-JEMYR-

HERE IS ONE VERY NICE TUTORIAL WHICH I GOT WHILE SURFING.HOPE THIS MIGHT BE USEFUL FOR THE VICTIMS OF BOOTER USING YAHOO MESSENGER.Hug

(Here's an update, since I've learned a few things recently. This tutorial contains information specific to 6.0, but most of it will apply to newer versions as well.)

(Created while using 6.0, 1750)

Most people don't realize that the preferences menu in Yahoo! Messenger can be configured to prevent or slow the effects of most common boot exploits, especially PM bombs and mass invitations. This tutorial will explain in detail how to configure your Yahoo! Messenger to be as boot-proof as possible. It will also explain how to disable some of the more annoying and generally useless features included in your Messenger setup.

How can I configure my Yahoo Messenger to stave off booters and get rid of annoying options?

The default configuration that is in place when you first open your Yahoo messenger is riddled with openings and vulnerabilities that are pitifully easy to exploit with even the simplest of booting programs. Different builds of Messenger might use slightly different configuration and preference menus, but the basic idea is the same. Follow my outline and see what you can do. Adjust the remaining options to fit your personal preferences.

When you sign into Yahoo Messenger, click on Messenger in the upper left-hand corner.

Click the Preferences tab.

Click General and uncheck the Show Yahoo! Insider option. It's an annoyance.

Click Alerts and Sounds and disable alert sounds. At the very least, edit them so that buzzes and bells don't ring in your ears every time a pm pops up. It distracts me, so I turn them off completely. Check the box marked Alert me by showing a box at the bottom right of the screen. This way you see an alert, but you don't get that annoying noise.

Click the Appearance tab. Click the Change Fonts and Colors tab on the right-hand side, and set the font to whatever your favorite may be. That way you are automatically using your favorite font whenever you enter a chat room or pm box. (This will also help to reduce the lag from webdings and other non-standard fonts in a PM bomb, since it will not display the webdings, but will instea display whatever font you've chosen as your own.)

Click on the Chat tab next. Put a check in the Ignore Chat Invitations box. This will stop some invite bombs.

If you want to force your Yahoo to connect through the YMSG HTTP protocol, which is usuallymore difficult to boot than YMSG, simply click on the Connection tab next and switch to Firewall With No Proxies. Note: This will cause a large percentage of packets to be dropped, and you won't have reliable access to features such as invitations and buddy requests.

(Note: At times this seems to be partially patched, as it will not allow me into a chat room. So I normally use the default preferences, or switch to No Network Detection.) But lately I've heard rumors that this protocol once again allows users to regularly enter chat rooms - so it's up to each user to decide what's best.

(Note: I have, in the past, included a guide to using the messenger text filter in this section, but I really don't see the need for it anymore, as most boots do not come from the chat room - but from PM. If I see where it could become useful again, I'll add the filter information back in.)

Click Content Tabs next and take off all the unnecessary junk that you don't really need to see anyway.

Click the File Transfer tab next. Click Never accept files from anyone, and Never allow others to download files from me. That will stop the file request booters. Set the port to 0 while you're there.

Click the Ignore List tab next. Click the dot next to Ignore anyone who is not on my Messenger list. This will stop pm bombs from reaching you. (Note: I have been booted by a PM bomb with PMs turned off, but I was on a 28k modem, and the person was booting me from a T1 connection. I was simply flooded off the server. If connection speeds are more evenly matched, you'll be much harder to hit.)

Click the Messages tab. Click the dot next to Minimize the message window to the task bar, then Show the messages in a single window. Disable IM Environments and audibles by removing the check mark in the box beside them. This adds still more protection against popular boots.

Click the Privacy tab next. Check the Always Sign in as Invisible option. Uncheck the rest of the boxes--every one of them. This will help you maintain your privacy while online.

Go down to Webcam next. Check Always allow the following people to view my webcam, then place a check in the box marked Ignore other view requests.

Cloaking Your ID Without Y!Tunnel - Once you enter a chat room, go to the Messenger screen and click Messenger > My Profiles. Set the profile you're using in chat as Inactive. This will tell the Yahoo! servers to drop a large percentage of the packets that come your way, helping to prevent game invites, conference bombs, etc from coming through. It basically dumbs your YMSG session down to a Chat02 session, for all practical purposes. The only packets you'll see are PMs.

Make sure you click apply, then click ok and you're done.