Number 203 - April 2000

Disabling Print and File Sharing in Win95
Sometimes, when several computers and peripheral devices such as printers and scanners are hooked together on a network, Print and File Sharing is enabled. This allows you to exchange files between computers, for example, or to send a file on your computer to be printed on any printer on the network. This can be a great convenience, as well as a cost saving in equipment costs, in an office environment. However, if your "network" is the Internet, enabling Print and File Sharing opens up your computer to anyone on the Internet, including hackers and crackers--people who often want to do bad things to or with your computer.     When using the Internet you would be wise to disable File and Print Sharing. Here's how:	1. Open your Control Panel by clicking on Start/Settings/Control Panel.     2. Double-click on the Network icon in the Control Panel.     3. From the Network Configuration window, double click the TCP/IP, then Properties. Note: There may be more than one instance of TCP/IP. It is generally a good idea to do this for every instance of TCP/IP you have on your computer.     4. In the TCP/IP Properties window, click on the Bindings tab and remove the check mark from the File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks.     In Win98 click the Print and File Sharing button and deselect the Print and File sharing options.
Number 203 - April 2000