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How to disable USB ports on a laptop. How to easily disable USB ports with one click

Sometimes it becomes necessary to disable USB ports on a computer or laptop in order to limit access to connect flash drives, hard drives and other USB devices. Disabling USB ports will help prevent the connection of any drives that could be used to steal important information or cause a virus to infect your computer and spread malware across the 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. Using Microsoft Fix It 50061
  6. Using additional programs
  7. Physically disconnecting 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 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 the USB controller driver is installed. If a driver has not been installed for security reasons, the Start setting may be automatically reset to 3 when the user connects the USB drive and Windows installs the driver.

3. Disable USB ports in Device Manager

  1. Right-click on the " Computer" and select the "Properties" item in the context menu. 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 the ports, you can simply uninstall the USB controller driver. 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 scope 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 noted that this method is 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

While physically unplugging USB ports on a motherboard is nearly impossible, you can unplug ports on the front or top of your computer by unplugging the cable that goes to the motherboard. This method will not completely block access to USB ports, but will reduce the likelihood of using drives by 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 versions of Windows, it is possible to restrict access to removable storage devices (including USB drives) using the Local Group Policy Editor.

  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 “Removable drives: Deny read” option.
  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.

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

The simple and free computer program USB Ports Disabler does not do anything special - it only allows you, 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. In this 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 the USB wireless mouse adapter continue to be detected and work - great.

So, launch USB Ports Disabler and click on the button that says “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.

For the computer to see the light and be able to detect external storage media again, 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 the 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 on all Windows operating systems (XP, Vista, 7, 8, 10 (32\64-bit)).

To new useful and interesting computer programs.

Modern PCs are very productive, they are capable of processing hundreds of tasks per second. If you connect a third-party device to it, the performance will increase significantly. This could be a scanner or printer, smartphone or webcam. All this makes the computer a unique tool.

The user needs non-working USB ports to prevent strangers from stealing important information from the PC. This is a kind of privacy policy. A person will not be able to connect a flash drive or hard drive with a USB connector in order to copy important data. But it is important to ensure that the keyboard and mouse connectors remain functional. One of the simplest solutions is to disable USB ports through the registry on Windows 10. The main advantage of this method is that you do not need to download different software, thereby cluttering your PC

So let's get started. Press the Win + R key combination. In the command line, write regedit and press Enter.

A register appeared in front of us. In its left part we find the *HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE* section and double-click on it. There is a *SYSTEM* folder in which the *CurrentControlSe* subsection is hidden. Next, we find * Services * and in it we look for *USBSTOR*. On the right side of the registry, find the *Start* value and click on it. The *Change DWORD Parameter* window will open in front of you. To disable ports, select 4 instead of 3 in the *Values* field.

3 — enable USB ports, 4 — disable. Now we reboot the PC and find that the USB ports are disabled.

Everything is very simple here. Right-click on *My Computer* and select Properties.

In the window that opens, select the *Device Manager* section.

Before us is a tree of all the devices on our PC. Find and select *USB Controllers*. We selected this section and, using RMB, disable all the necessary ports.

It is worth noting that this method is not always efficient. There have been cases when 2 out of 4 ports or one were disabled.

Using third party programs

You can set a ban on USB ports in the simplest way - through programs. One of these is USB Ports Disabler. This is a free program that disables all ports on your PC. The utility has a very simple and minimalistic interface. The program is free. USB Ports Disabler detects and disables USBSTOR, which we saw in the registry. Thus, reading data from a USB drive will be impossible.

Download USB Ports Disabler— http://www.softportal.com/software-42029-usb-ports-disabler.html

Another utility worthy of attention. First of all, USB Manager is compatible with all versions of Windows. The program itself is lightweight, and installation will not raise any questions. The utility is completely multilingual, there will be no difficulties with the language. USB Manager disables/enables all USB ports on your PC in one click.

Download USB Manager— http://www.softportal.com/get-39722-usb-manager.html

It is worth remembering that the main malicious files enter the system through USB drives, so by disabling the read ports, you will thereby protect yourself from headaches. You can select a specific connector that you would like to disable, this could be a connector for a printer or scanner. The program itself works quickly, clearly and correctly. The software is updated very often; by the way, the latest version has an updated shutdown system for the user.

