Prevent Windows from participating in Browser Elections
Set
HKLM\System\ControlSet001\Services\Browser\Parameter\MaintainServerList
To “No”
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Microsoft Technet Article on the Browser Service and Browser Elections
Browser Elections are the way the computers on a non-Active Directory network elect who keeps a record of all computers and Windows network services. This is important is networks where you have mixed Active-Directory (AD) and (or all) non-AD computers so that they know about each other and know which services (such as file or print sharing) are available.
In the environment in which I work, Telecom servers are not always added as a computer within the AD domain and thus should not participate in browser elections for advertising network services. When Telecom servers are added to an AD domain, browser elections are not needed since advertisement of network services is handled by one of the domain controllers (or other computer running one of the various active directory controllers.)
Either way, participating in Browser Elections can cause the Telecom servers I work on to operate incorrectly, at least from what I’ve been told.
This should not be disabled on home networks unless you have no intention of sharing files/printers/etc within your network.
What does this really mean? Is it something everyone should do?