How to disable file sharing?

How to disable file sharing?

Windows XP is designed for both home and office environments. As such, the product attempts to be all things to all people. To make it easier to share files, Microsoft included Simple File Sharing in Windows XP. As the name implies, Simple File Sharing aims to simplify the sharing of files and folders with others. However, with Simple File Sharing, it's an all or nothing proposition. You share your files with everyone or with no one. To better protect your system, disable Simple File Sharing and use Windows' default file sharing method instead. This default method allows you to decide who can access what and at what level.

To disable Simple File Sharing:
1. Go to Start | Control Panel | Folder Options.
2. From the Folder Options window, choose the View tab.
3. Scroll all the way to the bottom of the advanced settings portion of the window.
4. Deselect the checkbox next to Use simple file sharing.
5. Click OK.
Now, when you share files, you can specify who has access to what.