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Disable usb ports in windows 7. Enable USB ports on a laptop. Enable and Disable USB Drives Using Registry Editor

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 storage devices that could be used to steal important information or cause a virus to infect your computer and spread malware. 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. 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 installed driver USB controller. 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. Click right click mouse 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 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 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 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 system unit.

! Addition

Denying access to removable media through the Group Policy Editor

IN modern versions Windows has the ability 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 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 removable media.

Of all those found, not long search None of the methods worked in my case :)

Even the option to limit rights for users in the registry did not produce results (even removing rights for the system and administrator - i.e., all rights completely for everyone - did not help).

As a result, I combined my version (assembling two different ones).

In my case, an ordinary user does not have any privileges in the system (a dream!) and, of course, maximum functionality was required - i.e. use of certain (registered) media on individual PCs.

To do this, we use only two procedures (actions):

  1. We delete from the registry information about all used (registered in the registry) USB storage devices using any convenient method (to your taste).
    The fastest and easiest way for me was to use a simple utility. Then we delete the files from the system %Windows%\inf\Usbstor.pnf And Usbstor.inf .
  2. In the future, if you need to add (register) a storage device, add the specified files to the system, then connect (reconnect) the USB drive and it is fully identified (registered) in the system. After registering in the system, we again delete the specified files, which again blocks any attempts to determine by the system new usb storage device.

In the case when rights in the OS are distributed and “normal” work is performed by the user with limited rights this method completely blocks the ability to connect to the OS not registered ( system administrator) "Flash drives".

Removing and adding Usbstor.pnf and Usbstor.inf files can be done using .bat files approximately as follows:

deletion

del /f /s /q C:\WINDOWS\inf\usbstor.inf C:\WINDOWS\inf\usbstor.PNF

restore (provided that the files are located next to the bat file)

xcopy ".\usbstor.inf" "C:\WINDOWS\inf\"
xcopy ".\usbstor.PNF" "C:\WINDOWS\inf\"

Attention! For Windows 7 and higher, all .bat files must be run as an administrator ("Run as administrator" in the context menu).

Below are other ways to restrict access to these devices (they didn’t work for me individually).

Computer Management->Device Manager->Universal Serial Bus Controllers->(Root USB hubs) -> "device application: [disabled]

For example, if the printer is connected to a hub, then it does not need to be disconnected.

note 1. Device Manager can be launched from the command line start devmgmt.msc.

note 2. An interesting feature of Device Manager is to run two commands from the console:

Set devmgr_show_nonpresent_devices=1
start devmgmt.msc

Then hidden devices will appear in Device Manager.

If USB is not required, disable USB controllers.

Prohibit use by everyone except those selected through “Computer Management -> Storage Devices -> Removable Storage -> Properties -> Security.

Flaw

There are some underwater rocks, for example, prohibiting use by the USER group. But the administrator can be a member of the USER group.

However, this is equivalent to changing the parameter
HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\USBSTOR "Start"
"Start"=dword:00000004 - disable;
"Start"=dword:00000003 - allow.

note. You can start the service from the command line
net start "Removable memory"

We go to the %Windows%\inf folder (the folder has the hidden attribute), there are two files in it - Usbstor.pnf and Usbstor.inf.

We deny access to these files except for the administrators group or a specific user.

Why ban USB completely when you can only ban recording?

HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\control\StorageDevicePolicies.

The WriteProtect parameter most likely does not exist. Then it needs to be created with type dword and assigned the value 1.

And don't forget to reboot your computer. To restore - assign the value 0.

So, step by step (of course, you need to have local administrator rights):

  1. Win+R (similar to Start -> Run), regedit.
  2. . This key stores information about all USB drives ever connected.
  3. We give ourselves full access to USBSTOR ( right key mouse -> Permissions, check the box Full access the group has EVERYTHING).
  4. We delete all contents of USBSTOR.
  5. We connect the approved flash drive and make sure that it has been identified. A key like Disk&Ven_JetFlash&Prod_TS4GJF185&Rev_8.07 should appear inside USBSTOR (F5 to update the list).
  6. Again RMB on USBSTOR, Permissions. We remove Full access from the ALL group, leaving the right to read.
  7. The same rights must be assigned to the SYSTEM user, but this cannot be done directly. First you need to click the Advanced button, uncheck the Inherit from parent object... checkbox, and in the Security window that appears, say Copy. After clicking OK again, the SYSTEM user rights will become available for change.
  8. To consolidate the effect, click the Advanced button again and check the Replace permissions for all child objects... Confirm execution.

What did we achieve in the end? An approved flash drive connects and disconnects without problems. If an unauthorized attempt is made Windows connections will detect the device, but will not be able to install it, cursing as follows:

Moreover, in USBSTOR it will be created new key, which will clearly indicate an attempt to connect an unapproved USB storage device.

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

Non-working USB ports are needed by the user so that strangers cannot steal from the PC important information. This is a kind of privacy policy. A person will not be able to connect a flash drive or hard drive with USB connector to copy important data. But it is important to ensure that the keyboard and mouse connectors remain functional. One of the most simple 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 combination Win keys+ R.B 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 by in a simple way- through programs. One of these is USB Ports Disabler. This free program, which 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 compatible with everyone Windows version. 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 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, in latest version updated shutdown system for the user.

The USB interface is used everywhere to connect equipment, transfer data and charge devices. But sometimes users have a question about how to disable USB on a computer in order to protect data from copying or prevent the system from becoming infected with viruses.

