Summary

Removable media such as USB storage devices have become a part of our daily lives. Now-a-days, virtually everyone owns atleast one or more of these devices. However, for organizations, removable devices pose their own distinctive security problems. In this article, you will learn an easy way to completely disable USB storage devices.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Click Start, click Run..., type regedit.exe, and click OK to launch Registry Editor.
2. In the left pane, expand HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services and click UsbStor.
3. In the right pane, look for a value named Start and double-click it.
4. In the resulting dialog box, type 4 and click OK.
5. In File menu, click Exit to quit Registry Editor.

Note that the method described above is applicable only if a USB storage device is already installed in your computer. By following the steps given above, you can make sure that the device does not work when user connects it to the computer.

To learn how to disable devices that are not already installed, you may read Disable USB storage devices using Group Policies.