How to Block an Application or. Exe from Running in Windows

This updated guide examines How to Block an Application or. Exe from Running in Windows and organizes the essential facts, background, and practical takeaways in clear American English.

Part 1of 4:

Finding Your Program's Name

1. Open Start. Click the Windows logo in the bottom-left corner of the screen. This will open the Start menu.
2. Click☰. It's in the top-left corner of the Start menu. A pop-out menu will appear on the left side.
3. ClickAll apps. This option is in the upper-left side of the Start menu.
4. Find the program you want to block. Scroll down until you find the app icon for the program you want to block.
   • You may need to click a folder to view the program's app icon. For example, if you want to block Notepad, you would scroll down and click the "Windows Accessories" folder to reveal the Notepad app icon.
5. Right-click the program. Doing so prompts a drop-down menu.
6. SelectMore. It's in the drop-down menu. This will open a pop-out window.
7. ClickOpen file location. This option is in the pop-out window. Doing so opens the file location of the program's shortcut in File Explorer.
8. Right-click the program's shortcut file. You'll find it in the File Explorer window. A drop-down menu will appear.
9. ClickOpen file location. It's in the drop-down menu. This opens the program's actual file location.
10. Right-click the program's icon, then clickProperties. Doing so opens the Properties window for the program in question.
11. Review the file's name and extension. The file's name is listed in the text box at the top of the Properties window, while the extension is in parentheses to the right of the "Type of file" heading. You'll combine these two (e.g., "name.extension") to create the file's name in the Registry Editor.
    • The extension will almost always be ".exe".
    • For example, if you looked up the file location of Notepad, you'd find that its name is "notepad.exe".
12. Remember the file's name and extension for later. This is what you'll plug into the Registry Editor to block the program.

Part 2of 4:

Opening the Policies Folder

1. Open Start. Click the Windows logo in the bottom-left corner of the screen.
   • You'll want to do this on the user account for the person for whom you want to block this application.
2. Typeregeditinto Start. Doing so searches your computer for the Registry Editor program.
3. Clickregedit. It's a blue cluster of cubes at the top of the Start window.
4. ClickYeswhen prompted. This will prompt Registry Editor to open.
   • If you aren't an administrator, you won't be able to open the Registry Editor.
5. Navigate to the "Policies" folder. To do so:
   • Double-click the "HKEY_CURRENT_USER" folder in the top-left side of the window.
   • Double-click the "Software" folder below "HKEY_CURRENT_USER".
   • Double-click the "Microsoft" folder.
   • Double-click the "Windows" folder.
   • Double-click the "CurrentVersion" folder.
6. Click the "Policies" folder. It's in the list of folders below the "CurrentVersion" folder. Doing so will display the folder's contents in the window on the right side of the page.

Part 3of 4:

Creating Folders for Blocked Programs

1. Make sure there isn't already an "Explorer" folder. If you see a folder labeled "Explorer" in the "Policies" folder contents that are listed in the right-hand pane, you can skip ahead to the "Select the 'Explorer' folder" step of this method.
   • If there isn't an "Explorer" folder, you'll need to create one.
2. ClickEdit. This tab is in the upper-left side of the Registry Editor window. Clicking it results in a drop-down menu.
   • The menus in the upper-left side of the window apply to whichever folder is open at the time.
3. SelectNew. It's at the top of the Edit drop-down menu. Selecting it prompts a pop-out window to appear.
4. ClickKey. This option is at the top of the pop-out window. A new folder will appear below the "Policies" folder on the left-hand side of the window.
5. Type inExplorerand press↵Enter. This will create a new folder that's titled "Explorer" in the "Policies" folder.
6. Select the "Explorer" folder. Click this folder in the left-hand column.
7. ClickEdit. It's in the upper-left side of the window.
8. SelectNew. The pop-out menu will reappear.
9. ClickDWORD (32-bit) Value. This will create a new DWORD value inside of the "Explorer" folder.
10. Type inDisallowRunand press↵Enter. Doing so renames your DWORD value as "DisallowRun".
11. Double-clickDisallowRun. This will open the "DisallowRun" value.
12. Change the "DisallowRun" value to "1". Type1into the "Value data" field, then click OK .
13. Select the "Explorer" folder. Click this folder in the left-hand column again.
14. Create a new folder. Click Edit , select New , and click Key .
15. Type inDisallowRunand press↵Enter. This creates a new folder inside of the "Explorer" folder titled "DisallowRun".

Part 4of 4:

Adding a Program to Block

1. Select the "DisallowRun" folder. Click this folder below the "Explorer" folder on the left side of the window.
2. Create a new string value. Click Edit , select New , and click String Value .
3. Type in1and press↵Enter. This will name your string value "1".
4. Open the string value. Double-click the 1 string value to open it.
5. Enter your application's name. Click the "Value data" field, then type in the name and extension of the application that you checked in part one.
   • For example, to block Notepad, you would type innotepad.exehere.
6. ClickOK. Doing so saves your string value. This string value will prevent the specified program from being opened.
   • If you want to add subsequent string values for other programs, name them in numerical order (e.g., "2", "3", "4", etc.).
7. Close the Registry Editor. At this point, you should no longer be able to open the program, but you may need to restart your computer before these changes take effect.