Restricting Write Access to USB

BillHicksRIP · 20 Aug 2013 at 15:12

I need to share a Windows 7 Home Premium and a Windows 7 Pro laptop with some colleagues but I need to be able to prevent them from inserting a USB and writing to it. There's a couple of things I need to work on with them but not run off with by inserting a USB stick and running off with it. Any ideas for a simple solution?

Thanks

Caged · 20 Aug 2013 at 15:27

Is the machine on the domain?

Raumarik · 20 Aug 2013 at 15:30

What's to prevent them e-mailing it instead or uploading to dropbox etc?

Colleagues - either you trust them or you don't. You can reduce the chances by:

1. Bitlocker/Truecrypt the drives. Prevents them booting off an external drive and copying.
2. Enable removable media restrictions:

Group Policy settings for Removable Storage Access in this page:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb530324.aspx

You'll still need to stop them using the internet or local network though.

BillHicksRIP · 20 Aug 2013 at 15:35

Should have said, the laptops will be off the network and have never been part of a domain. I'm doing some training for a 3rd party and dont want them running off with my material, presentations etc.

Si105 · 20 Aug 2013 at 15:50

Encrypting the data would be the best solution or they could just plug the laptop into a network and upload it somewhere.

Truecrypt is free

Caged · 20 Aug 2013 at 16:37

You can disable USB mass storage in Windows, not sure if you can do it in the Home versions though. Obviously this stops all USB mass storage working so you'll have to make sure your training materials are on there first.

Raumarik · 20 Aug 2013 at 16:50

There was ways of getting group policy on home editions, I don't want to post as I'm not sure mods would approve though.

A quick google is all that's required and the methods do work.