In some situations, you may need disable portsusb, which suggests two questions: "how to do this?" and "why is this necessary?" Let's try first to deal with the second question, and then take a closer look at the procedure for disconnecting USB ports.

Why disable USB ports?

If no other person has access to your computer, then you most likely will not be interested in how you can disable the USB ports. Otherwise, the value of this kind of information will be undeniable, since it is related to security.

Any external device connected to a particular USB port may contain malicious code that can create leak conditions confidential information... Therefore, when using one PC by several people, including family members, who unknowingly can use the "left" flash drive and add "malware", you should take care of temporarily disconnecting the USB ports.

How do I disable USB ports on my computer?

There are several ways to accomplish this task. We will not consider all of them, but will focus on one, which involves the use of editing the registry. In particular, you will need to find the required object in the registry and change only one parameter. For this:

  1. Open the registry, which can be achieved by calling the Run window (Win + R), followed by entering the regedit command in the search bar and clicking on the OK button.
  2. Find the USBSTOR folder in the following path:
  • HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE;
  • SYSTEM;
  • CurrentControlSet;
  • services.
  1. Clicking on the USBSTOR folder will cause the appearance of parameters, among which you should be interested in only one of them - Start.
  2. Click on the line with the Start parameter right click mouse and go to the section of the opened menu "Change ...".
  3. A window will become available in which it is necessary to change the value "3" to the value "4", followed by a click on the button OK.
  4. At this point, the task can be considered completed.


The actions described above will lead to the fact that the USB ports will be disabled, that is, the system will be able to see the connected drives, but the execution of any programs recorded on them will become impossible. To return the system to its original state, it is enough to set the Start parameter to the value "3".

How do I disable a specific USB port?

To disable a specific USB port, you can refer to the capabilities of the "Device Manager":

  • use a keyboard shortcut such as Win + Pause to open the System section;
  • in this section on the left there is a link "Device Manager".

In the selected section, find "USB controllers", then - the required port with the opening of its properties: right click, which involves calling the menu, where the bottom line is "Properties". To disable the selected USB port, open the "Driver" tab and click the "Disable" button.

First, you need to figure out why you may need to disable USB ports on your computer. Everything is pretty simple here. With the advent of miniature USB storage devices, the need arose to prevent data leakage from computers. Using a regular flash drive or portable hard disk, you can easily steal any information. To prevent such incidents, it is necessary to completely disable the USB ports. Of course, everyone may have their own reasons for disabling ports, but this is not so important. There are several ways to disable USB ports on your computer below.

Disable USB ports in BIOS settings

In fact, everything is quite simple: go to the BIOS settings and disable all ports, or those that are necessary. The nuance is that at the moment there are several versions of the BIOS "a, and disabling ports in each is sometimes different.

BIOS Award... We go into the BIOS settings and select the item Integrated Peripherals. We pass to this menu. Then we just find the items: USB EHCI Controller, USB Keyboard Support, USB Mouse Support and Legacy USB storage detect and disable them by selecting the parameter Disabled... Then we just save the settings and restart the computer;

Phoenix-Award and AMI BIOS... We go into the settings and select the item Advanced (sometimes in some versions there may be a Peripherals item) or Advanced BIOS Features. Next, go to the menu USB Configuration. Next, turn off all USB items. Save the settings and restart the computer;

UEFI... More modern panel. Go to the menu Peripherals or Advanced... Selecting items Legacy USB Support and USB 3.0 Support and disable them. Next, we save the settings and restart the PC.

Note! In some versions, the menu items may differ slightly in name, but that's okay, just go through all the menus and find the USB settings.

Disable USB using the registry

This is a more appropriate way. In the registry, you can disable access of USB ports to specific devices, and not the ports themselves. At a time when almost everything is connected via USB, including a mouse and keyboard, then this method will be preferable. You can simply disable port access specifically to flash drives, but the computer mouse will work fine.

Opening the Registry Editor: keyboard shortcut Win + R, enter the command regedit and click OK... Next, go to the next section:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SYSTEM \ CurrentControlSet \ Services \ USBSTOR

Find the item Start. Open it and specify a value 4 ... Save your settings and restart your computer. This section closes access of external drives to the port.

Note! If the USB controller drivers are not installed on the computer, then the value Start will automatically change to value 3 as soon as the device is connected to the port.

Disable USB via Device Manager

Open up Device Manager: right click on My computer, open Properties, Further Device Manager... Open the menu USB controllers... Right-click and select the item in the context menu Disable.

