• Disable USB ports. How to disable USB ports. Complete Guide

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    friend March 12, 2013 at 2:37 pm

    Quickly and easily disable USB ports on Win7 part 2

    In the previous article, I wrote how an inexperienced user can disable USB ports using group policies. However, I forgot that different versions OS Windows 7 contains various features.
    Please note that I am not talking about installing an additional free software, because I know from experience that closing a hole with free software risks opening five more. I suggest using the built-in OS functions.

    I know from experience that in order to save money, small companies install such versions of “Home Basic” or “Home Premium” on their staff’s machines (well, they only install this if the company is trying to work legally and does not want a fine for illegal software. And those companies that are not afraid of inspections then install All pirated software and do not suffer))).
    And on the “Home Basic” and “Home Premium” versions there are no accessories inherent to their older brothers. And closing ports using group policies will not work. Therefore, we need to block access directly to the executive files that initiate the initialization of devices connected to USB ports.

    Let's say that there are 3 users on the machine, “Operator”, “Manager” and “Administrator” in the Administrators and Users groups
    It is necessary to make sure that the flash drive can only be used by a user under the “Administrator” account.

    Turn on the computer, log in as an administrator, open Explorer and write "%SystemRoot%\inf\"(hereinafter in the text copy without quotes).

    Next in the search we write “USB”

    Will output approximately 18 elements. (depends on what system is installed, OS version, installed additional drivers for USB)
    We essentially only need 8 files.
    usb.inf
    usbstor.inf
    usbport.inf
    winusb.inf
    usb.PNF
    usbstor.PNF
    usbport.PNF
    winusb.PNF

    Then we need to block access to these files to other users. Right click on the file "usbstor.inf" -> "properties"

    Go to the tab "safety", and press the button "change"

    Then we select the users we need to disable. For us these are “Operator”, “Manager” and “System”. If we need to disable all accounts that belong to the “Users” group (these are “Operator” and “Manager”), then we simply ban the group. If only a specific one, let’s say “Operator”, then select this particular account.

    Attention account“System” also needs to set a ban on using the file.
    Then we set a ban on use, switch to another user and also set bans. When the required users are disabled (for me it is only “system” and “users”)

    click the “Ok” button

    There will be a warning that this will lead to the fact that access to the file will be unavailable and all that (if you want, you can read it), click the “Ok” button again.
    Again we read the message about whether we really want to do this (you can read it if you wish), and press the “Ok” button again.

    And we repeat this procedure for the next 7 files.
    usb.inf
    usbport.inf
    winusb.inf
    usb.PNF
    usbstor.PNF
    usbport.PNF
    winusb.PNF

    If this is only an installed OS, then everything is in order and, in theory, access to the flash drive will not be available to selected users. However, if flash drives were already connected to this system by those users who needed to disable access to flash drives, then you will need to change the key in the registry.

    Click start -> write regedit -> open the registry

    Open the folder “USBSTOR”
    and change the value of the “Start” parameter to 4

    Tags: disable, USB ports, flash drive

    I already told you how disable touchpad or webcam on a laptop, keyboard and mouse... today we will talk about how to disable usb ports on any computer. This can protect your data from theft or prevent your computer from being infected using a flash drive.

    Easily and simply disable USB ports

    Simple and free computer program USB Ports Disabler does not do anything special - it only allows, without delving into the jungle of the operating system, to disable and enable the USBSTOR service, which is responsible for the operation of all USB ports on the computer, with one click of the mouse.

    When this service is deactivated, the system stops seeing them - this is convenient to use for security purposes. So in a simple way we will close the loophole for introducing viruses into a computer using external media and at the same time prevent the possibility of stealing (copying) our data from it.

    What I liked most about this program is that it disables USB ports only for external storage media (flash drives, disks, third-party drives...), and things such as a USB adapter wireless mouse, continues to define itself and work - great.

    So, launch USB Ports Disabler and click on the button labeled “Disable USB”...

    ...we agree to disable the USB ports (if I were the author of the program, I would remove the second window - why is this intermediate confirmation?) ...



    That's it - the ports are disabled. The manufacturer recommends rebooting the system, but this is not necessary, as I have seen. If, when you disconnected the ports, you had a flash drive sticking out in one of them, then you are not surprised that it continues to be detected - remove it from the port and try to connect it again... that’s all, the computer no longer sees it.

