How to Disable&Enable USB Device On Windows

by Marino-Pc on July 18, 2016 in OPERATING TRICKS

If you’re comfortable working with Regedit, the key you want to go to is HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentContro>Set\Services\USBSTOR. The value inside that key is Start. To disable USB storage, change Start’s data to 4. To enable it again, change the data to 3.
But let me give you an easier way to change it. Copy and paste the code below into Notepad:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\USBSTOR]”Start”=dword:00000004



[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\USBSTOR\Enum]”Count”=dword:00000000”NextInstance”=dword:00000000
 
The result should look like this:



 
REG icon on left, TXT icon on right



Now save the file, in a convenient location, and name it disableusb.reg. Make sure it’s saved as a REG file, not a TXT file. You can tell by the icon.


Now repeat the process, with these two variations:



Before you save the file, go to the line that reads ”Start”=dword:00000004, and change the 4 to a 3.
Save the file as enableusb.reg.

Launching disableusb.reg and confirming the change will—you guessed 
it—disable USB-connected storage. Note, however, that it won’t affect 
storage already plugged in, but it will block any external drive that is
 plugged in after you make the change. Launching enableusb.reg will, of 
course, re-enable it.


How can you keep other people from launching enableusb.reg? You need 
to have an administrator-level account to change the Registry. Assuming 
that only you have an administrator account, and that you haven’t shared
 the password, only you will be able to make these changes.