GPO: Disable Network Browsing?

[Gongalong]

Hi folks,

 

Finding lots around this in Google, but nothing for this exact issue.

 

I want to be disable network browsing for students, specifically where they see "Network" on the left-hand side in Windows Explorer. They use Windows 7.

 

We have Ranger, which can limit drive access, but doesn't seem to have the facility to disable network browsing.

 

Is it possible with a GPO?

 

TIA

[chazzy2501]

yes you can disable in GPO (I have) I think it's in the windows components / Windows explorer.

 

A Similar issue is an active directory search (for PCs/printers/shares) but you can limit the results to zero. again there is a gpo for that!

[Gongalong]

Thanks. Yes there seem to be things under User Configuration > Policies > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Explorer.

 

These three specifically:

 

No Computers Near Me in Network Locations

No Entire Network in Network Locations

Remove Map Network Drive and Disconnect Network Drive

Edited April 19, 2013 by Gongalong

[Gongalong]

Annoyingly though this hasn't disabled "Network" in Explorer, and I can still browse it. Ho hum.

[Chuckster]

Apply this ADM template as it will hide the Network and other 'items'.

 

Disable Libraries.zip

[Gongalong]

Thanks!

[Gongalong]

That doesn't seem to work either, sadly. I'm not that au fait with ADM files, but applied it under User Configuration > Policies > Administrative Templates, followed by a right-click Add/Remove Templates.

 

Curiously I also spotted Computer Configuration > Policies > Administrative Templates > Classic Administrative Templates > Windows 7 Explorer Navigation Items. I disabled the relevant items, and still no change (after a reboot).

 

There may well be some clash of GPOs at this point, which will no doubt take some unpicking, unless anyone else has a suggestion.

[Gongalong]

OK, figured it out. The ADM templates needed to be put in a GPO that was being applied to PCs. I imported them under Computer Configuration, and that has worked.

 

Thanks again Chuckster.

[robero]

hello , im having the same problem , i need to prevent students seeing Network on the left-hand side in Windows Explorer , can you plz explain in details how you solved it ?

[Gongalong]

Which bit are you stuck on? It needs some knowledge of editing group policy.

[robero]

ok . i did disable No Computers Near Me in Network Locations No Entire Network in Network Locations , and i added the file "disable libraries " under Computer configuration - administrative templates .. but then what ......

[robero]

PS: im working on WS2003

[Gongalong]

You have to enable the various settings in the imported ADM file - I enabled everything bar Hide Computer.

 

I also found it had to be applied through a GPO that affected PCs explicitly. YMMV

[robero]

ok well ... i think the file i added is broke because i didnt get any new bar and is it just 1kb ?... can you please upload it again ?

[justingoldberg]

OK, figured it out. The ADM templates needed to be put in a GPO that was being applied to PCs. I imported them under Computer Configuration, and that has worked.

 

Thanks again Chuckster.

 

What if I have an AD setup and I want to restrict access to shares and drives based on the user? If I restrict to computers, then someone can access the data by logging in from one of the computers that is allowed access.

[detjo]

What if I have an AD setup and I want to restrict access to shares and drives based on the user? If I restrict to computers, then someone can access the data by logging in from one of the computers that is allowed access.

User access should be restricted on the share; both the share permissions and the security. Even if they don't have direct access to a mapped share, I certainly wouldn't rely solely on that.

[inga]

Hi all,

 

I want to be disable network browsing, so when user click or type "Network" in Windows Explorer address bar they wont see any Computers from the Network.

I enabled "No Computers Near Me in Network Locations"; No Entire Network in Network Locations; Remove "Map Network Drive" and "Disconnect Network Drive" in GPO Management.

Also i created a policy "NoComputersNearMe = 1" but users still can see the network PCs from Windows Explorer.

 

Please, could somebody help with this problem!!!

[harriuk]

I had the same issues and manage to get the same result by running this command on all my servers

 

net config server /hidden : yes

 

It basically hides the servers from the network display.

 

I have not got round to seeing if it works on workstations too. But will be trying shortly.

[SHimmer45]

if you disable network discovery iirc pc's wont advertise themselves.

i also hide the navigation bar where "network" is in windows explorer

[woreilly]

Apply this ADM template as it will hide the Network and other 'items'.

 

[ATTACH]17877[/ATTACH]

 

I have recently been trying to find a solution to hiding computers in network. Can you tell me how you knew of these at all? (I'm aware this is nearly 2 years old now) Do you know exactly what it does to the registry? Would be nice so to be able to explain to my colleagues what it does if anyone else needs to implement it in their schools!

[SHimmer45]

i have both the policy file and the registry somewhere on the network

 

the regfile contains these values

 

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\NonEnum]

"{F02C1A0D-BE21-4350-88B0-7367FC96EF3C}"=dword:00000001

[venomzn]

how do i insert the Disable Libraries.adm file into my current user policy?

[jaminben]

We now have this issue .... our students have found out that they can type 'Network' into Windows search and can see all networked machines.

 

All the above fixes have already been applied but nothing appears to be working, we're running Server 2012 R2 with Windows 7.

 

Anyone got any suggestions?

 

net config server /hidden:yes

doesn't appear to be working for our Server 2012 R2 machines.

Edited April 12, 2017 by jaminben

[Davit2005]

We now have this issue .... our students have found out that they can type 'Network' into Windows search and can see all networked machines.

 

All the above fixes have already been applied but nothing appears to be working, we're running Server 2012 R2 with Windows 7.

 

Anyone got any suggestions?

 

net config server /hidden:yes

doesn't appear to be working for our Server 2012 R2 machines.

 

Set the search results to 0 as previously mentioned and move Servers to different vlan.

 

But above all systems should made secure i.e. Strong Passwords, Permissions, ACLs, no default username/passwords , service accounts tied down and only given permissions needed etc.

Edited April 12, 2017 by Davit2005

[jaminben]

We have AD locked down to 0 results... is that what you mean? That doesn't stop them using the search bar on the start menu to type in 'Network'.

 

I think the problem is more that we don't want them seeing what else is on the network.