File and Printer Sharing may be necessary in an office network, but chances are it's not needed at home. And it poses an increased risk on wireless connections. If you must use it, disable it when connecting via hotspots, and re-enable it when you return to your home or office. Here's how.
Difficulty: Easy
Time Required: Less than 5 minutes
Here's How:
- If using the Windows Classic Start menu, click Start | Settings | Control Panel. If using the default Windows XP Start menu, click Start | Control Panel.
- Double-click the Network Connections icon to view network connections.
- You may have several connection options listed. Right-click the icon for "Wireless Network Connection" and choose Properties.
- In the Wireless Network Connection Properties dialog box, click the checkbox next to "File and Printer Sharing" to remove the check mark.
- Click OK.
- Close the Network Connections window by clicking the X in the upper right corner of the window.
- To re-enable File and Printer Sharing, repeat steps 1 - 3, then click the checkbox next to "File and Printer Sharing" to add a check mark, and repeat steps 5 & 6 to finish.
- Repeat steps 1 - 6 for any other network connections listed for which File and Printer sharing isn't required. (For example, dial-up accounts listed or Local Area Network connections that pertain only to Internet access and not to actual network connectivity).
