How To Disable Access To All Removable Storage devices (USB FLASH DRIVE PENDRIVE ETC on Windows 10

How to disable access to removable storage devices on Windows 10

On Windows 10, if a USB or another supported port is available on the computer, users can connect removable storage devices (such as USB flash drives, external hard drives, and other types of mass storage devices) to access or export data.

Although it's a common practice to use removable drives, there are times when you may want to restrict access to these types of devices. For instance, you may want to disable access to prevent users from connecting foreign devices, which may contain malware that can harm the computer or make it more difficult to install applications from unknown sources.

Or if the device stores sensitive data, disabling read and write access to removable storage devices can help lock-down the system to stop users from trying to make a copy of certain information, improving security – even if the data is stored in the network.

Open Start.
Search for gpedit.msc and click OK to open the Local Group Policy Editor.
Browse the following path:

Computer Configuration \Administrative Templates \System \ Removable Storage Access

On the right side, double-click the All Removable Storage classes: Deny all access policy.
Click the Apply button.
Click the OK button.
Restart your computer.
Once you complete the steps, Windows 10 will deny access to removable storage classes, including USB flash drives, USB external hard drives, physical discs (such as CD and DVD), and other storage that falls into the removable class.

If you change your mind, you can always revert the changes using the same instructions, but on step No. 5, make sure to select the Not Configured option.