In many companies and organizations, the ban on the use of USB drives is one of the primary tasks that is set for the enterprise system administrator, the reason for this is two troubles - the removal of information (secret documents, etc.) and the introduction of it: viruses, games, etc. At first glance, the problem can be solved simply - disable USB ports through the BIOS, but this will also affect other USB devices - a mouse, keyboard, printer or phone charger.

So, you need to programmatically prohibit the use of flash drives without affecting useful USB devices. There are several solution options, let's look at them in more detail:

Disable USB Windows 7, 8, Vista

Starting with Windows Vista in local group policies ( gpedit.msc) a very useful bush has appeared, located in Politics “Local Computer” > Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > System > Access to Removable Storage Devices . It allows you to flexibly configure read, write and execute bans on various classes of removable devices.


Disable USB Windows XP

To disable USB removable storage devices in Windows XP, you need to tweak the registry a little and adjust the access rights to the driver files:

    1. Disable USBSTOR service (regedit.exe)

“Start”=dword:00000004

  1. Set the SYSTEM account permission to “Deny” for the following files:
    • %SystemRoot%\Inf\Usbstor.pnf
    • %SystemRoot%\Inf\Usbstor.inf

It is described in more detail here, the original source is http://support.microsoft.com/kb/823732

Create a file with the extension – .bat and copy one of the code options
Body files to automate shutdown:

on-USB.bat

Rem 1) ACL cacls %SystemRoot%\inf\usbstor.inf /e /p "NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM":F cacls %SystemRoot%\inf\usbstor.PNF /e /p "NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM":F rem 2 ) Registry reg add HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\USBSTOR /v Start /t REG_DWORD /d 00000003 /f

off-USB.bat

Rem ACL cacls %SystemRoot%\inf\usbstor.inf /e /p "NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM":N cacls %SystemRoot%\inf\usbstor.PNF /e /p "NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM":N rem registry reg add HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\USBSTOR /v Start /t REG_DWORD /d 00000004 /f

Banning USB through group policies in Windows server 2003

By default, Group Policies in Windows server 2003 do not provide an easy way to disable removable media devices such as USB ports, CD-ROM drives, and Floppy drives. Despite this, Group Policies can be extended to use the appropriate settings using an ADM template.

The ADM template below will allow the administrator to disable the corresponding device. Import this administrative template into Group Policy as an .adm file.
In C:\WINDOWS\inf we create a file nodev.adm with the contents:

CLASS MACHINE CATEGORY !!category CATEGORY !!categoryname POLICY !!policynameusb KEYNAME "SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\USBSTOR" EXPLAIN !!explaintextusb PART !!labeltextusb DROPDOWNLIST REQUIRED VALUENAME "Start" ITEMLIST NAME !!Disabled VALUE NUMERIC 3 DEFAULT N AME!! Enabled VALUE NUMERIC 4 END ITEMLIST END PART END POLICY POLICY !!policynamecd KEYNAME "SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Cdrom" EXPLAIN !!explaintextcd PART !!labeltextcd DROPDOWNLIST REQUIRED VALUENAME "Start" ITEMLIST NAME !!Disabled VALUE NUMERIC 1 DEFAULT NAME!! Enabled VALUE NUMERIC 4 END ITEMLIST END PART END POLICY POLICY !!policynameflpy KEYNAME "SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Flpydisk" EXPLAIN !!explaintextflpy PART !!labeltextflpy DROPDOWNLIST REQUIRED VALUENAME "Start" ITEMLIST NAME !!Disabled VALUE NUMER IC 3 DEFAULT NAME!! Enabled VALUE NUMERIC 4 END ITEMLIST END PART END POLICY POLICY !!policynamels120 KEYNAME "SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Sfloppy" EXPLAIN !!explaintextls120 PART !!labeltextls120 DROPDOWNLIST REQUIRED VALUENAME "Start" ITEMLIST NAME !!Disabled V ALUE NUMERIC 3 DEFAULT NAME!! Enabled VALUE NUMERIC 4 END ITEMLIST END PART END POLICY END CATEGORY END CATEGORY category="Custom Policy Settings" categoryname="Restrict Drives" policynameusb="Disable USB" policynamecd="Disable CD-ROM" policynameflpy="Disable Floppy" policynamels120=" Disable High Capacity Floppy" explaintextusb="Disables the computers USB ports by disabling the usbstor.sys driver" explaintextcd="Disables the computers CD-ROM Drive by disabling the cdrom.sys driver" explaintextflpy="Disables the computers Floppy Drive by disabling the flpydisk.sys driver" explaintextls120="Disables the computers High Capacity Floppy Drive by disabling the sfloppy.sys driver" labeltextusb="Disable USB Ports" labeltextcd="Disable CD-ROM Drive" labeltextflpy="Disable Floppy Drive" labeltextls120="Disable High Capacity Floppy Drive" Enabled="Enabled" Disabled="Disabled"

