If your Internet-connected computer is not networked to any other machines there's absolutely no need to have file and printer sharing installed and often no need to have Microsoft networking loaded, running, consuming precious RAM memory, and dramatically lowering your Internet security!

Client for Microsoft Networks — Just Say No

The "Client for Microsoft Networks" is only used when connecting your Microsoft operating system to other Microsoft operating systems. It has NOTHING to do with the Internet (which somehow manages to operate even without the help of Microsoft.) All web browsing, eMail, newsgroups — everything — will continue to work just as it did before. It was unnecessarily installed and should be immediately removed. The next page shows you how! (There are a few known exceptions to this for some — but not all — users of the @Home Internet cable modem system. This is explained on the pages that follow.)

For the vast majority of Internet users . . .

Unbinding the Client for Microsoft Networks

After you "unbind" the Client for Microsoft Networks (and its related file and printer sharing) from all of your TCP/IP-using adapters, it quietly disappears from sight and your system's security skyrockets.

You won't miss it at all, Windows will boot faster, and you'll have more memory for things you do need. And if you later decide to share your files with another computer (which is almost the only reason for Microsoft's networking) it's very easy to bring it back from the grave.

Not only does unbinding TCP/IP from the Microsoft networking components prevent your computer's files from being accessed through abuses of Microsoft's networking, but as you can see from the text in the image above, even Microsoft knows that turning this stuff off will speed up your computer! 

The next page provides detailed instructions for improving your Internet security by cutting your system loose from Microsoft's Networking for Windows 9x and NT.

After making these changes and rebooting your machine your files can not be accessed across the Internet though the NetBIOS file sharing system.

You can demonstrate all of these variations for yourself by using the Shields UP! tests and the Port Probe (see the "Evil Port Monitors" page for details). If you don't make any of these changes, any scanner can sweep past and log the fact of your existence along with your user, computer, and workgroup names! You should keep that in mind when choosing them.

So try to choose share names that don't sound like they're worth cracking ... like "Favorite DustBunnies" or "Freudian Quips". Those ought to be safe.

Therefore, you will want to immediately employ STRONG, cryptic, and unguessable passwords to all exposed file shares. You'll want to keep in mind that anyone trying to access your files will already know your user, machine, and workgroup names (Thanks to Windows NetBIOS blabbing.) Your passwords should therefore have NO relationship to any of those always visible names. Ideally they should be LONG random strings of characters. A good one might be something like: "4F3hw9Egh84d2" (But DON'T use that one since it's mine. (Just kidding)) I know it's annoying to have a password like that, but any phrase that is meaningful to you might either be in a password cracker's dictionary (see below) or be guessable by someone who knows you.

But until I can get around to making something available for free (and that won't be happening until next year, some really good firewalls are very inexpensive at just $29 to $39 and well worth the price for the comprehensive protection and detection they provide. I have located and examined some inexpensive firewall products which I describe on the Personal Firewalls page.