# How do I stop Kazaa users accessing my personal files? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 23, 2003, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-stop-kazaa-users-accessing-my-personal-files/170693 "2003-04-23T22:03:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![trabi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecae2f/32.png) [@trabi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/trabi)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2003, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-stop-kazaa-users-accessing-my-personal-files/170693/1 "2003-04-23T22:03:06Z")
I’ve noticed that occasionally, when using Kazaa, someone is able to download files that are not in my shared folder. They usually download picture files (disappointingly for them these are not porn, but usually boring holiday snaps or pictures of my house renovation - all my porn is shared). No matter how many times I break the upload they always start downloading again. I’ve checked the settings on Kazaa and have restricted the number of simultaneous uploads to 1 to limit the amount they can grab, but it pisses me off. Sending a report to Kazaa yields no response. Is there any way I can stop this happening, or get revenge on this person? ---
**Author:** ![ski](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbe5ce/32.png) [@ski](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ski)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2003, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-stop-kazaa-users-accessing-my-personal-files/170693/2 "2003-04-23T22:37:46Z")
I can’t believe this one’s lasted over 30 minutes! Mods must be slow today! 🙂 trabi, the mods generally don’t like any questions regarding Kazaa (and other P2P software) since one of the primary uses of it for most people (let’s be honest) is illegal file-sharing. You may be using it for perfectly legitimate purposes, but that’s not the point. There’s nothing in the help file? ---
**Author:** ![trabi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecae2f/32.png) [@trabi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/trabi)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2003, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-stop-kazaa-users-accessing-my-personal-files/170693/3 "2003-04-23T22:44:08Z")
My apologies and thanks for the warning, I didn’t know p2p-related questions were out of bounds. No, nothing in the help file. ---
**Author:** ![Joe\_Random](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e8c25b/32.png) [@Joe\_Random](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joe_Random)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2003, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-stop-kazaa-users-accessing-my-personal-files/170693/4 "2003-04-23T22:46:19Z")
I’d just like to point out that people being able to access non-shared files is a Bad Thing. That sounds like a _huge_ security flaw, and I’d consider no using Kazaa anymore until it is fixed if I were you. ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2003, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-stop-kazaa-users-accessing-my-personal-files/170693/5 "2003-04-23T22:48:22Z")
Yep. For now, take Kazaa off your computer. ---
**Author:** ![istara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e79b87/32.png) [@istara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/istara)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2003, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-stop-kazaa-users-accessing-my-personal-files/170693/6 "2003-04-23T22:59:35Z")
Not related specificially to the verboten subject of File Sharing, but generally speaking, get some sort of firewall if you have a permanent connection. There are free ones available. Try Zone Alarm. ---
**Author:** ![trabi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecae2f/32.png) [@trabi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/trabi)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2003, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-stop-kazaa-users-accessing-my-personal-files/170693/7 "2003-04-23T23:04:50Z")
Will do. I think I’ll also backup and reinstall the system next time I’ve got some time to spare, in case the brigands left something behind them. My computer’s been crashing more frequently of late… ---
**Author:** ![DougC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7feea3/32.png) [@DougC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DougC)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2003, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-stop-kazaa-users-accessing-my-personal-files/170693/8 "2003-04-23T23:06:26Z")
- - - It’s not a bad thing to enable **private messages** in your user account. On some subjects mods will lock the thread, but they will leave the already-existing posts up for others to read, and possbly respond by e-mail… - By the by, Kazaa suxxorz. Get Kazaa-Lite instead. -And Zonealarm too. ~ ---
**Author:** ![trabi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecae2f/32.png) [@trabi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/trabi)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2003, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-stop-kazaa-users-accessing-my-personal-files/170693/9 "2003-04-23T23:17:01Z")
Thanks for the tip. Private messages was already on, but I’ve enabled emails now. ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2003, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-stop-kazaa-users-accessing-my-personal-files/170693/10 "2003-04-23T23:29:59Z")
Ironically, [here’s](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=179312) a thread on removing kazaa from your computer. [sub]Sorry I couldn’t resist[/sub] 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Bren\_Cameron\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@Bren\_Cameron\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bren_Cameron_1)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2003, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-stop-kazaa-users-accessing-my-personal-files/170693/11 "2003-04-23T23:30:24Z")
Trabi, have you checked your settings to be sure what folders you’ve made accessible? I don’t remember what the default is, I uninstalled KaZaa ages ago, but I recall you could go in and block off whatever you didn’t want other people to get into. Maybe you have some things checked besides your “shared” folder. I don’t remember how to find that dialogue box, but it’s in there somewhere. ---
**Author:** ![trabi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecae2f/32.png) [@trabi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/trabi)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2003, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-stop-kazaa-users-accessing-my-personal-files/170693/12 "2003-04-24T00:17:17Z")
Yes, I’ve checked all the settings. I think it’s definitely bandits, so I’m just going to get rid of it. ---
**Author:** ![PHA\_for\_life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@PHA\_for\_life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PHA_for_life)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2003, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-stop-kazaa-users-accessing-my-personal-files/170693/13 "2003-04-24T01:04:16Z")
trabi, i personally had this problem as well and found that the only solution was to transfer the files that i had dl from kazaa to another folder after scanning them for any type of virus, and then completely deleting kazaa from my computer. i also had the same problem of my CPU crashing a lot, but once i deleted kazaa and ran a couple of programs like adware my CPU has not crashed since. FYI kazaa is one of the leading virus carriers ---
**Author:** ![LanceUSMC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/0ea827/32.png) [@LanceUSMC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LanceUSMC)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2003, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-stop-kazaa-users-accessing-my-personal-files/170693/14 "2003-04-24T01:10:57Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by istara \* > \*\*Not related specificially to the verboten subject of File Sharing, but generally speaking, get some sort of firewall if you have a permanent connection. There are free ones available. Try Zone Alarm. \*\* Ditto. Zone Alarm is the way to go. No need to buy the costly one, go with the Shareware! ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2003, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-stop-kazaa-users-accessing-my-personal-files/170693/15 "2003-04-24T02:18:37Z")
Because of our concern for intellectual property rights in general, we do not permit threads about how to use file-sharing systems such as Kazaa. Accordingly, I’ll close this thread. bibliophage moderator GQ