Removing File and Print Sharing via GP

[Mark Ustby]

We have a few XP computers that are showing up on our
network... and I'm wondering if there's a way to remove
File and Print Sharing for Microsoft Networks from these
computers with Group Policy.

Thanks.

 

[Tim Springston [MS]]

Hi Mark-

If your goal is to prevent users from sharing resources the only default
settings you could configure toward this goal would be to prohibit the user
from changing network connection properties. For previously created user
profiles with this setting this would not prevent their use of File and
Print Sharing. It would instead prevent the setting from being added.

The settings are located at User Configuration->Administrative
Templates->Network->Network Connections.

The specific setting of "prohibit adding and removing components to a LAN or
remote access connection" may fit your need.

The only other method that comes to mind at this moment on how to remove the
File and Printer Sharing binding on an enterprise scale would be via script,
but even that raises some interesting thoughts on implementation since each
install could be different.


Please repost and let us know if this helps or not.

 

[Mark Ustby]

Thanks for the reply. I already have the things you
mentioned set in GP. Because of Deep Freeze, no one's
local profile is stored for any real length of time... so
everyone gets the Default User profile (which I have
configured the way I want it) every day.

I wasn't too hopeful about it being something that could
be done, but thanks anyway.

Mark

 

[Steven L Umbach]

You can use Group Policy computer configuration to disable the server service which
will effectively disable file and print sharing on those computers. --- Steve

 

[Mark Ustby]

I thought of that, but won't that interfere with other
things?

Thanks.

-----Original Message-----
You can use Group Policy computer configuration to

disable the server service which

 

[Steven L Umbach]

It will disable your ability to remotely manage those computers via Computer
Management but so will removing file and print sharing. Where there might be
a difference is if you have multiple nics on the computer and you want file
and print sharing enabled on one nic but not the other in which case
disabling the server service would disable file and print sharing on both
nics. The server service is not required to be a network computer if you do
not offer network shares or need to be managed remotely. Client for
Microsoft Networks is required to be a networked computer on the lan to
access shares and logon to the domain. --- Steve