    So that the computer can see the light again and be able to determine external media information, just click on the second button in the main program window - “Enable USB”.

    I don’t recommend clicking the rightmost button with the inscription “Hide IP Address” - you will be redirected to the browser, to the page of some VPN service. Apparently the author earns money this way—let’s not blame him for that. There are others to hide the IP address free and reliable methods.

    Download USB Ports Disabler

    On official page USB Ports Disabler program You will find two buttons with links to download the regular and portable version...

    They weigh a little more than 1 MB each. The program works wonderfully in all operating rooms Windows systems(XP, Vista, 7, 8, 10 (32\64-bit)).

    To new useful and interesting computer programs.

    Very often on flash drives and external hard disks may contain malware. This problem is especially relevant in cases where you have to deal with many strangers(customers, for example). In today's article we will talk about how to manage USB ports, blocking and unlocking them if necessary.

    People often ask: “Is there any program with which I can restrict access to the USB ports of my laptop for “unnecessary” people?”

    We answer: “Yes, there is such a program and it’s called Microsoft Windows! In fact, everything is not so complicated, because you can control whether USB ports are enabled or disabled by editing the registry. And, of course, since only the administrator can correct the registry, “guests” will not be able to activate disabled ports without your permission.

    Before we tell you a specific recipe, let us remind you that manipulation Windows registry- an important change. If your computer or laptop breaks down, we recommend that you seek repairs at srochnyi-remont.ru. The company’s specialists will advise and help quickly resolve the problem.

    Blocking and Unblocking USB Ports

    If you often work in the registry, then the necessary key is located at: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\USBSTOR. Find the key called Start and change the value to 4 if you want to disable USB support. Do you want to turn it back on? Then install 3 again.

    Want to make it easier? Then just open empty file Notepad and paste the following contents there:

    Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00


    ”Start”=dword:00000004


    ”Count”=dword:00000000
    ”NextInstance”=dword:00000000

    It will look something like this:

    Now save this file by selecting the type " All files" and specifying a clear name, for example, "USB-Off.reg". You have a “switch” ready and all you have to do is make an antagonist for it.

    To do this, repeat everything from the beginning, but in the line

    ”Start”=dword:00000004

    replace 4 on 3 . And then save the file, but under the opposite name, for example, “USB-On.reg”.

    Now, by running the first file, you will disable the USB ports, and using the second one, you will resume their functioning.

    It is recommended to disable USB ports as a precaution, namely when connecting flash drives, external drives or other USB devices in order to infect the computer with all kinds of viruses or steal data. It is for these reasons that many IT workers in offices and companies block access to them. Without bothering with any programs for these purposes or other settings, they simply disconnect it from the motherboard.

    Below I will give some examples with descriptions, how to disable USB ports on a computer.

    Disable USB in Bios

    We go into Bios, to do this, when turning on or restarting the PC, press the Delete key on the keyboard. Go to the Advanced section BIOS features), where we are interested in the next option Legacy USB Support. By default, it has the Enabled position, change it to Disabled.

    Save the changed values ​​by pressing the F10 hotkey and exit.

    Via the registry

    Using +R, open the Run window and enter the Windows command “regedit” (without quotes). In the editor we go along the branch

    Microsoft Registry

    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\USBSTOR

    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\USBSTOR

    Find the DWORD parameter “Start” and change its value to “4”.

    We reboot by first clicking the “OK” button.

    PS: How to enable USB ports? Change the value back to "3".

    device Manager

    Open the “Start” menu, right-click on “Computer” and go to “Properties”. On the left side of the screen, click on the “Device Manager” link. In the displayed list, look for the “USB Controllers” item, open it and use the mouse to deactivate it.

    Going to "Properties".


    Then “Drivers” and then click the button shown in the screenshot below.

    Removing USB controller drivers

    An option that also has a place to be. Simply use a program, for example, CCleaner, to remove drivers from your computer. Downside is that when you restart the PC it will check for the presence of these and install them. Which will again open up access to the ports.

    Fix It utility

    You can download and at the same time find out how you can use it to deny access by following this link //support.microsoft.com/ru-ru/kb/823732.

    Using programs

    There are quite a lot of applications, it’s impossible to list them all, but I would like to use one. Its name is USB Ports Disabler. Download from the link. We launch and then everything is intuitive.

