Stopping the use of MSN messenger 15

[wax]

Please help. Were using Windows 2000 desktops with NT 4 servers using Proxy server 2 how do I stop users from using MSN messenger. I cannot find a URL to ban, and have no idea how to stop this.

Please help.
Thanks

Matthew Wilde

 

[Alt255]

Can't you simply uninstall MSN Messenger Service from the Control Panel Add/Remove Program applet? Hmmm... without an effective policy, the users could always reinstall the software by navigating to

http://messenger.msn.com

Just a thought... have you informed the users that they should stop using MSN Messenger? That might be a good first step. Remove the software from problem computers and use the Policy Editor or a third-party solution to prevent the users from reinstalling it.

Alt255@Vorpalcom.Intranets.com​

 

[Zelandakh]

There is no URL to ban. Messenger uses specific ports I think, so can't you close those ports on your firewall / proxy server?

 

[MasterRacker]

Keep in mind that there is the Messenger application and the messenger service.

One of the long time standard optimizations of NT (or up) systems has been to disable "unecessary" services. Our parent co. has recently begun deploying some of CA's system mgmt. apps. It turns out that the clients for these apps use the messenger service to communicate back to the server. In other words, depending on the rest of your infrastructure, it's not necessarily safe to disable the messenger service any more. Jeff

I haven't lost my mind - I know it's backed up on tape somewhere ....

 

[jawadc]

Since your using windows 2000 server. Create a group policy for everyone and in it you should disable MSN messenger from being installed. First Uninstall it from every computer.

 

[DanMc]

I attacked MSN Messenger at the workstation by creating an imposter Messenger. I wrote a 1-line Visual Basic program. "End". I compiled it as MSMSGS.EXE and set the version_info to version 999.99.9999. I copied this EXE into the C:\Program Files\Messenger folder, overwriting the real messenger.

Currently, MSN Messenger is version 3.4 or so. Microsoft wrote a custom installation program for Messenger that does not allow the user to specify the install destination. (It's always C:\program files\messenger) And the installation will not prompt you to overwrite files if they appear to be a newer version.

THe result is, whenever anyone runs messenger, they run the imposter program, which exits immediately. As soon as someone tries to reinstall Messenger, it errors out "A newer version of Messenger is already installed".

I also took the extra step of editing the registry to change the "DisplayName"="MSN Messenger Service" to "QuietDisplayName"="MSN Messenger Service". I don't remeber if it was possible for the user to "uninstall" then "reinstall" messenger to get around the imposter. But this registry change removes MSN Messenger from the "Add/Remove" control panel list. I do this with any app I don't want users to uninstall.
This key is under:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Uninstall

It only takes a few extra lines of code to make the imposter messenger pop up a warning box, like: "Using Chat or Messenger programs is not allowed on a company PC."

 

[Zelandakh]

Dan - you the man... that is the most brilliant idea I have seen in a while.

Kudos and a red star to you.

 

[Zelandakh]

You could make the file read and execute only for general use and full control to the administrator...

 

[Alt255]

I ran across this registry tweak at winguides.com. To stop the use of MSN Messenger:

Key: [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Messenger\Client]
Value Name: PreventAutoRun, PreventRun
Data Type: REG_DWORD (DWORD Value)
Value Data: (1 = enable restriction, 0 = default)

This should work, providing that a policy is established to prevent the use of registry tools .

 

[Dephendr]

I posted another thread like this. It came out that because messenger won't allow you to change the install directory, just set the permissions to "No Access" for everyone on the program files\messenger directory. Push it out by login script. Xcopy w/the /o switch (Thanks FilthPig) a folder named "messenger", then Windows update can't write to it. It's not what you know, It's how you treat those who don't

 

[AndrewBillits]

"mentioned above"

As for the users being smart enough to get around the fix-

The only way they would ever get around this is by being curious little idiots (like the ones at my office) and deleting the entire folder.

(I still get called down 8 floors just to help some idiot with his HD because he was just being curious)

 

[jbloom]

I blocked AOL IM by giving login.oscar.aol.com a dummy address on our DNS server. Therfore I let the user install it all they want but we don't support the application. I then trap the ip's that hit that box and send a memo to managment about those users and times that try to use AOL IM.

I am looking for the login servers for MSN messenger. Does anyone know them? Same with .net, and ICQ.

Yes I am mean.

 

[Techtracker1]

If you have policy in place about using MSN Messenger I have a tool that can offer you software usage reports drilled down to a specific machine. It is in real time so you can run daily/monthly/quarterly/ reports that will show you exactly how many times each user launced the app and how long the app was open. It is extremely usefull for all security breaching apps suchas messengers, P2P, etc. You can contact me at kagren@techtracker.com .

 

[vaat]

how do I change a version of the visual basic file I create in 99.999.99 ? I have windows 98 !

 

[Alt255]

Under Project Properties click the Make tab. You will find three text boxes corresponding to Major, Minor and Revision. Type 999 in Major, 99 in Minor and 9999 in Revision.

Uncheck the Auto Increment Check Box, if it is checked.

Do no harm.​

 

[JimBloke]

Dunno if it's an option for you Matthew, but if you ditch Proxy Server 2 and move to ISA Server 2000 then you can easily block MSN Messenger there I believe.