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How to Block Apps on PC or Mac

This wikiHow teaches you how to impose software restrictions, and block certain apps from running on your computer. You can use the Registry Editor on Windows to set up app restrictions, or download a third-party app to block apps on Mac....
Method 1 of 2:

Using Windows

  1. How to Block Apps on PC or Mac Picture 1How to Block Apps on PC or Mac Picture 1
    Open your computer's Start menu. Click the Windows icon in the lower-left corner of your screen to open the Start menu.
  2. How to Block Apps on PC or Mac Picture 2How to Block Apps on PC or Mac Picture 2
    Type and search regedit on the Start menu. "Regedit Run command" should show up as the best match.
    1. Alternatively, you can click the
      How to Block Apps on PC or Mac Picture 3How to Block Apps on PC or Mac Picture 3
      icon next to the Start menu icon on the bottom-left, and do your search here.
  3. How to Block Apps on PC or Mac Picture 4How to Block Apps on PC or Mac Picture 4
    Click regedit in the search results. The regedit icon looks like blue building blocks. It will open your Registry Editor in a new window.
  4. How to Block Apps on PC or Mac Picture 5How to Block Apps on PC or Mac Picture 5
    Navigate to "Policies" on the sidebar. Find the main folder named "Computer" on the left sidebar, and open "Policies" under it.
    1. In order to find Policies under Computer, you'll have to click HKEY_CURRENT_USER, Software, Microsoft, Windows, and CurrentVersion, respectively.
    2. Alternatively, you can click the address bar at the top, and enter ComputerHKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionPolicies.
  5. How to Block Apps on PC or Mac Picture 6How to Block Apps on PC or Mac Picture 6
    Right-click Policies on the sidebar. This will show your options on a pop-up menu.
  6. How to Block Apps on PC or Mac Picture 7How to Block Apps on PC or Mac Picture 7
    Hover over New on the pop-up menu.
  7. How to Block Apps on PC or Mac Picture 8How to Block Apps on PC or Mac Picture 8
    Select Key on the New menu. This will create a new key under Policies, and prompt you to name it.
  8. How to Block Apps on PC or Mac Picture 9How to Block Apps on PC or Mac Picture 9
    Name your new key Explorer. Type this name and hit ↵ Enter or ⏎ Return on your keyboard to save it.
  9. How to Block Apps on PC or Mac Picture 10How to Block Apps on PC or Mac Picture 10
    Right-click the Explorer key on the sidebar. This will open your right-click options.
  10. How to Block Apps on PC or Mac Picture 11How to Block Apps on PC or Mac Picture 11
    Hover over New on the right-click menu.
  11. How to Block Apps on PC or Mac Picture 12How to Block Apps on PC or Mac Picture 12
    Select DWORD (32-bit) Value on New menu. This will create a new value inside the Explorer key, and prompt you to name it.
  12. How to Block Apps on PC or Mac Picture 13How to Block Apps on PC or Mac Picture 13
    Name your new value DisallowRun. Type this name and hit ↵ Enter or ⏎ Return on your keyboard to save it.
  13. How to Block Apps on PC or Mac Picture 14How to Block Apps on PC or Mac Picture 14
    Double-click the DisallowRun value. This will allow you to edit the value in a new pop-up window.
  14. How to Block Apps on PC or Mac Picture 15How to Block Apps on PC or Mac Picture 15
    Change the Value data from "0" to "1." Replace the "0" under Value data with "1" and click OK.
  15. How to Block Apps on PC or Mac Picture 16How to Block Apps on PC or Mac Picture 16
    Right-click the Explorer key on the sidebar. This will open your options on a pop-up menu.
  16. How to Block Apps on PC or Mac Picture 17How to Block Apps on PC or Mac Picture 17
    Hover over New on the right-click menu.
  17. How to Block Apps on PC or Mac Picture 18How to Block Apps on PC or Mac Picture 18
    Select Key on the New menu. This will create a new key under Explorer, and allow you to name your new key.
  18. How to Block Apps on PC or Mac Picture 19How to Block Apps on PC or Mac Picture 19
    Name your new key DisallowRun. This key will show up below "Explorer" on the left sidebar.
  19. How to Block Apps on PC or Mac Picture 20How to Block Apps on PC or Mac Picture 20
    Right-click the DisallowRun key. You will have to create new string values inside the DisallowRun key in order to block apps from running.
  20. How to Block Apps on PC or Mac Picture 21How to Block Apps on PC or Mac Picture 21
    Hover over New on the right-click menu.
  21. How to Block Apps on PC or Mac Picture 22How to Block Apps on PC or Mac Picture 22
    Select String Value on the New menu. This will create a new string value in the DisallowRun key.
  22. How to Block Apps on PC or Mac Picture 23How to Block Apps on PC or Mac Picture 23
    Name your new string value 1. Type this name and hit ↵ Enter or ⏎ Return to save it.
    1. If you want to block another app later, you'll have to add a new string value here. In this case, you can name your other string values 2, 3, 4, and so forth.
  23. How to Block Apps on PC or Mac Picture 24How to Block Apps on PC or Mac Picture 24
    Double-click your new string value. This will allow you to edit the string in a new pop-up window.
  24. How to Block Apps on PC or Mac Picture 25How to Block Apps on PC or Mac Picture 25
    Enter the name of the app you want to block into Value data. Click the text field under the Value data heading, and type the name of the app you want to block from running.
    1. Make sure to enter the full name of the executable file here, and include the file extension. For example, if you want to block Notepad, enter notepad.exe.
  25. How to Block Apps on PC or Mac Picture 26How to Block Apps on PC or Mac Picture 26
    Click OK. This will save your new string value, and block the specified app from running on your computer.
  26. How to Block Apps on PC or Mac Picture 27How to Block Apps on PC or Mac Picture 27
    Restart your computer. Some changes will only take effect after restarting.
  27. How to Block Apps on PC or Mac Picture 28How to Block Apps on PC or Mac Picture 28
    Try running the blocked app on your computer. You'll see a Restrictions pop-up letting you know the app is blocked.
Method 2 of 2:

