If you have a laptop and often use it in public places such as libraries, cafes, etc., you may want to disable your laptop’s USB Port. With the USB ports disabled, you don’t have to worry about unauthorized devices, such as USB drives, Keyloggers, etc., accessing your laptop/computer.
Doing so will prevent the unauthorized exchange of data in your absence. We have already shared a guide on disabling USB Ports on Windows 10, but we haven’t listed all methods in that article. Therefore, we have created this guide detailing all possible ways to disable USB Ports on Windows 11.
1. Disable USB Ports on Windows 11 via Device Manager
We will use the Device Manager of Windows 11 to disable the USB Ports in this method. Here are some of the simple steps you need to follow.
1. Click the Windows 11 Search and type in Device Manager.
2. On the Device Manager, scroll down and expand the Universal Serial Bus Controllers list.
3. Next, right-click on the USB Port and select the option Disable device.
4. To enable the USB Port again, right-click on it and select Enable Device.
2. Disable USB Ports on Windows 11 via Registry Editor
We will use the Registry Editor to disable USB Ports in this method. You need to follow some of the simple steps we have shared below.
1. First, click on the Windows 11 search and type in Registry Editor. Next, open the Registry Editor app from the list.
2. On the Registry Editor, navigate to the following path:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\USBSTOR
3. Double-click the Start DWORD key on the right pane, as shown below.
4. Enter 4 on the Value Data field and click the OK button on the pop-up.
If you wish to enable the USB Ports again, repeat the steps and set 3 on the Value Data field in Step 4. This will help the USB Port again on your PC.
3. Disable USB Ports via the Local Group Policy Editor
In this method, we will use Windows 11’s Local Group Policy Editor to disable the USB Ports. Here are some of the simple steps you need to follow.
1. Open the Windows 11 search and type in Group Policy Editor. Next, select the best match from the list of options.
2. On the Local Group Policy Editor, navigate to the path:
Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > System > Removable Storage Access
3. Now, double click on the Removable Disks on the right pane: Deny execute access.
4. On the Window that appears next, select Enabled and click on Apply > OK.
5. Next, double click on the Removable Disks: Deny read access, and select the Enabled option.
6. To re-enable the USB Ports, select Not configured for both settings.
You can disable USB Ports to prevent malware infection on Windows 11 via the Local Group Policy editor.
4. How to Disable USB Ports via CMD
This method will use the Command Prompt utility to disable USB Ports in the Windows 11 operating system. Here are some of the simple steps that you need to follow.
1. Open the Windows 11 search and type in Command Prompt. Next, right-click on the CMD and select Run as administrator.
2. On the Command Prompt, execute the command shared below and press the Enter button.
reg add HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\cdrom /t REG_DWORD /v "Start" /d 4 /f
3. This will disable the USB Ports on your Windows 11 computer. If you wish to re-enable the USB Ports, execute the command:
reg add HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\cdrom /t REG_DWORD /v "Start" /d 1 /f
5. Disable USB Ports in BIOS or UEFI
You also have another option to enable or disable Windows’s front/rear USB ports. To do so, you need to utilize the BIOS or UEFI.
All you need to do is access the BIOS or UEFI by pressing the boot menu key. Once you access the BIOS/UEFI, you can choose which USB Ports to enable or disable.
Finding the option could be difficult since many options are available on the BIOS/UEFI menu. But you can scan through all available settings to find the option to disable the USB Ports.
How to manage USB devices on Windows 11?
On Windows 11, you can use the Device Manager utility to manage USB devices. To do so, click on the Windows 11 Start Button and type Device Manager.
Open Device Manager from the list of best match results. The USB devices will usually appear under the Universal Serial Bus Controllers tree.
You also need to check the Keyboards, Mice and other pointing devices, Sound, Video and game controllers tree.
From the Device Manager, you will be able to update the USB drivers, uninstall a USB device, change the USB security settings, etc.
These simple methods are to disable USB Ports on Windows 11 to prevent malware infection. I hope this article helped you! Please share it with your friends also. If you have any doubts, let us know in the comment box below.