XP3 Put Me on a Network

[Theo_Moon]

System: Microsoft Windows XP, Home Ed., V. 2002, Service Pack 3
Computer: AMD Athlon 64 Processor, 3500+
IP: Cox.net
Security: McAfee Suite
Browser: 1) Firefox & 2) IE7 when necessary, only
I'm not on a network!

1) What do I do to change from being a part of a network to being a
stand-alone computer?

I let auto update install XP3 and to my surprise I'm now setup as if I were
on a network. All my personal files have been copied d to a sharing folder
and a folder on IE.
What do I do to change back to my old single person settings?

Also, an additional Internet connection has been added. It had limited
access. I disabled it and everything appears to still work okay. What
purpose does it serve? Is it okay to uninstall it? Cox.net said it wasn't
needed for their service and it wasn't there until XP3.

If you need more or other information I will see if I can locate it. This
is all so foreign to me that I don't know what to do.

Any help appreciated. -- S. Smith

 

[Jack \(MVP-Networking\).]

Hi
Using the Internet is being on a Network. Inter-Net, the Net means Network.
When you use Cable or DSL Connection the interaction with the Internet is
done through the computer's Network card, thus your computer is configured
as a Networked computer even if is is one computer Network.
Jack (MS, MVP-Networking)

 

[Theo_Moon]

Hi
Using the Internet is being on a Network. Inter-Net, the Net means Network.
When you use Cable or DSL Connection the interaction with the Internet is
done through the computer's Network card, thus your computer is configured
as a Networked computer even if is is one computer Network.
Jack (MS, MVP-Networking)



Perhaps, I didn't communicate this correctly. I understand that Cox.net is Internet. I understand that some programs may need to notify me of updates, etc. However, the setup put on my computer when XP3 was installed is something new. Cox says the setup that is now on my computer is for home or other networks where several computers are networked together to share resources, i.e. printer, pictures, music & documents. They told me this setting is not required when using Cox Internet.

None of my software requires me to share My Pictures, My Music & My
Documents with remote computers. The My Computer folder on my computer now
has a folder named Sharing which is listed along with all my drives. The
Sharing folder contains My Pictures, My Music & My Documents folders. IE now
shows these three folders in History and Favorites. I don't want to share
these folders. When I delete them from IE, others are made to take their
place.

It appears my choices are to uninstall XP3 or block access to my computer.
I do not use instant messaging. However, I do use email and allow trusted
programs to automatically update. I don't want to do something to keep this
from happening.

What Microsoft services are safe to block without interrupting my auto
updates, email, and other important communication?

If I choose to uninstall XP3, what kind of mess can I expect?

Advice is appreciated.
-- S. Smith

 

[Jim]

None of my software requires me to share My Pictures, My Music & My
Documents with remote computers. The My Computer folder on my computer
now
has a folder named Sharing which is listed along with all my drives. The
Sharing folder contains My Pictures, My Music & My Documents folders. IE
now
shows these three folders in History and Favorites. I don't want to share
these folders. When I delete them from IE, others are made to take their
place.

It appears my choices are to uninstall XP3 or block access to my computer.
I do not use instant messaging. However, I do use email and allow trusted
programs to automatically update. I don't want to do something to keep
this
from happening.

What Microsoft services are safe to block without interrupting my auto
updates, email, and other important communication?

If I choose to uninstall XP3, what kind of mess can I expect?

Advice is appreciated.
-- S. Smith

I presume you really mean XP SP3.
However, the situation you describe can hardly be caused by the installation
of SP3 since nobody else has mentioned this situation.
I would be inclined to believe that Cox is doing this out of a misguided
attempt to be "helpful".
In fact, XP has always had all that you really need to access the internet.
Are those folders that you cite really shared? The names mean nothing.
If the folders are shared, what happens when you unshare them?

If you choose to remove SP3, I would expect no change to your mess.

Jim

 

[Malke]

None of my software requires me to share My Pictures, My Music & My
Documents with remote computers. The My Computer folder on my computer
now
has a folder named Sharing which is listed along with all my drives. The
Sharing folder contains My Pictures, My Music & My Documents folders. IE
now
shows these three folders in History and Favorites. I don't want to share
these folders. When I delete them from IE, others are made to take their
place.

