Windows 7: Applications - Prevent Running Specified Programs. To change a listed EXE file name, double click/tap on the number of the EXE to modify it (step 4F), type the new EXE name, and click/tap on OK. To remove a listed EXE file name, right click on the number of the EXE, then click/tap on Delete and Yes.
You can if you wish, restrict users from installing or running programs in Windows 10/8/7 as well as Windows Vista/XP/2000 & Windows Server family. You can do so by using certain Group Policy settings to control the behavior of the Windows Installer, prevent certain programs from running or restrict via the Registry Editor.
The Windows Installer, msiexec.exe, previously known as Microsoft Installer, is an engine for the installation, maintenance, and removal of software on modern Microsoft Windows systems.
In this post, we will see how to block installation of software in Windows 10/8/7.
Disable or restrict the use of Windows Installer via Group Policy
Type gpedit.msc in start search and hit Enter to open the Group Policy Editor. Navigate to Computer Configurations > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Installer. In RHS pane double-click on Disable Windows Installer. Configure the option as required.
This setting can prevent users from installing software on their systems or permit users to install only those programs offered by a system administrator. If you enable this setting, you can use the options in the Disable Windows Installer box to establish an installation setting.
The “Never” option indicates Windows Installer is fully enabled. Users can install and upgrade software. This is the default behavior for Windows Installer on Windows 2000 Professional, Windows XP Professional, and Windows Vista when the policy is not configured.
The “For non-managed apps only” option permits users to install only those programs that a system administrator assigns (offers on the desktop) or publishes (adds them to Add or Remove Programs). This is the default behavior of Windows Installer on Windows Server 2003 family when the policy is not configured.
The “Always” option indicates that Windows Installer is disabled.
This setting affects Windows Installer only. It does not prevent users from using other methods to install and upgrade programs.
Always install with elevated privileges
In the Group Policy Editor, navigate to User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components. Scroll down and click Windows Installer and configure it to Always install with elevated privileges.
This setting directs Windows Installer to use system permissions when it installs any program on the system.
This setting extends elevated privileges to all programs. These privileges are usually reserved for programs that have been assigned to the user (offered on the desktop), assigned to the computer (installed automatically), or made available in Add or Remove Programs in Control Panel. This setting lets users install programs that require access to directories that the user might not have permission to view or change, including directories on highly restricted computers.
If you disable this setting or do not configure it, the system applies the current user’s permissions when it installs programs that a system administrator does not distribute or offer.
This setting appears both in the Computer Configuration and User Configuration folders. To make this setting effective, you must enable the setting in both folders.
Skilled users can take advantage of the permissions this setting grants to change their privileges and gain permanent access to restricted files and folders. Note that the User Configuration version of this setting is not guaranteed to be secure.
Don’t run specified Windows applications
In the Group Policy Editor, navigate to User Configuration > Administrative Templates > System
Here in RHS pane, double click Don’t run specified Windows applications and in the new window which opens select Enabled. Now Under Options click Show. In the new windows which opens enter the path of the application you wish to disallow; in this case : msiexec.exe.
This will disallow Windows Installer which is located in C:WindowsSystem32 folder from running.
This setting prevents Windows from running the programs you specify in this setting. If you enable this setting, users cannot run programs that you add to the list of disallowed applications.
This setting only prevents users from running programs that are started by the Windows Explorer process. It does not prevent users from running programs, such as Task Manager, that are started by the system process or by other processes. Also, if you permit users to gain access to the command prompt, cmd.exe, this setting does not prevent them from starting programs in the command window that they are not permitted to start by using Windows Explorer. Note: To create a list of disallowed applications, click Show. In the Show Contents dialog box, in the Value column, type the application executable name (e.g., msiexec.exe).
Restrict Programs from being installed via Registry Editor
Open Registry Editor and navigate to the following key:
Create String value with any name, like 1 and set its value to the program’s EXE file.
For example, If you want to restrict msiexec, then create a String value 1 and set its value to msiexec.exe. If you want to restrict more programs, then simply create more String values with names 2, 3 and so on and set their values to the program’s exe.
You may have to restart your computer.
Also read:
- Windows Program Blocker is a free App or Application blocker software to block software from running
- How to block third-party app installations in Windows 10.
Related Posts:
The more software you install on your computer, the longer it may seem to take to start up Windows. Many programs add themselves to the list of programs started when you boot your computer, and that list can get long.
Editor’s Note: Obviously our more geeky readers already know how to do this, but this article is meant for everybody else. Feel free to share it with your non-techie friends!
If you are using Windows 8 or Windows 10, scroll down.
Disabling Startup Programs in Windows 7, Vista, or XP
For some programs, it’s smart to have them start with Windows, such as anti-virus and firewall software. However, for most programs, starting them at boot-up just wastes resources and extends startup time. There is a tool installed with Windows, called MSConfig, that allows you to quickly and easily see what’s running at startup and disable the programs you prefer to run on our own after startup as needed. This tool is available and can be used to disable startup programs in Windows 7, Vista, and XP.
NOTE: MSConfig can be used to configure several things other than just startup programs, so be careful what you do with it. If you’re not sure about using it, just follow the steps in this article and you should be fine.
To run MSConfig, open the Start menu and type “msconfig.exe” (without the quotes) in the Search box. As you type, results display. When you see “msconfig.exe,” click on it or press Enter, if it is highlighted.
NOTE: If you are using Windows XP, open the Run dialog box from the Start menu, type “msconfig.exe” in the Open edit box, and click OK.
Click the Startup tab on the System Configuration main window. A list of all the startup programs displays with a check box next to each one. To prevent a program from starting up with Windows, select the check box next to the desired program so there is NO check mark in the box. Click OK once you have made your choices.
A dialog box displays telling you that you may need to restart your computer for the changes to take affect. Click Restart to restart your computer immediately. If are not ready to restart your computer, click Exit without restart.
Disabling Startup Programs after Windows 10’s April 2018 Update
If you’re running the very latest version of Windows 10, there’s a new Startup Apps management panel that makes it super easy to disable startup programs. Just open up the Settings panel, and then search for “Startup”, and open up the Startup Apps panel. If you don’t see this, you don’t have the very latest version yet, and you’ll want to use Task Manager to manage your startup apps (keep reading this next section).
How To Stop Running Programs
Once you do have the Startup Apps panel, you can simply toggle the stuff you don’t want to run at startup.
Disabling Startup Programs in Windows 10 or 8 or 8.1
Windows 8, 8.1, and 10 make it really simple to disable startup applications. All you have to do is open up Task Manager by right-clicking on the Taskbar, or using the CTRL + SHIFT + ESC shortcut key, clicking “More Details,” switching to the Startup tab, and then using the Disable button.
It’s really that simple. If you aren’t seeing these options, make sure to click “More Details,” which is in the same place as the “Fewer details” that you see on this screenshot.
Disabling Startup Programs in CCleaner
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The free PC-cleaning utility CCleaner also has a tool that allows you to disable startup programs. In CCleaner, click the Tools button on the left side of the dialog box and click Startup to see the list of startup programs. The Enabled column indicates whether each program is set to start with Windows. To disable a program that is enabled, select the program in the list and click Disable. You can also enable programs that have been disabled.
NOTE: CCleaner does not seem to prompt you to restart your computer, so be sure to do so yourself.
There is a Professional version of CCleaner that costs $24.95 and comes with priority technical support. However, there is a free version available as an installable version and a portable version.
Note that some applications need to be configured to stop launching themselves when the computer boots, or they will just add themselves to the list of startup programs again. In this case, there is usually a setting in a program’s options to prevent it from starting with Windows.
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