HOW TO: Prevent Network Share Shortcuts from Being Added to My Network Places

When you open a file that is located on a file server share, a shortcut to the server share is automatically added to My Network Places. This article describes how to disable this functionality. When you open a file (or a Microsoft FrontPage web) from a Universal Naming Convention (UNC) share, a shortcut to the share is placed in My Network Places.

To disable this functionality, you must change the local system policy or network policy to prevent servers from being added to My Network Places.

Applying the Policy

On a computer that is not part of a domain and does not have a domain policy applied against it:

1. Click Start, click Run, type mmc.exe, and then click OK.
2. In Microsoft Management Console (MMC) click Add/Remove Snap-in on the Console menu.
3. Click Add.
4. Click Group Policy, and then click Add.
5. Accept the default (which is Local Computer), and then click Finish.
6. Click Close, and then click OK.
7. Under Local Computer Policy, expand the User Configuration entry.
8. Expand the Administrative Templates entry.
9. Expand the Desktop entry.
10. Right-click Do not add shares of recently opened documents to My Network Places, and then click Properties.
11. Click Enabled, and then click OK.

To change this setting on a network policy, you must edit the policy file that is associated with the domain or organizational unit (OU) to make the same changes.

This policy has three possible settings:

Clearing Existing Shortcuts from My Network Places

1. Click Start, point to Settings, and then click Taskbar & Start Menu.
2. Click the Advanced tab.
3. Click Clear to remove records of recently used documents, programs, and Web sites.
4. Click OK.