How To: Disable / Restrict Use Of USB Storage Devices In Windows Vista
This Windows Vista Tweak can be use in preventing anonymous users from copying data from the computer or preventing them in plugging usb storage devices such as flash disk and usb hard disk.However, disabling USB ports totally from system BIOS also shutdown the ability for system to use USB based keyboard, mouse, webcam, printer, scanner and etc, which has become a common connectivity norm in modern computer.There is a simple registry change that will keep the USB storage drivers from starting when the system boots. Keeps people from walking up to a PC and copying data off with a USB key, but allows you to keep your scanner, keyboard, and mouse working.
To disable writing to USB Drives in Windows Vista, follow these steps below
- Click on Windows Vista Start, and then click Run.
- In the Open box, type regedit, and then click OK.
- Locate, and then click the following registry key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\Current Control Set\Control\StorageDevicePolicies
- Create DWORD value WriteProtect and set its value to 1
- Quit Registry Editor.
To disable the access to USB ports in Windows Vista follow the steps below
- Click on Windows Vista Start, and then click Run.
- In the Open box, type regedit, and then click OK.
- Locate, and then click the following registry key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\UsbStor
- In the right pane, double-click Start.
- In the Value data box, type 4, click Hexadecimal (if it is not already selected), and then click OK.
- Quit Registry Editor.
To re-enable a disabled USB ports in Windows Vista, follow these steps below
- Click on Windows Vista Start, and then click Run.
- In the Open box, type regedit, and then click OK.
- Locate, and then click the following registry key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\UsbStor
- In the right pane, double-click Start.
- In the Value data box, type 3, click Hexadecimal (if it is not already selected), and then click OK.
- Quit Registry Editor.
Alternate Method:
Download, extract, and double-click on DisableUSBPort.reg and DisableWriteToUSB.reg registry files to merge the registry values into the Windows registry. You can use the included EnableUSBPort.reg file to rollback the changes.
Important:As most of you know this a Microsoft suggestion, which does work perfectly at disabling previously installed devices, however, this alone will not disable USB storage completely. If a user plugs a new USB storage device into the Windows Vista computer the device will install and the dword value will be reset to 3. Now if you incorporate adding this into a script it alone will disable USB drives, but only after a user plugs a device in, removes it without uninstalling it, logs off then logs back on, thereby running the script. This means that there is a window of opportunity for users to have access to new devices, this may be acceptable for some, but not for others.
Note: This tweak can be applied to all Windows Vista versions and Windows Xp Service Pack 2.
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Written by Tony on January 28th, 2009 with
1 comment.
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#1. February 1st, 2009, at 12:39 AM.
thanks for this help.
i have 105% satisfied with full information provided by you.
thanks a lot
good day.