How to Lock USB Ports on a Computer?

Anjana Pal November 4, 2023

0 146 5 minutes read

If you have a Windows PC or desktop, you must know that the Windows series has the most convenient and best way to lock USB ports on a computer, laptop or desktop. However, many people overlook its capabilities, thinking that it only works with third-party software or antivirus software or that it cannot block system USB ports.

If there are a lot of people using your computer (like a shared system at work), people can easily connect their USB drives to your system. This USB drive may contain infected files or malware that could infect your computer. Not only that, but someone can quickly steal unauthorized data from a USB drive. Blocking USB ports on one computer can be done quickly using the BIOS, or hardware level, but the situation can become more complicated when system administrators need to block USB ports on hundreds or thousands of computers.

In this step-by-step article, we’ll look at six easy ways to block USB ports. You can use the following methods to disable USB ports on Windows 7, 10, Windows 111 and other systems: We’ll also show you how to block your computer’s USB network ports.

Why Do Need USB Port or Drive?

As you know, often we need to share a laptop or computer with other people or friends. A person’s USB drive or external drive can also be infected with viruses. This person can inject these malicious files into the system, which may damage your system and data. In addition, anyone can steal important documents through a flash drive or external drive.

Protect sensitive data from viruses and unauthorized personnel. Regular use of USB drives or other portable devices on a network may result in data theft or malware. Organizations often scan USB drives for threats where one USB device can cause an entire network to crash.

Employees know the company information well and understand the system well. Without proper management, data theft can be as simple as transferring data to a large storage device, such as a USB drive. Unsuspecting employees can use this data to introduce viruses into the system or even steal confidential information.

How to Lock or Unlock USB Ports or Drives in Windows

If the PC is shared by many people, such as on a shared computer, it may be safer if the USB drive can be easily plugged in at any time. Whether the owner of a USB drive knows it or not, their device may contain malware that can infect their computer. You can now disable USB ports using this article.

#1: Unlock or Lock the USB Drive Using the Registry

If you want to try using Registry Editor to lock your USB drive, type “Registry Editor” into the search box (though you may want to read our guide on how to back up Registry Editor first). When Registry Editor appears, open it or use the following instructions to open Registry Editor:

Enter the Windows key + R to start the Run window.
Type the regedit in the Run box and click on Enter.
Navigate to following directory in the Registry Editor:

Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\USBSTOR

In the right pane, double-click Start to open the Edit DWORD (32-bit) window.
These default values will be set to “3”. To disable the USB drive, change the data value to “4” and click “OK”.

#2: Disable USB Drive Using Registry

Now when you connect the USB drive to your computer, it doesn’t show up anywhere, and Device Manager shows an error while installing the device driver. To open the USB port later, change the “boot” value to 3 and click “OK”.

#3: With Device Manager, Disable or Enable USB Ports

By securing your USB storage drivers, you can protect your system from intruders at school, work, etc. Uninstall and disable this driver. When someone tries to connect a USB, Windows asks to install a USB driver but fails to install it. Once these settings are restored, you can reinstall the driver (USB device detected).

Select the Windows key + R button to open the Run window.
Type the command devmgmt.msc and press Enter.
When Device Manager opens, locate the Universal Serial Bus Controller and select USB Mass Storage Device.
Right-click the USB storage device and select Unmount Device.
Now click “Yes” to disconnect the USB storage device.

Use the Group Policy Editor to Block the USB Drive

If you have important or sensitive data stored on your computer or laptop, limiting read/write access to removable storage devices can also prevent users from copying certain information or protect your system from malware from external drives. This is because it improves system security.

To disable a USB drive using Group Policy Editor, open Run.
Select the Windows Key + R to open the Run window.
Click the gpedit.msc file in the Run box and hit OK.
Once the Group Policy Editor is started or open, navigate to the below path:

Computer Configuration Structure > Administrative Templates > System > Removable Storage Access

Once access to removable storage is expanded, you will see several options in the right pane. Look for options labeled “Removable Disk: Executing Access Denied.” “Removable Disk: Read Access Denied” and “Removable Disk: Write Access Denied.”
Click each one to configure. Click one, and a new page will appear with the name you selected. On the left, there are three options: “Not configured”, “On,” and “Off.”
Click Enable to disable it. If you change your mind and want to go back, select Not Configured or Off.
Now open the Run window and run the gpupdate command to update the group policy or restart your computer. All of the above commands can block USB ports.

A Direct Solution to Lock USB Ports on a Computer on Windows 11, 10, 8, 7

The safest and most reliable way to disable a USB port is to use third-party software. There are many tools available to block USB ports. This software identifies and blocks all unknown USB devices and allows trusted devices to connect to your system.

FreeViewer USB Port Blocker Tool is very powerful and effective, as it can restrict access to USB ports or unblock an unlimited number of USB ports on various computers, laptops, etc. You need to download and install the free USB Port Blocker to disable and enable the software on each computer or laptop, or turn it off. enable ports as needed.

This tool is easy to run on almost all versions of the Windows operating system. You can lock or unlock a USB drive on various versions of Windows operating systems, including Windows 11, 10, 8, 7 and all other versions of Windows. If you want to recover data from a corrupted pen drive easily,

Just Few Steps to Lock all USB Ports and Drive

Download the software and register with a valid email address.

Enter your master password and confirm your password.

Then click the “Block” button to block the USB.

To lock the USB, enter the administrator password and master password.

Ending Line to the blog

We hope you now know how to enable or disable the USB port on your Windows 11, 10, 8 or 7 device. We hope the above methods will help you overcome your concerns. If you know of any other tips, let us know in the comments below.