How to Disable File and Printer Sharing by Default in Windows NT 4.0 (255159)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 4.0
  • Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0
This article was previously published under Q255159

SYMPTOMS

When you configure a Windows NT 4.0-based computer to not share resources over the network and you open My Computer or Windows NT Explorer, the icons for these folders may indicate they are being shared.

CAUSE

The Windows NT 4.0 Server service creates administrative shares each time the computer starts. By default, only a user that is a member of the local Administrators group can gain access to an administrative share.

RESOLUTION

To work around this issue, permanently disable File and Printer Sharing on the computer using the following steps:
  1. Click Start, point to Settings, click Control Panel, and then double-click Services.
  2. Click the Server service, and then click Startup.
  3. In the Startup Type section, click Disabled, click OK, and then click Close.
NOTE: You can stop sharing immediately using the Services tool in Control Panel, by highlighting the Server service and clicking Stop.

You can disable drive sharing by default using Windows NT 4.0 Policy Editor.

STATUS

This behavior is by design. The Server service is started in Windows NT to allow for administration of a server over a network.

MORE INFORMATION

Microsoft does not typically recommend disabling the Server service, except for computers that are not sharing files and printers over the network, or for other special role servers (for example, Web and proxy servers). In these situations, you should disable other services that are dependent on the Server service. Another example is a computer that does not have a network card installed, or only has a modem or other connectivity device and is being used to connect to an Internet service provider (ISP).

In a standard installation of Windows NT 4.0 Workstation, the Computer Browser service depends on the Server service. If the Server service is disabled and the Computer Browser service is not disabled, an error message indicating that the Computer Browser service did not start is generated as the computer starts up. On a computer that is not sharing files (for example, a laptop), you can disable the Computer Browser service with the only negative effect being that the laptop no longer maintains a browse list of network resources. This does not mean that the computer cannot participate on a network or is unable to browse the network; it only means that the list is not maintained locally on the computer.

In a standard installation of Windows NT 4.0 Server, the Replication service is also dependent on the Server service. In this situation, you may not be able to disable the administrative shares or stop the Server service because the Replication service depends on the administrative shares.

In addition, disabling the Server and Computer Browser services frees up resources that are normally used for these services, which increases the computer's performance. Disabling the Server service prevents the computer from being able to share files.

REFERENCES

For additional information, click the article numbers below to view the articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

164882 Practical Recommendations for Securing Internet-Connected Windows NT Systems

102878 Information on Browser Operation

Modification Type:MajorLast Reviewed:7/11/2006
Keywords:kbnetwork kbprb kbprint KB255159
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