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Virus Tip: How to Disable Print and File Sharing in Windows XP

by Terrence O'Brien on February 20, 2009 at 03:06 PM

Disable Print and File Sharing

One of the first things you should do if you think you have a virus is to quarantine your PC and disconnect from your home network to prevent the infection from spreading to other computers in your home. You don't want to disconnect from the Internet entirely however or you won't be able to download updates for your anti-virus software. Doing this on a Mac (in Preferences: Sharing) or in Vista (go to the Network and Sharing Center) is (relatively) straightforward, but under XP it takes a little maneuvering. Here's how to do it:

Disable File and Print Sharing:
  • Right click on the network icon in the system tray and choose "Open Network Connections"
  • Right click on "Local Area Connection" and select "Properties"
  • Under the "General" tab uncheck "File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks"
Disable Network Discovery and Simple Sharing:
  • Open "MyComputer"
  • Click on the "Tools" menu and open "Folder Options"
  • Under the "View" tab uncheck "Automatically search for network folders and printers" as well as "Use simple file sharing"
This isn't a perfect solution, but it will put up an additional road block between your computers and the nasty virus you've picked up.

Tags: file sharing, FileSharing, network, networking, sharing, techtip, techtips, windows, windows xp, WindowsXp, xp

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