Important! The option of removing drivers for USB controllers will not work, because the first time the device is connected to the port, Windows will start installing the drivers.

Disconnect USB using Windows files


Denying access using the Local Group Policy Editor


You can also prohibit reading and writing.

Additionally

It is also worth mentioning that there are two more ways to restrict access to ports: restrict access using third-party programs and physically disconnecting ports.

There are plenty of third-party software on the Internet, and each is configured in its own way, so there is no point in describing this method in the article. All you need is to find the required program and instructions for it.

As for the physical disconnection of ports, this method will work only with the ports on the front panel of the system unit. Open up system unit and carefully disconnect the wires going to the ports.

Outcome

Whatever the reason for the need to disable USB ports, you now know how to do it.

Peripheral devices such as mouse, keyboard, webcam, printer are usually connected to the computer via USB ports. In this case, it often happens that one or more ports stop working. That is, when a USB flash drive is connected to a computer, for example, it is not recognized, the keyboard or mouse may freeze, and the printer may not respond and print pages.

There are several likely reasons why some or all of the USB ports on your computer are not working. Let's try to understand this issue and find out what should be done to restore the normal functioning of the computer.

Checking BIOS settings

The first thing to pay attention to is the BIOS settings of the computer. To enter BIOS, you need a functional keyboard. If the keyboard is connected to the computer via USB and it does not work, then you need to connect a keyboard with a PS / 2 connector. Otherwise, you simply cannot do anything.

So, we go into the BIOS, for which, when starting the computer, you must press the enter key, usually DEL. There may be another key that is displayed on the screen and is indicated in the manual for motherboard... Once in the BIOS, find the Integrated Peripherals section or the Advanced section. Here you will find the subsection “Onboard Devices Configuration”. It is in it that the parameters that are responsible for the operation of USB controllers are located: USB Function or USB 2.0 Controller. These parameters must be Enabled. And if one of them is disabled (Disabled), then hover over it and press Enter, thereby enabling it. So that the changes you made are not reset, you must save them by pressing F10, and confirm the save by pressing the Y or Enter key.

After restarting the computer, check if the USB ports are working. And if not, then you should look for the reason elsewhere.

USB ports on the front of the computer do not work

As a special case, only the front panel USB may not work for you. In such a situation, it is necessary to check whether the necessary connectors on the motherboard are connected and whether the wires are not damaged. To do this, open the side cover of the system unit and pay attention to the connector at the bottom of the motherboard. On the board itself there is an inscription USB1 or USB2, as well as on the block itself. The wires from the block go to the front panel, and if they are disconnected or broken in one place, then you have found the cause of the malfunction. Damaged wires should be connected or replaced. It will not be superfluous to check the contact in the connector on the motherboard. You should also pay attention to the board located on the front panel. Perhaps there is a short circuit, by the way, such a short circuit can be triggered by accumulated dust. Therefore, be sure to clean the system unit from dust.

Problems with the device itself or the cable

The next source of problems with USB can be the cable with which, for example, the printer is connected. This malfunction is easy to identify and fix. We connect the USB flash drive to the tested connector. If it works, then we try to connect other known serviceable equipment using a suspicious cable, for example, a USB hub. If it also refuses to work, then the reason is definitely in the cable and it should be replaced.

Power outages

There are situations when there is simply not enough power for all devices. For example, connecting an external hard drive that uses two USB ports at once may turn off the printer or keyboard. In this case, the power of the power supply unit is not enough to provide energy to all consumers. In this case, the problem may not appear immediately, but some time after turning on the computer. There are several ways out of the situation. If you have a low-power power supply unit installed, for example, 300 W, then it would be logical to change it to a more powerful one, 450-600 W. You can also use an active USB hub (externally powered). It will allow not only to increase the number of connected USB devices, but also to power them from a separate power supply unit.

Another reason that affects USB performance is a dead CMOS battery. But at the same time, every time you turn on the computer, you will observe the lost system time and date. After replacing the battery, the problem goes away. But this is not common, so you should check for other possible sources of malfunction.

Missing or incorrect installation of USB drivers

The causes of software malfunctions in Windows 7/10 can be identified using Device Manager. If you notice that one or more devices do not work specifically, regardless of the port used, then this may indicate that the problem is in the device itself. Open Control Panel and go to Device Manager. All connected devices will be displayed there. If the list contains items with a yellow exclamation mark or an Unknown device instead of a name, then the problem is in this device itself. There may be several options for problems.

