While accessing your system, you notice that there’s a 3rd party software installed on your PC and you know that you did not install it. Since you did not authorize the installation, you are naturally on alert. While it’s a serious privacy issue, many times even your kids can end up installing a software accidentally on your system.
The good thing is Windows comes with a lot of options that can help you tweak certain settings as per your needs. Same is the case with this issue. By tweaking a few settings, you can restrict users from installing programs in Windows 10 and windows 11 PC. Let’s see how.
Solution 1 – Create a local account
This is the most straight forward method. Just create a standard account on your PC and in this way let other users let use your system only via standard account. Thus, they can not install anything on Computer and only you as a admin user can install anything. Just login with Administrator account.
1 – Search netplwiz in windows search and click on netplwiz.
2 – Click on add, if you do not have a standard user.
3 – Click on Sign in without a Microsoft account
4 – Click on Local account
5 – Add a local account by adding the details
Follow on screen instructions to add the user.
6 – Restart and Give this user id and password to the user whom you want to prevent.
Solution 2: Using Registry Editor
Step 1: Press the Windows key + R together on your keyboard to open the Run command. Then type regedit in the search box and hit Enter to open the Registry Editor window.
Step 2: Now, before you make any changes to the Registry Editor, make sure that you create a backup of your Registry data.
In the Registry Editor window, go to the File tab on the upper left and select Export from the context menu.
Step 3: In the Export Registry File window, create a Backup folder in your preferred location. Here, we have created a backup folder in Documents and named it as Backup. You can name it anything.
Select the Backup folder and click on the Save button to save the Registry data.
Step 4: Now, if in future anything goes wrong with the Registry data, you can easily get the data back by simply clicking on the Import option under the File tab.
You can then restore the old data from the same Backup folder you created last time.
Step 5: In the Registry Editor window, navigate to the below path:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\Msi.Package\DefaultIcon
Now, go to the right side of the window and double-click on the Default string.
Step 6: It opens the Edit String dialogue box. Now, go to the Value data field and just change the 0 at the end of the data to 1.
Changing it to 1 will block users from installing programs on you PC. Press OK to save the changes.
Close the Registry Editor and restart your PC for the changes to be effective.
Solution 3 – Disable Third party apps installation
1 – Press Windows and I key toegther to open settings
2 – Now, Click on Apps from left side
3 – Click on Apps & Features from right
4 – Now, Select The Microsoft store Only from drop-down in choose where to ghet apps option.
Solution 4 – Disable USB Ports
As a security feature you can also disable USB ports to stop third party app installtion
Solution 5 – Turn Off Windows Installer via GPEDIT.MSC
1 – Jointly press Windows and R key to Open run
2 – Tyep Gpedit.msc and click OK
3 – Go to Computer Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> Windows Components -> Windows Installer
4 – In the right , Double click on Turn off Windows Installer.
5 – Double click on Turn off windows installer
6 – Select enabled in it
7 – Click Apply
Solution 6: Using Local group Policy editor
1- Search gpedit.msc in windows search box.
2 – Now, click on Local group policy editor to open it.
3 – Now, go to Computer Configurations -> Administrative templates -> Windows Components -> Windows Installer
4 – In right side, right click and edit on Allow user control over installs.
5 -Choose disabled in next window.
6 – Click on apply and OK.
That’s it, you have now successfully restricted users from installing programs on your Windows 11 PC.
This only blocks the MS Store, it doesn’t stop a non-administrator local account on a windows 10 home machine from installing whatever they feel like.