-up box insisting I'm offline and wanting to connect to MSN. It's happened several times both on the home computer (XP on a LAN cable connection) and on the laptop (Macbook, using Safari on a wireless connection.) It only seems to happen when I am connected to the Water Cooler and won't let me do anything until I hit the "connect" button.

My antivirus updates daily, I scan the computer daily. I have never, ever used MSN. I use Gmail exclusively for e-mail; the built-in ones aren't even set up.

I can't figure out why it wants to do this. Any ideas? Is there a setting I've mucked up?

Matera the Mad · Mar 17, 2011

Possibly automatic updates that have installed the latest Windows Lice--I mean Live--Microcrap have stuck you with an autostart of Windows fucking Messenger. Or something like that. Check what is starting at logon, running in the background. Get Autoruns from http://www.sysinternals.com/ and see what's happnin. You can knock off a lot of annoyances this way. Please do RTFM, however.

alleycat · Mar 18, 2011

A couple of things to check:

If you're using IE, go to Tools > Internet Options > Connections (tab) and set it to never dial a connection. I'm not familiar with Mac and Safari, but there might be a similar setting.

On your Windows computer, check your Network Connections in Control Panel. Click Advanced on the menubar and then Dial-up Preferences. Check the "Disable Autodial" option.

Matera the Mad · Mar 18, 2011

That too...us non-IE users do forget those details unless our memories are jogged.

alleycat · Mar 18, 2011

Matera the Mad said:
That too...us non-IE users do forget those details unless our memories are jogged.

It's getting to where I have to bring up IE and look.

Margarita Skies · Mar 18, 2011

Windows Lice and Microcrap!! :ROFL:

I am lovin' it!! :ROFL:

Deleted member 42 · Mar 18, 2011

The fact that BardSkye is seeing this behavior on both Mac Safari and I.E. for Windows makes me suspect he has a cookie from (probably) a third party that's attempting a cross-site scripting redirect hijack--possibly designed to phish a Windows Live/MSN login.

Were I you, BardSkye, I'd make sure I knew my various logins, and I'd delete all cookies in Safari, Quit the browser, then try again.

If you no longer see the behavior on your Mac using Safari, that would support the idea of a malicious cookie.

I frequently suggest that users should not permit third-party cookies, and if they use a banking site or commerce site that requires third-party cookies (some sites use them as a security measure) that they allow site-by-site exceptions.

BardSkye · Mar 18, 2011

Thank you, everyone. The cookie sounds the most likely, especially as the PC and laptop don't have anything else in common. I don't use the laptop at home and have only connected to Gmail, AW and Facebook via the laptop, nothing else. I'll check on the settings as well, just to see.

People here are just wonderful.

Margarita Skies · Mar 18, 2011

BardSkye said:
Thank you, everyone. The cookie sounds the most likely, especially as the PC and laptop don't have anything else in common. I don't use the laptop at home and have only connected to Gmail, AW and Facebook via the laptop, nothing else. I'll check on the settings as well, just to see.

People here are just wonderful.

I hope that problem gets resolved soon and I agree 100% with your last statement. Yes, they are indeed.

"Connect to MSN" box pops up

BardSkye

Barbershoppin' Harmony Whore

Matera the Mad

Bartender, gimme a Linux Mint

alleycat

Still around