2 Ways to Block Read or Write Access to Your Removable Storage Devices

The various sorts of mobile storage devices make it possible to access and modify data directly without taking a computer with us when we work or travel, simply by connecting the mobile storage device to the USB port of the new device. However, others can also easily access the files and possibly edit them. So what can you do in such circumstance? Actually, there exists ways to keep others from making changes on your removable files. Here we will provide two ways for you to prevent people from prying into or editing your removable storage devices.

1. Via Local Group Policy Editor

To Disable read access on your removable storage devices:

Step 1: Press Windows + R to open Run dialog and type gpedit.msc in the open box. Then click OK to open Local Group Policy Editor.

Step 2: Head to the following directory:

Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > System > Removable Storage Access

Step 3: Scroll down and locate Removable Disks: Deny read access policy. Double-click on it to open its property.

Step 4: Choose Enabled option and then click Apply and OK to save the change.

To Disable write access on your removable storage devices:

Repeat step 1 and step 2 on the above instructions to locate Removable Storage Access folder and then follow these steps:

Step 1: Find and double-click Removable Disks: Deny write access policy.

Step 2: Choose Enabled option in the next window. Then click Apply and OK to save the change.

2. Via Registry Editor

To Disable read access on your removable storage devices:

Step 1: Press Windows + R to open the Run dialog, type regedit in the open box and click OK to open the Registry Editor.

Step 2: Navigate the the below path:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows

Step 3: Right-click on the Windows key and select New > Key. Then name this key as RemovableStorageDevices.

Step 4: Right-click on the freshly created RemovableStorageDevices and select New > Key. Name this key as {53f5630d-b6bf-11d0-94f2-00a0c91efb8b}.

Then you should have the following path:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\
RemovableStorageDevices\{53f5630d-b6bf-11d0-94f2-00a0c91efb8b}

Step 5: Right-click on an empty area on the right pane, select New > DWORD(32-bit) value and name the value as Deny_Read.

Step 6: Double-click Deny_Read. Enter 1 as its Value data and click OK.

To Disable write access on your removable storage devices:

Repeat Step 1 to Step 4 as what you did before and locate the {53f5630d-b6bf-11d0-94f2-00a0c91efb8b} key. Then follow these steps:

Step 1: Right-click on a blank space, select New > DWORD(32-bit) value and name this value as Deny_Write.

Step 2: Double-click Deny_Write, set its Value data as 1 and click OK.