IMPORTANT! If the added policies are not displayed in the Group Policy Editor, do the following:
1. In the right part of the policy editor window, right-click, go to the View menu item and click Filtering...
2. Uncheck “Show only managed policy settings”
3. Click OK
After this, the added policies will be displayed on the right side of the Group Policy Editor window.

Banning USB through group policies in Windows server 2008

A ready-made group policy for banning drives has appeared in server operating systems starting with Windows server 2008. You can configure them on the controller via the gpmc.msc snap-in, located in the same path (Policy > Computer configuration > Policies > Administrative Templates > System > Removable storage access) . It works flawlessly, but can only be used on Windows Vista, 7 and 8 operating systems.

The situation with Windows XP is somewhat more complicated; despite Microsoft's statements about ending support for XP in the spring of 2014, it still occupies a large part of the operating systems used in the corporate sector. It doesn’t matter, we’ll set it up like the local one, but only through the GPO. We launch gpmc.msc, create a GPO and start editing it.


USB ports can be disabled without using third-party programs. Using Windows tools, you can disable all USB ports at once, or those that need to be turned off at the moment.

The theft of confidential information from users' computers is currently extremely important. To prevent data leakage, you may need to disable USB ports. Very often we have to connect various external storage devices to the PC, in particular via USB ports. These external devices may contain malicious code, which actually causes confidential data to leak into the hands of malicious users. Today we will tell you how you can teach your computer to quickly disconnect USB ports without resorting to installing and using third-party programs.

To implement our plans, we will need to make some changes to the Windows registry. To do this, first we need to open it, to do this, in the Windows search bar (in Windows XP-7 the search bar is located in the Start menu, in Windows 8 in the panel, as shown in the figure below), you need to enter the command regedit, press the key “Enter” and select the registry editor regedit.exe from the search results.

In the registry editor window that opens on your screen, to start disabling USB ports, go to the “UsbStor” registry key, opening the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services sections in sequence. Find the “Start” parameter in the final section, left-click on it and select “Change” in the context menu, and change its value from “3” to “4”, where “3” is the default value of the parameter.

After changes have been made to the registry, a flash drive connected to the computer via a USB port will still be detected by the system, but will not automatically connect to it. In other words, it will be impossible to write data from the flash drive or run any programs from it. If you need to return the USB port settings to their original ones, all you need to do is change the value of the “Start” parameter to the previous one, that is, “3”. In this case, you do not need to restart your computer for the changes you made to take effect.

Disabling certain USB ports

There are times when it is not possible to disable all USB ports on the system at once and you only need to disable some of the USB ports. In this case, you can use another method.

Launch “Device Manager” on your computer, then find it and go to the “USB Controllers” line. By the way, to open “Device Manager” just press the key combination “Win” + “Pause” and in the window that opens, click on the corresponding link on the left side.

Now in the newly opened “Properties” window USB ports” Go to the “Drivers” tab and click on the “Disable” button in it. All is ready!

We hope that you have found the answer to your question - “how to disable USB ports” and now, depending on the situation, you will be able to disable them all at once, or only those that you consider necessary.