    First, click the button highlighted in the figure below

    Sometimes it becomes necessary to disable USB ports on a computer or laptop in order to limit access by connecting flash drives, hard drives and other USB devices. Disabling USB ports will help prevent the connection of any drives that could be used for theft important information or cause your computer to become infected with a virus and spread harmful software over local network.

    Restricting access to USB ports

    Let's consider 7 ways, with which you can block USB ports:

    1. Disabling USB through BIOS settings
    2. Changing registry settings for USB devices
    3. Disabling USB ports in Device Manager
    4. Uninstalling USB controller drivers
    5. Usage Microsoft Fix It 50061
    6. Using additional programs
    7. Physical disabling USB ports

    1. Disabling USB ports through BIOS settings

    1. Enter BIOS settings.
    2. Disable all items related to the USB controller (for example, USB Controller or Legacy USB Support).
    3. After you have made these changes, you need to save the settings and exit the BIOS. This is usually done using the key F10.
    4. Restart your computer and make sure the USB ports are disabled.

    2. Enable and Disable USB Drives Using Registry Editor

    If disabling via BIOS does not suit you, you can block access directly in the Windows OS itself using the registry.

    The instructions below allow you to block access to various USB drives (for example flash drives), but other devices such as keyboards, mice, printers, scanners will still work.

    1. Open the Start menu -> Run, enter the command " regedit" and click OK to open the Registry Editor.
    2. Continue to next section

      HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\USBSTOR

    3. On the right side of the window, find the item “ Start” and double-click on it to edit. Enter the value " 4 » to block access to USB storage devices. Accordingly, if you enter the value again “ 3 ", access will be reopened.

    Click OK, close Registry Editor, and restart your computer.

    The above method only works when installed driver USB controller. If for security reasons the driver has not been installed, the "Start" parameter value may be automatically reset to "3" when the user connects USB drive and Windows will install the driver.

    3. Disable USB ports in Device Manager

    1. Right-click on the " Computer» and select in context menu"Properties" item. A window will open on the left side of which you need to click on the link “ device Manager».
    2. In the device manager tree, find the item " USB controllers" and open it.
    3. Disable controllers by right-clicking and selecting the "Disable" menu item.

    This method doesn't always work. In the example shown in the figure above, disabling the controllers (the first 2 points) did not lead to the desired result. Disabling the 3rd option (USB Mass Storage Device) worked, but this only allows you to disable a single instance of the USB storage device.

    4. Removing USB controller drivers

    Alternatively, to disable ports, you can simply uninstall USB driver controller. But the disadvantage of this method is that when the user connects a USB drive, Windows will check for drivers and, if they are missing, will offer to install the driver. This in turn will allow access to the USB device.

    5. Prevent users from connecting USB storage devices using a Microsoft application

    Another way to deny access to USB drives is to use Microsoft Fix It 50061(http://support.microsoft.com/kb/823732/ru - the link may open near the mituta). The essence of this method is that 2 conditions for solving the problem are considered:

    • The USB drive has not yet been installed on the computer
    • The USB device is already connected to the computer

    Within the framework of this article, we will not consider this method in detail, especially since you can study it in detail on the Microsoft website using the link given above.

    It should also be taken into account that this method Not suitable for all versions of Windows OS.

    6. Using programs to disable/enable access to USB storage devices

    There are many programs for setting a ban on access to USB ports. Let's consider one of them - the program USB Drive Disabler.

    The program has a simple set of settings that allow you to deny/allow access to certain drives. USB Drive Disabler also allows you to configure alerts and access levels.

    7. Disconnecting USB from the motherboard

    Although physical shutdown USB ports on motherboard is an almost impossible task, you can disable the ports located on the front or top of the computer case by disconnecting the cable going to the motherboard. This method will not completely block access to USB ports, but will reduce the likelihood of using drives inexperienced users and those who are simply too lazy to connect devices to the back of the system unit.

    ! Addition

    Denying access to removable media through the Group Policy Editor

    In modern Windows versions it is possible to restrict access to removable storage devices (including USB drives) using the local editor group policy.

    1. Run gpedit.msc through the Run window (Win + R).
    2. Go to the next branch " Computer Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> System -> Access to Removable Storage Devices»
    3. On the right side of the screen, find the item " Removable drives: Deny reading."
    4. Activate this option ("Enable" position).

    This section of Local Group Policy allows you to configure read, write, and execute access for different classes of removable media.

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