Using Mac

  1. How to Block Apps on PC or Mac Picture 29How to Block Apps on PC or Mac Picture 29
    Open knewsense.com/macappblocker/download in a browser. Type or paste this link into your internet browser's address, and hit ↵ Enter or ⏎ Return on your keyboard.
    1. If the download doesn't start, click the click here button next to the shield icon near the top of the page.
    2. Mac App Blocker gives you a 15-day free trial period. After 15 days, you can purchase the full app, or try a different blocker app.
  2. How to Block Apps on PC or Mac Picture 30How to Block Apps on PC or Mac Picture 30
    Run the installer file. Find the Mac App Blocker installer in your Downloads folder, and double-click on its icon to begin the installation.
  3. How to Block Apps on PC or Mac Picture 31How to Block Apps on PC or Mac Picture 31
    Verify the installation. You may need to first allow the installer in order to begin installation. In this case:
    1. Click the Apple icon on the top-left.
    2. Click System Preferences.
    3. Click Security & Privacy.
    4. Click the Lock icon on the bottom-left, and enter your password.
    5. Click Allow next to MacAppBlocker.
  4. How to Block Apps on PC or Mac Picture 32How to Block Apps on PC or Mac Picture 32
    Click Continue in the installer window. This will take you to the License Agreement page.
  5. How to Block Apps on PC or Mac Picture 33How to Block Apps on PC or Mac Picture 33
    Agree with the License agreement. Click Continue, and then Agree when you're prompted.
    1. Mac App Blocker is a third-party app. Make sure you've read and understood the license agreement here.
  6. How to Block Apps on PC or Mac Picture 34How to Block Apps on PC or Mac Picture 34
    Select your computer's main drive. Click the drive you want to install the app on, and click Continue.
  7. How to Block Apps on PC or Mac Picture 35How to Block Apps on PC or Mac Picture 35
    Click the Install button. This will install the Mac App Blocker app on your computer.
    1. If you're prompted, enter your account password to confirm installation.
  8. How to Block Apps on PC or Mac Picture 36How to Block Apps on PC or Mac Picture 36
    Click Close. This will close the installer window.
    1. If you're prompted, you can choose to keep the installer file, or move it to your trash bin.
  9. How to Block Apps on PC or Mac Picture 37How to Block Apps on PC or Mac Picture 37
    Open the Mac App Blocker app. Mac App Blocker icon looks like a blue shield. You can find it in your Applications folder.
  10. How to Block Apps on PC or Mac Picture 38How to Block Apps on PC or Mac Picture 38
    Set up your Mac App Blocker password. Enter a secure password into the "Password" field, reenter into the "Repeat" field below, and click Continue.
    1. Make sure the box next to "I have read and I understand this warning" is checked.
  11. How to Block Apps on PC or Mac Picture 39How to Block Apps on PC or Mac Picture 39
    Click the + icon on the bottom-left. This button is in the bottom-left corner of the Mac App Blocker window. It will open a list of all your apps.
  12. How to Block Apps on PC or Mac Picture 40How to Block Apps on PC or Mac Picture 40
    Select the app you want to block. Find the app you want to block in your Applications folder, and click on its name.
  13. How to Block Apps on PC or Mac Picture 41How to Block Apps on PC or Mac Picture 41
    Click the Open button. This will add the selected app to the list of blocked apps.
    1. When you try to run one of your blocked apps, you'll be prompted to enter your Mac App Blocker password.
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