Prevent use of MSN Messenger
 

Evening :)

I have a friend who is having a spot of trouble involving his teenage daughter using MSN messenger. Now he doesn't want to lock down the pc as a whole, or really restrict her internet use in any way apart from preventing the installation if possible or just use of MSN messenger.

The only way I can think of myself is to fiddle the hosts file in windows to assign null IP addresses to the download sites like messenger.msn.com etc to prevent her even going online and finding the install file but is there a slightly more refined way?

Cheers

David

Hmmm, could he just give her user rights and remove the windows one and MSN one. This way she can surf the net and the like but wont be able to install packages, i think there may be an onlive version however but not 100% sure on that

edited too add yes there is

http://webmessenger.msn.com/

fiddling the hosts in this case would be tough because msn can access the net in several ways, hardware firewalls like Cisco and the like use several commands to prevent access to all of the variants

like this

server deny name messenger.hotmail.com
server deny name gateway.messenger.hotmail.com
server deny name webmessenger.msn.com

I believe there are 5 or 6 IP address to block which may also do the trick, however i once tired that and it still found its way out onto the net

maybe he should tell her that msn isnt allowed to be used and if she is caught she wont be allowed to use the computer anymore.

he could tell her there is a secret program watching what she does:lol1:

I've tried this myself with my kids, but its virtually impossible to block it as it uses port 80, the same port as http for web browsing. If you're worried about it, you can log her conversations although you'll need a degree in txt spk to interpret them.

You could try changing the following in the registry

System Key: [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Servic es\Messenger]
Value Name: Start
Data Type: REG_DWORD (DWORD Value)
Value Data: (2 = automatic, 3 = enabled, 4 = disabled)


Change the start value to 4

Although i'm not sure if this disables messenger or just stops the auto login when windows boots.

Install net nanny. :)

I use Norton Internet Security 2005 to disable Messenger. If the kids play up a quick change blocks MSN instantly.

£18 from Ebay and virus checking thrown in.

Hello

In addition, if you have a router you may be able to block it through that. Certainly my Draytek has an option to block MSN/Yahoo etc..

Steve

On a similar note, won't xp sp2 firewall block it just the same

Nope fraid not, if you take off the tick box it will still be allowed out, and then back in again. This only applies for incoming connections a la remote desktop, file and print sharing etc. Outgoing connections it makes no effect

Draytek does allow blocking of MSN as its an ace router, not many others do though.

A lot of this depends on his daughters knowledge of computers.

Have a look on http://www.majorgeeks.com/

They have links for programmes that disable and remove windows messenger they may have a similar thing for msn on there.
It's always worth removing windows messenger anyway it's a doorway in people just do not realise that is there.

Simon :thumb:

I wonder if we'll get a thread soon from someone complaining that they can't get messenger to work and all you guys help this person to resolve it :D

That wont stop the kids reinstalling it or using web messenger

Try this out

From a command prompt, or from the run command type:- gpedit.msc

In computer configuration/administrative templates/Windows Components/

Find The option for messenger and set the "Do Not Allow Windows Messenger To Run" to Enabled.

Should do the Trick :)

no that is windows messenger, msn messenger will still run

Does she have her own user account?

If so, changing the NTFS permissions on the exe to "deny" Read & Execute should be sufficient... It's a bit of a hack and not too tidy but I don't see any reason why it wouldn't do the job...