☑️ Top 3 Ways to Prevent Users from Installing New Software in Windows 11
– Reviews News
Sharing your Windows computer always carries the risk of others installing unwanted software on it. Sometimes these freedoms also end up compromising your computer. However, you can prevent users from installing apps or software on your Windows 11 PC. This way, you can continue to share your PC with others without allowing them to install apps or software.
Fortunately, Windows 11 offers some definitive ways to improve the protection of your computer. In this article, we will share 3 different ways to prevent users from installing new software on their Windows 11 PC. So, without further ado, let's get straight to the point.
1. Change Account Type to Standard User
There are two main types of accounts for Windows 11 users: administrator and standard user. Both come with a different set of privileges, mostly allowing or disallowing system-level changes, respectively. That said, you can prevent specific users from installing new programs or software by changing your account type to Standard User. This will prevent the user from making system-level changes that affect other user accounts.
Please note that only accounts with administrative privileges can change the account type on a Windows computer. Follow the steps below to change user account type in Windows 11.
Step 1: Right-click on the Start icon and select Settings from the menu. Alternatively, you can press Windows Key + I to achieve the same.
Step 2: Use the left panel to access the Accounts tab. Then click on the Family option to your right.
Step 3: Click the user account whose account type you want to change.
Step 4: Click Change account type.
5nd step : Use the drop-down menu under Account Type to select Standard User and click OK to save your changes.
Similarly, you can repeat the above steps to change the account type of other users on your PC and prevent them from installing new software.
2. Edit Group Policy
The Windows Group Policy Editor allows you to make various changes at the administrative level. Among several options, there is a dedicated policy to disable Windows Installer, which prevents users from installing new programs and applications.
It is important to note that the Group Policy Editor is only available in Windows Pro, Enterprise, and Education editions. So if you are using Windows 11 Home edition, this method will not work for you.
Step 1: Press Windows key + R to launch the Run dialog box. To write gpedit.msc in the Open field and press Enter.
Step 2: In the Local Group Policy Editor window, use the left pane to navigate to the following folder:
Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Windows Installer
Step 3: Locate and double-click the "Disable Windows Installer" policy on your right.
Step 4: Select Enabled and select Always from the drop-down menu under Disable Windows Installer. Finally, press Apply.
That's all. The policy change should take effect once you restart your PC. If you wish to undo the above change at any time, you can follow the same steps as above and select Disabled or Not Configured in Step 4.
3. Edit Registry Files
Your PC's registry files contain important settings for Windows and its services. Similar to Group Policy, you can also make changes to your PC through Registry Editor to block software installation in Windows 11.
A word of warning. Careless modification or deletion of registry files can cause serious damage to your PC. Therefore, you should only use this method if you are comfortable editing registry files. We recommend backing up your log files or creating a restore point before making any changes.
With that out of the way, here's how you can prevent users from installing new programs through Registry Editor.
Step 1: Click the search icon on the taskbar or press Windows key + S to open the search menu. To write registry editor in the box and select Run as administrator.
Step 2: Click Yes when the User Account Control (UAC) message appears.
Step 3: Paste the following path into the address bar at the top and press Enter to access the DefaultIcon key.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Classes\Msi.Package\DefaultIcon
Step 4: Double-click the default string value to its right.
5nd step : Paste the following value into the Value data box and press OK.
C:\Windows\System32\msiexec.exe,1
After following the steps above, restart your PC for the changes to take effect.
Also, if you want to unlock the program installation at any time, you can follow the same steps above and enter the following value in step 5.
C:\Windows\System32\msiexec.exe,0
Avoid future consternation
In addition to the methods listed above, third-party tools can help you block software installation in Windows 11. However, native tools work better to protect your data as well as keep your computer safe and stable. However, if the other person really wants to try them, it is best to change the user account from Standard to Administrator.
SOURCE: Reviews News
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