Disable USB storage

This trick can remove the automatic recognition when you insert a USB storage device like a USB flash drive or external hard drive. This allows for example to prevent anyone from recovering data on a machine with a USB support.

• When you connect a USB stick for the first time on a computer, Windows will then detect and install the new device automatically.
  
  
• The new device will be visible in Windows Explorer.
  
  
• During the next insertion of the key, it will be directly detected. There is a way to prevent this, making detection device inactive.
  
  
• Open regedit (Start, Run ... and then type regedit)
  
  
• Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SYSTEM \ CurrentControlSet \ Services \ UsbStor
  
  
• In the right pane, change the Start value in giving it a value of 4 in hexadecimal (the default is 3).
  
  
• If your device is already connected, it will be necessary to unplug it first so that it is disabled. Thereafter, the key will no longer be recognized at its inclusion.
  
  
• If you wish to activate the USB devices, you must put the Start value to 3.