Automatically search for network folders and printers

[Gregg]

Hello!

Is there any way to GLOBALLY turn off that obnoxious "feature" where XP
automatically installs network printers and shared folders? I know it can be
done for each user from Folder Options, but there must be a registry hack to
turn it off completely. Please?

Thanks for helping!

Gregg

 

[Kelly]

Hi Gregg,

Run the undo on line 275 (right hand side)
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm

/top10faqs.htm

 

[Gregg]

Kelly,

Thanks for the incredibly quick response, but your fix does not work
globally. I want it turned off GLOBALLY, never ever to be seen again for ALL
and ANY users who log onto the system. Your fix is the same as going to
Folder Options, and unchecking the box for "automatically search for network
folders and printers" and only works for the CURRENT user, not ALL users. I
don't ever want to see this piece of garbage again as long as I live.

By the time a new user has logged onto the system, it is too late to uncheck
the box, since XP will have installed thiry or so printers on the network
already, instaed of just the two the user needs.

Thanks for trying, though!

Gregg

 

[Torgeir Bakken (MVP)]

Kelly,

Thanks for the incredibly quick response, but your fix does not work
globally. I want it turned off GLOBALLY, never ever to be seen again for ALL
and ANY users who log onto the system. Your fix is the same as going to
Folder Options, and unchecking the box for "automatically search for network
folders and printers" and only works for the CURRENT user, not ALL users. I
don't ever want to see this piece of garbage again as long as I live.

By the time a new user has logged onto the system, it is too late to uncheck
the box, since XP will have installed thiry or so printers on the network
already, instaed of just the two the user needs.

Hi

You can do this by loading the registry hive (ntuser.dat) for "Default User" and
apply the change there. Then all new users on the computer will have
"Automatically search for network folders and printers" off as default (note
that this will not change the setting for users that already have logged onto
the computer previously).

Here is how:

Start regedit.exe.

Type "loading a hive" in Regedit's help (under the index tab).

Load the Default profile (typically C:\Documents & Settings\Default
User\NTUSER.dat).

Under the loaded hive's
Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced, create a DWORD
value with the name NoNetCrawling and the value data 1.

Unload the hive.

Log on with a new user and check the result.

 

[CZ]

You can do this by loading the registry hive (ntuser.dat) for "Default
User" and
apply the change there. Then all new users on the computer will have
"Automatically search for network folders and printers" off as default (note
that this will not change the setting for users that already have logged
onto
the computer previously).

Here is how:

Start regedit.exe.

Type "loading a hive" in Regedit's help (under the index tab).

Load the Default profile (typically C:\Documents & Settings\Default
User\NTUSER.dat).

Under the loaded hive's
Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced, create a DWORD
value with the name NoNetCrawling and the value data 1.

Unload the hive.

Torgeir:

How does that "loading a hive" procedure differ from just editing
HKey__Users\.Default\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Adva
nce directly?

TIA

 

[Torgeir Bakken (MVP)]

How does that "loading a hive" procedure differ from just editing
HKey__Users\.Default\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Adva
nce directly?

Hi

Those two are not the same. The .default registry key is not the registry hive
of the default user, it's the registry key that's loaded as HKCU when nobody is
logged in (i.e. the PC is at the login screen).

 

[Gregg]

Torgeir,

I'll give that a try. While searching my registry last night, I found this
entry in the registry, with no DWORD, etc in it.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanc
ed\Folder\NetCrawler\Policy\NoNetCrawling

What would happen if I went there and created a DWORD value with the name
NoNetCrawling and the value data 1? Just curious as to what that entry
relates.

Gregg

 

[Gregg]

Torgeir,

I just tried to do it, but when I loaded the Default User hive, I could not
find an "Advanced" entry under the
"Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced" key. The rest
of the key is there, but there is no "Advanced" choice.

Gregg Hill

 

[Torgeir Bakken (MVP)]

Torgeir,

I just tried to do it, but when I loaded the Default User hive, I could not
find an "Advanced" entry under the
"Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced" key. The rest
of the key is there, but there is no "Advanced" choice.

Hi

You need to create the key Advanced yourself...

 

[Torgeir Bakken (MVP)]

Torgeir,

I'll give that a try. While searching my registry last night, I found this
entry in the registry, with no DWORD, etc in it.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanc
ed\Folder\NetCrawler\Policy\NoNetCrawling

What would happen if I went there and created a DWORD value with the name
NoNetCrawling and the value data 1? Just curious as to what that entry
relates.

Hi

Well, it's worth a try, it should not hurt. But I would think it is related to
Active Directory Group Policy, where I think you can set this setting and push
it out to the computers/users that way.

 

[Gregg]

Torgeir,

I tried to do it, but when I loaded the Default User hive, I could not find
an "Advanced" entry under the
"Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced" key. The rest
of the key is there, but there is no "Advanced" choice.

Gregg Hill

 

[Torgeir Bakken (MVP)]

I tried to do it, but when I loaded the Default User hive, I could not find
an "Advanced" entry under the
"Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced" key. The rest
of the key is there, but there is no "Advanced" choice.

Hi

You need to create the key Advanced yourself...