Steps to Disable Powershell in Windows 10

This guide provides a clear, practical overview of steps to disable powershell in Windows 10, with useful context, important details, and straightforward takeaways for everyday readers.

Method 1: Turn off PowerShell using Group Policy

Step 1: Press the Windows + R combination to open the Run dialog box, then enter gpedit.msc and Enter.

Step 2: In the Group Policy window that appears, go to User Configuration >> Administrative Templates >> System.

Step 3: Now, look in the right pane for Don't run specified Windows applications and click on it.

Step 4: In the pop-up window, check the Enabled box. Then, click the small Show… button in the lower frame.

Step 5: A new window appears, enter powershell.exe under the value column. You can also type powershell_ise.exe and pwsh.exe to disable ISE (server application for PowerShell). Click OK when finished.

Step 6: Go back, click Apply then OK to apply the changes.

Now you will no longer be able to open PowerShell. If at any time you want to re-enable PowerShell, just go back to the Don't run specified Windows applications window and select Disabled.

Method 2: Turn off PowerShell in Windows 10 with Local Security Policy Editor

Local Security Policy Editor in Windows 10 allows users to manage security protocols.

Step 1: Press Windows + R to open the Run dialog box, then type secpol.msc and Enter.

Step 2: In the Local Security Policy window, right-click Software Restriction Policy and select New Software Restriction Policies.

Step 3: Right-click Additional Rules >> Select New Hash Rule…

Step 4: Click Browse.

Step 5: In the Browse… window, enter the following path in the address bar.

%SystemRoot%system32WindowsPowerShellv1.0

Step 6: Select powershell.exe in the list and click Open.

Step 7: When back to the New Hash Rule window, click Apply to apply.

Now, restart your computer for the changes to take effect.

If you ever want to re-enable Windows PowerShell, just reopen the Local Security Policy Editor and click Additional Rules. Now, right click on the commands you created and select Delete.

Windows PowerShell is a powerful tool that not everyone should use. If you do not have much knowledge about this tool, turn it off by the two ways above.