Often the USB inputs stop working after reinstalling Windows 7/10. The reason is incorrect installation of the drivers or the required drivers may not be found at all. You will have to carry out the selection and installation manually.

Often, troubleshooting simply requires updating the driver. So, if the automatic Windows update, and the system itself was installed a long time ago, then the relevance is lost software system errors may appear. At the same time, the device starts to work incorrectly, or even stops functioning altogether. To update (reinstall) USB controller drivers, you can use the motherboard driver CD / DVD or download the necessary drivers from the motherboard manufacturer's website.

You can also turn off power saving for all ports using Device Manager. Expand the list of used USB devices hidden in the sections "USB controllers", "Mouse and other pointing devices", "Keyboards". Double click on the desired device to open the properties window. Now we switch to the "Power Management" tab and uncheck the "Allow this device to be turned off to save power" checkbox. Thus, the device will always be used under all circumstances.

If some equipment is not recognized, then there may be both a problem with the drivers already known to us, and a hardware problem consisting in a lack of contact, cable damage or a controller malfunction. Moreover, there is often a situation when, when a faulty device is connected, the rest stop working normally. The keyboard starts to freeze, as does the mouse, and the printer stops typing. The problem is similar to a lack of power, that is, the consumption of all power goes to a faulty device, in which there may be an ordinary short circuit or other malfunction.

USB ports not working due to damaged controller

If none of the above steps helped to restore the USB ports to work, then you should check the motherboard USB controller, which may have failed. In this case, high-quality repairs and diagnostics should be entrusted to the specialists of the service center. As a way out of the problem, try installing an expansion card, the so-called USB PC controller, installed in the PCI slot on the motherboard. Such a solution is noticeably cheaper than repairing a USB motherboard controller, and when using an additional USB hub, the problem with a lack of ports will not be relevant at all.

As you can see, finding and fixing problems with USB ports is quite a hassle, and all because there can be a lot of reasons. Sequential search and elimination of deliberately incorrect paths will allow you to identify and fix the problem.

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

Theft of confidential information from users' computers is currently extremely topical. Disconnecting USB ports may be required to prevent data leakage. Very often we have to connect various external storage devices to a PC, in particular through USB ports. These external devices may contain malicious code, which in fact is the reason for the "leak" of confidential data into the hands of "malware". Today we will tell you how you can teach your computer to quickly disconnect USB ports without having to install and use third-party programs.

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

In the registry editor window that opens on your screen, to start disabling USB ports, go to the "UsbStor" registry key by expanding 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 the changes made to the registry, the flash drive connected to the computer via the USB port will be detected by the system as before, but it will not automatically connect to it. In other words, it will be impossible to write data from a flash drive or run any programs from it. If you need to return the settings of the USB ports to the original ones, before that it will be enough to 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.

Disable certain USB ports

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

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

Now in the newly opened window “Properties 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 can disable them all at once, or only those that you think are necessary.

Foreign, unauthorized usb media in work computers can cause enormous harm to the entire corporate local network: from disabling the network as a whole, to stealing corporate data.

Therefore, many system administrators do not allow "users" to use the so-called "flash drives" on workstations and, if possible, try to disable usb ports. To do this is not as difficult as it seems at first glance (and it is not even required to fill the usb ports with foam, although this also happens).

You can simply disable or even remove the "usb controller" in the "Device Manager", but the usual installation of drivers will nullify all efforts.

How to programmatically disable the usb port?

The method described below concerns editing the registry to block usb media, but without touching the keyboard, mouse and other working components of the computer.

So, you can disable usb ports on your computer as follows:

Open the registry by running the "regedit" command;

  • - further, in the directory go to the address "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SYSTEM \ CurrentControlSet \ Services \ USBSTOR";
  • - in the right part of the window find the line "Start" and open it by double-clicking or right-clicking and "Change";

  • - by default, the “Value” line must contain the number “3” ie it allows the connection of usb media to a computer with preinstalled usb controller drivers;
  • - so, it is in this line - "Value" and you need to change the number "3" to "4", which will block the connected usb media.

It is necessary to change the registry in this way on all computers in the local network.

How to turn off usb power on windows computer?

And an important point: you need to restrict user rights to access the registry editor, because to allow usb media to be connected, you only need to change the value back to the number "3".

You can simply limit yourself to setting a prohibition on editing the registry using the "Group Policy" and set the value "Deny access to registry editing tools" (or "Make the registry editing tools unavailable")

This item is located in the section "Group Policy" - "User Configuration" - "Administrative Templates" - "System"