Disable File Sharing

Follow the steps for your operating system, Windows 7, Windows Vista or Windows XP:

Windows 7

Follow these steps to disable File Sharing on Windows 7:

1. Click the Windows Logo button.
2. Type file sharing in the search results window, and then touch Enter.
3. Under "File and Printer Sharing", check to be sure that Turn off file and printer sharing is selected.
4. Under "Public Folder Sharing", check to be sure that Turn off public folder sharing is selected.
5. Click Save Changes.

Windows Vista

Follow these steps to disable File Sharing on Windows Vista:

1. Select Start > Control Panel.
2. Under Network and Internet, select Set up file sharing. The Network and Sharing Center window appears.
3. Under Sharing and Discovery, check to be sure that the option for File sharing is set to Off. If it is not, click the down arrow next to File sharing and select the radio button to Turn off file sharing. Click Apply and then click Continue through the warning message.

Windows XP

Follow these steps to disable File Sharing on Windows XP:

1. Select Start > My Computer. The My Computer window appears.
2. Select Tools > Folder Options.... A new Folder Options window appears.
3. Click on the View tab and scroll down to find the Use Simple File Sharing (Recommended)  entry. To disable Simple File Sharing, ensure this checkbox is NOT CHECKED.
4. Click OK to close the Folder Options window.

Last Updated: 9/08/09