Securing Your PC - Disabling IIS

Failing to secure Microsoft's IIS Web server can lead to security problems on your computer. IT Security urges users who don't need the service to turn it off.

Windows 2000
To disable IIS running on a Windows 2000 computer, follow the procedure listed below.

1. Select the Start button on the lower, left hand side of the screen.
2. From the menu that pops up, select the Settings submenu and select the Control Panel option. This will open the Control Panel window.
3. In the Control Panel window, double-click the Administrative Tools icon.
4. In the Administrative Tools window, double-click the Services icon.
5. In the Services window, scroll down and double-click the World Wide Web Publishing Service.
6. Change the Startup type option to Disabled.
7. Make the same Startup type changes to the following services:
   • FTP Publishing Service
   • IIS Admin Service
   • Indexing Service
   • Simple Mail Transport Protocol (SMTP)
8. Reboot the computer after making these changes.

Windows NT
To disable IIS running on a Windows NT computer, follow the procedure listed below.

1. Select the Start button on the lower, left hand side of the screen.
2. From the menu that pops up, select the Settings submenu and select the Control Panel option. This will open the Control Panel window.
3. In the Control Panel window, double-click the Services icon.
4. In the Services window, scroll down and double-click the World Wide Web Publishing Service.
5. Change the Startup type option to Disabled.
6. Make the same Startup type changes to the following services (if they exist):
   • FTP Publishing Service
   • IIS Admin Service
   • Indexing Service
   • Simple Mail Transport Protocol (SMTP)
7. Reboot the computer after making these changes.