Not exactly.
These are pop up messages from spammers that exploit the poor
security in the Microsoft messenger service, which
is running by default in the background. You can turn off
this service since you have no need of it in a single
computer environment.

http://www.itc.virginia.edu/desktop/docs/messagepopup/

This sort of things shows why you MUST have a firewall
(hardware AND software) when connected to the net.

For a very good free software firewall (the best in my
and many reviewers opinions) use zonealarm by
http://www.zonelabs.com
Zonealarm is very good at catching outbound connections that
shouldn't be happening, and since it CRC's the executables
it is impossible to fool it into allowing a trojan to
masquerade as a validated program.
It also has the advantage of allowing selective connectivity
by IP, something I haven't found with Microsoft's firewall,
which seems to be all or none, by port.

Robert

Tim_S wrote:
> try this out
> http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=3D321cd7a2-6a5=
7-4c57-a8bd-dbf62eda9671&displaylang=3Den&Hash=3DMRV6QL=20
>=20
>=20
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> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Carlos Marcano"=20
> <carlosmarcano78@cantv.net>
> To: "Microcontroller discussion list - Public." <piclist@mit.edu>
> Sent: Saturday, January 22, 2005 10:07 AM
> Subject: [OT] Is this a virus?
>=20
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>> Hi list.
>>
>>   I wonder if any of you has come with something like this; I am using
>> my brother=B4s computer lately (I=B4m on vacations at his house in Mar=
garita
>> Island!) and I have found that every now and then (and, I believe,  wh=
en
>> I am connected to Internet through dial-up) pop ups any of the two
>> dialog boxes I am attaching. Is this a virus? I have ran AVG
>> (actualized) and nothing appears. Is this spy ware (that is my first
>> bet)? I have ran Ad-aware and Spybot but nothing comes out. Apparently
>> there is nothing wrong with the box and there are no side effects but =
I
>> am concerned about this little thing. It is an XP Pro box, by the way.
>> TIA for any help.
>>
>> Regards,
>>
>> *Carlos Marcano*
>> -Guri, Venezuela-
>>
>>
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> -----------------------------------------------------------------------=
---------=20
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> -----------------------------------------------------------------------=
---------=20
>=20
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> -----------------------------------------------------------------------=
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> No virus found in this outgoing message.
> Checked by AVG Anti-Virus.
> Version: 7.0.289 / Virus Database: 265.7.0 - Release Date: 17/01/2005
>=20
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> -----------------------------------------------------------------------=
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>> --=20
>> http://www.piclist.com PIC/SX FAQ & list archive
>> View/change your membership options at
>> http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/piclist
>>
>=20
>=20
--=20
http://www.piclist.com PIC/SX FAQ & list archive
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