When multiple computers are connected to a network, Windows automatically creates Administrative Shares to allow remote access for various operations. This enables Administrators and support technicians to manage services, effectively. In some cases, such shares can be a potential security threat to your system. As such, it is better to remove Administrative Shares in Windows Server. Here is how to get rid of them.
How to remove Administrative Shares in Windows Server
If you are not aware, these special shared resources are not visible in ‘File Explorer‘ or under the ‘This PC’ section. To view them, you’ll have to see the ‘Share Folders’ tool. The tool can be found readily under ‘Computer Management’. Then, to remove the special shared resources and prevent them from being created automatically,
- Use Registry Editor
- Use Ultimate Windows Tweaker
You can recognize an administrative share when a drive letter or folder name has a ‘$’ sign attached at the end. Example,
- DriveLetter$: This is a shared root partition or volume. Shared root partitions and volumes are displayed as the drive letter name appended with the dollar sign ($). For example, when drive letters C and D are shared, they are shown as C$ and D$.
- ADMIN$: It represents a resource mainly used during the remote administration of a computer.
- PRINT$: Used during the remote administration of printers.
- FAX$: A shared folder on a server, used by fax clients during fax transmission.
To remove administrative shares and prevent them from being automatically created in Windows,
1] Using Registry Editor
Please note that the method involves steps that require you to modify the registry. However, serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly. Make sure that you follow these steps carefully. For added protection, back up the registry before you modify it.
Launch the Run dialog box by pressing Win+R in combination.
In the box that appears, type ‘regedit.exe’ and hit Enter
Next, in the ‘Registry Editor’ window that opens, navigate to the following path address –
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\LanmanServer\Parameters\AutoShareServer
Here, the registry subkey ‘AutoShareServer’ must be set as type REG_DWORD.
When its value is set to 0 (zero), Windows does not automatically create administrative shares. As such, you’ll need to change this value if it’s not set to ‘0’. For this, double-click the value to open the String box to edit.
In the Value data box, type 0, and then click OK.
Exit Registry Editor.
Once done, stop and then start the Server service. For this, this,
Again, open the Run dialog box by pressing Win+R in combination.
In the box that appears, type ‘cmd’ and then click OK.
When the command prompt window opens, type the following lines. Press Enter after each line:
net stop server
net start server
Type exit to close the Command Prompt window.
This should fix the problem.
2] Using Ultimate Windows Tweaker
Our freeware Ultimate Windows Tweaker lets you remove administrative shares from Windows in one click.
Simply launch the utility, and go to Security & Privacy > Security Settings. Here, you can Disable Administrative Shares by checking the box beside it under Primary Functioning.
I hope this helps!
Also read: Your organization’s security policies block unauthenticated guest access
Should I disable administrative shares?
Administrative shares are created automatically on Windows Servers. They are shared by default for administrators, programs, and services to use and work better. It is your personal choice to disable or not. If the server is used to host important files, they pose a security threat as they can be accessed by anyone on the network. In such a case, you should disable administrative shares.
Related read: How to remove Roles and Features in Windows Server.
