# other users connected to my computer **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 22, 2003, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/other-users-connected-to-my-computer/190271 "2003-07-22T23:56:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![regnad\_kcin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@regnad\_kcin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/regnad_kcin)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2003, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/other-users-connected-to-my-computer/190271/1 "2003-07-22T23:56:20Z")
I apologize in advance if this is a stupid question. Twice in the past week as I have shut down my computer, the computer has told me that other users were connected to my computer and that by shutting down I would disconnect them. I have never seen this message before. I have had the same DSL for about 4 years. Who are these other users? What do they want? Who told them they could just waltz right in? RK ---
**Author:** ![Berkut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a88e57/32.png) [@Berkut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Berkut)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2003, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/other-users-connected-to-my-computer/190271/2 "2003-07-22T23:58:00Z")
Do you have File and Printer Sharing enabled? ---
**Author:** ![Berkut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a88e57/32.png) [@Berkut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Berkut)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2003, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/other-users-connected-to-my-computer/190271/3 "2003-07-23T00:05:34Z")
Sorry, hit submit too soon. > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by regnad kcin \* > \*\*Who are these other users? \*\*Could be anyone. > [@](#): > > \*\*What do they want? \*\*Probably nothing, just curious. Or maybe your massive asian porn collection. > [@](#): > > \*\* Who told them they could just waltz right in? \*\* Looks like they have all the permission they need right now. 🙂 If your machine is on a LAN, it could be someone else on that LAN or even the Internet. First thing to check is the File and Printer Sharing. ---
**Author:** ![regnad\_kcin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@regnad\_kcin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/regnad_kcin)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2003, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/other-users-connected-to-my-computer/190271/4 "2003-07-23T00:11:21Z")
Where do I see if file and printer sharing is enabled? Excuse my really really dumb question: what is a LAN? ---
**Author:** ![Berkut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a88e57/32.png) [@Berkut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Berkut)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2003, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/other-users-connected-to-my-computer/190271/5 "2003-07-23T00:14:43Z")
Local Area Network, where your machine is networked with others close by, such as in an office or some such. What operating system are you using? ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2003, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/other-users-connected-to-my-computer/190271/6 "2003-07-23T00:17:03Z")
Could also be spyware or a backdoor trojan. To be on the safe side, run [Adaware](http://www.lavasoftusa.com/software/adaware/) or [Spybot](http://security.kolla.de/) and then do a thorough virus scan. If your computer is not connected to the internet through a router (like a single-user home system), install a firewall, like the free [ZoneAlarm](http://www.zonelabs.com/store/content/company/products/znalm/freeDownload.jsp). ---
**Author:** ![Brad\_Amundsen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/dbc845/32.png) [@Brad\_Amundsen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brad_Amundsen)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2003, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/other-users-connected-to-my-computer/190271/7 "2003-07-23T00:25:50Z")
On top of what Q.E.D. suggests I would download a program called Anti-Trojan 5.5 [www.anti-trojan.net](http://www.anti-trojan.net) It is a great program for getting rid of Trojan horse virus. I have Ad-Aware and I don’t believe it identifies trojan horse. ---
**Author:** ![regnad\_kcin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@regnad\_kcin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/regnad_kcin)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2003, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/other-users-connected-to-my-computer/190271/8 "2003-07-23T00:56:57Z")
Wooo… I instaled ZoneAlarm, and within the first two minutes its blocked four attempts to access my computer. ---
**Author:** ![Berkut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a88e57/32.png) [@Berkut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Berkut)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2003, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/other-users-connected-to-my-computer/190271/9 "2003-07-23T01:10:31Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by regnad kcin \* > \*\*I instaled ZoneAlarm, and within the first two minutes its blocked four attempts to access my computer. \*\* A lot of the stuff that triggers Zonealarm is harmless net background noise, not necessarily hack attempts. You may still have a malicious software installed on your system, or shared folders. Zonealarm will prevent access to these, but it isn’t really _fixing_ the problem. ---
**Author:** ![regnad\_kcin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@regnad\_kcin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/regnad_kcin)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2003, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/other-users-connected-to-my-computer/190271/10 "2003-07-23T01:18:36Z")
How do I deal with shared folders? ---
**Author:** ![dead0man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/edb3f5/32.png) [@dead0man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dead0man)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2003, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/other-users-connected-to-my-computer/190271/11 "2003-07-23T01:25:28Z")
Could it also be that you are running XP and that you have two users logged in at the same time? I know I get this message if my wife and I are both “logged in” and I try to reboot or shut down. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2003, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/other-users-connected-to-my-computer/190271/12 "2003-07-23T01:27:06Z")
Yes, at this point, knowing which OS you are using would be extremely helpful. ---
**Author:** ![regnad\_kcin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@regnad\_kcin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/regnad_kcin)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2003, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/other-users-connected-to-my-computer/190271/13 "2003-07-23T01:41:05Z")
No, I have Windows 98 and only one computer. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2003, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/other-users-connected-to-my-computer/190271/14 "2003-07-23T01:45:24Z")
Go [here](http://www.attackdenied.com/disable_file_sharing.htm#winme) for information on disabling printer and file sharing. ---
**Author:** ![Berkut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a88e57/32.png) [@Berkut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Berkut)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2003, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/other-users-connected-to-my-computer/190271/15 "2003-07-23T01:51:26Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by regnad kcin \* > \*\*No, I have Windows 98 and only one computer. \*\* Another thing, if you do have File and Print Sharing enabled, you can still get that message even if you have no shared folders. Your computer might have been elected to a Windows Browse Master position. It’s not very prestigious, but it does cause other people’s computers to try and talk with yours. 🙂 (it’s harmless) ---
**Author:** ![regnad\_kcin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@regnad\_kcin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/regnad_kcin)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2003, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/other-users-connected-to-my-computer/190271/16 "2003-07-23T01:55:16Z")
Huh? Browse Master? What in the world is that? ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2003, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/other-users-connected-to-my-computer/190271/17 "2003-07-23T02:00:08Z")
[Enabling or Disabling Browse Master Settings, Win 9x](http://www.duxcw.com/faq/network/brenable.htm). ---
**Author:** ![Berkut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a88e57/32.png) [@Berkut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Berkut)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2003, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/other-users-connected-to-my-computer/190271/18 "2003-07-23T02:07:50Z")
In a peer to peer network of Windows machines, one gets elected to the Browse Master position. This is the machine that maintains the network information that appears when you double click on your Network Neighborhood. If your machine gets picked to be the Browse Master, when you shut it down you will often get your “Users are connected blah blah blah” message. It’s because other machines have connected to it looking for network information. There is a lot more to this process, but that’s it in a nutshell. > [@](#): > > \*\*Another thing, if you do have File and Print Sharing enabled, you can still get that message even if you have no shared folders. \*\*Sorry, you DO have to have a shared folder to be the Browse Master. ---
**Author:** ![fauxpas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e480ec/32.png) [@fauxpas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fauxpas)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2003, 7:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/other-users-connected-to-my-computer/190271/19 "2003-07-23T07:13:21Z")
Network Neighborhood? I see that on my desktop all the time. How do I go about enabling it? ---
**Author:** ![fauxpas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e480ec/32.png) [@fauxpas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fauxpas)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2003, 7:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/other-users-connected-to-my-computer/190271/20 "2003-07-23T07:15:07Z")
I once read about a type of computer that is online for anyone to share programs and files with. Is this true? Or am I not able to go this website and share it?