BIOS Settings

You can disable ports directly in the BIOS. To do this, you need to restart the computer and, when turning it on, press the F2 key until it boots basic system I/O Here you need to find items related to USB operation: For example, Legacy USB Support.

Deactivate the parameters by moving their value to the “Disabled” position. To save your changes, press F10 and then Y.

Windows Tools

Windows OS provides users with whole line USB port management tools. Let's consider several options for disabling all ports or only individual connectors.

If you can't figure out which BIOS settings need to be disabled, then use Device Manager to disable USB. Here you can disable both all connectors and individual ports.


You can turn off all ports or only some connectors to which flash drives or other external drives are connected. Alternatively, you can completely remove hardware drivers, but this method does not always work. When connecting the device USB system will detect that the required software is not available and will begin installing it independently.

If you are not afraid to work with the registry editor, then use it to deactivate all USB ports.


If you need to turn USB back on, go to the specified registry branch again through the editor and change the value of the “Start” parameter from “4” to “3”.

In some Windows versions(Ultimate, Professional) can be used to disable the editor group policies.


As you can see, this parameter is responsible specifically for prohibiting data recording. Simply put, the ports will work, but you won’t be able to write anything to external drives.

If Windows tools seem inconvenient to use, then use it for USB disconnection Ports Disabler program, which with one click disables the USBSTOR service, which is responsible for the operation of all USB ports on the computer. The program disables only ports intended for external drives (flash drives, hard drives), while the same adapter wireless mouse continues to work quietly.


After disabling the ports, none external storage will not be detected on the computer. If you need to turn the connectors back on, click the “Enable USB” button in the program.

Physical shutdown

To prevent the ports from working, you need to turn off their power. Those connectors that are located on the rear panel of the system unit will be difficult to disconnect from the motherboard.

If you need to turn off USB on the front panel of the system unit, it is easier to disconnect the wires.

This method does not completely block access to the USB interface, since the ports at the back will continue to work, but it will at least discourage users from inserting flash drives into the slots at the front, as a result of which the media often ends up broken due to careless handling.

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You can enable USB ports on a laptop through the BIOS, Device Manager, Registry Editor, or Group Policy Editor. If access to USB connectors was intentionally banned by special software, then you can unlock it in a program where the interface is blocked. All methods are available ordinary users and do not require special training.

Disabling unnecessary devices

If the USB ports suddenly stopped working and you are now looking for how to turn them on, then the first thing to do is see if the device is connected to the laptop too much. When using a USB hub, the laptop may not be able to supply power to all devices, causing the USB ports to become unresponsive. Before you do USB setup in the BIOS, disconnect unnecessary equipment from the laptop and check if the ports work. If nothing has changed, then reboot the laptop and go into the BIOS.

Enabling ports in BIOS

For BIOS input When loading, press Delete, F2 or another key depending on the model motherboard. You can view it on the start screen.

In the case of a laptop, this screen does not appear because the function is activated fast loading. You can temporarily disable this technology in the power settings:


Restart your computer. Without quick launch you will see all the stages Windows boot and you can get into the BIOS. If this doesn't work on Windows 8 or 10 with UEFI BIOS, try the following method:


After reboot, select "Diagnostics", then go to " Extra options" and open the UEFI Firmware Settings. Click "Restart", the next time you start it will appear BIOS interface UEFI.

To configure USB ports in UEFI, you need to go to the “Peripherals” tab and set the “Legacy USB Support” parameter to “Enabled”. If support for USB 3.0 ports is required, activate the corresponding item (USB 3.0 Support).

In the AMI BIOS, go to the “Integrated Peripherals” section and set the four options to “Enabled”:

  • USB EHCI Controller.
  • USB Mouse Support.
  • USB Keyboard Support.
  • Legacy USB Storage Detect.

In Phoenix AwardBIOS, you need to go to the “Advanced” tab and go to the “USB configuration” section. All parameters inside must be set to “Enabled” in order for USB ports worked.

In all BIOS versions, to save the configuration, you must press the F10 key and confirm the selection by writing “Y”.

Windows setup

If in BIOS ports enabled but connected via interface USB devices are not detected by the system, then check the Registry Editor, Device Manager and Group Policy Editor. It is possible that changes were made to the system through them, due to which the ports are no longer working. You should start with the Registry Editor.


If the registry editor supports USB interface is enabled, then check the controller drivers in Device Manager.


If you see an icon next to the controller that looks like exclamation point, and you are sure that the interface is supported in the registry editor, then this means that there are problems with the drivers. First try updating the software:


If updating the controller software does not help, update the motherboard driver. Download it from the manufacturer's website and install it manually. Another way to update the drivers of all controllers at once is to remove them from the system. Right-click on the controllers and select "Delete". After a reboot, the system will automatically install controller drivers, so you no longer have to worry about how to enable the USB ports - they will work just like that.

If only those connected via USB removable devices, then check in the Group Policy Editor to see if the read ban is set.


Find the option " Removable devices: Deny Reading" and set it to "Disable". Problem identifying flash drives and external drives must disappear.

Hardware damage to ports

If your laptop's USB ports are damaged or south bridge on the motherboard, then no methods will help enable the interface. Therefore, if the connectors stop working after mechanical impact or liquid getting inside the housing, short circuit or other negative factors, you should take the laptop to a service center for diagnostics.