It appears my choices are to uninstall XP3 or block access to my computer.
I do not use instant messaging. However, I do use email and allow trusted
programs to automatically update. I don't want to do something to keep
this from happening.

What Microsoft services are safe to block without interrupting my auto
updates, email, and other important communication?

If I choose to uninstall XP3, what kind of mess can I expect?

Something else is going on in your computer. Service Pack 3 does *not*
automatically create a "Sharing" folder and put all your pictures, music,
and documents in it. I've installed XP SP3 on hundreds of computers and
have never seen that behavior. Not once. Nor will SP3 create a new Network
connection. Someone has done this; whether it is someone in your household
or someone who has control of your computer from outside is something I
can't know from here.

The first thing to do is go to Control Panel>Windows Firewall>Exceptions and
uncheck File/Printer Sharing.

The second thing to do is some real malware scanning. McAfee is garbage to
begin with and certainly won't catch non-viral malware.

http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/page2.html#Removing_Malware

The third thing to do is see if anyone else who uses the computer has
installed any P2P applications that might have created this "Sharing"
folder. Examples are Limewire, BearShare, eDonkey, Morpheus, etc.

The fourth thing to do is consider purchasing a router to give you a little
added security, even though you only have the one computer.

If you don't know how to do any of the above - and there is no shame in
admitting this isn't your cup of tea - have a local computer professional
come and look things over. I don't recommend a BigComputerStore/GeekSquad
type of place.

Malke

 

[smlunatick]

Something else is going on in your computer. Service Pack 3 does *not*
automatically create a "Sharing" folder and put all your pictures, music,
and documents in it. I've installed XP SP3 on hundreds of computers and
have never seen that behavior. Not once. Nor will SP3 create a new Network
connection. Someone has done this; whether it is someone in your household
or someone who has control of your computer from outside is something I
can't know from here.

The first thing to do is go to Control Panel>Windows Firewall>Exceptions and
uncheck File/Printer Sharing.

The second thing to do is some real malware scanning. McAfee is garbage to
begin with and certainly won't catch non-viral malware.

http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/page2.html#Removing_Malware

The third thing to do is see if anyone else who uses the computer has
installed any P2P applications that might have created this "Sharing"
folder. Examples are Limewire, BearShare, eDonkey, Morpheus, etc.

The fourth thing to do is consider purchasing a router to give you a little
added security, even though you only have the one computer.

If you don't know how to do any of the above - and there is no shame in
admitting this isn't your cup of tea - have a local computer professional
come and look things over. I don't recommend a BigComputerStore/GeekSquad
type of place.

Malke

I believe what the OP was referring to is that after SP3 installs,
they may need to select their user account in the Welcome screen prior
for XP to show the desktop. This is usually caused by one of the .NET
Framework updates. This creates another user account that may not be
shown on the Welcome screen. Therefore, this cause the PC to appear
as if it was part of the network.

The easiest way to fix this is to get the TweakUI program from the XP
Powertoys web site. Then, remove check marks from all the user
account that you do not want to see on the Welcome screen.

 

[Theo_Moon]

I believe what the OP was referring to is that after SP3 installs,
they may need to select their user account in the Welcome screen prior
for XP to show the desktop. This is usually caused by one of the .NET
Framework updates. This creates another user account that may not be
shown on the Welcome screen. Therefore, this cause the PC to appear
as if it was part of the network.

The easiest way to fix this is to get the TweakUI program from the XP
Powertoys web site. Then, remove check marks from all the user
account that you do not want to see on the Welcome screen.

Thanks. I appreciate your helpful suggestions. My expertise is in
linguistics and not computer technology. No matter what caused the problem,
you have made suggestions that appear to point me in the right directions.
I'm grateful. -- S. Smith

 

[Theo_Moon]

Thanks. I appreciate your helpful suggestions. My expertise is in
linguistics and not computer technology. No matter what caused the problem,
you have made suggestions that appear to point me in the right directions.
I'm grateful. -- S. Smith

What a valuable lesson! Y'all are great! I'm doing step-by-step, holding
my breath at every click but no reason to fear . . . it's working
beautifully. Your advice is good for everyone to know and practice. Will
pass it on to all my geri-tech friends (70+ yrs) who, like me, came into this
age after retirement. Thanks a bunch! I appreciate you. -- S. Smith