If you need to configure your computer's USB ports to be read-only, there are some programs that allow you to do it quickly and safely. "Read only" means that any USB stick that is inserted into the PC when these software are active, works to read files, but not to write to its memory.
In practice, no one will be able to copy or transfer data to the USB stick from that computer because the data can only be copied from the USB drive to the PC.
This is an ideal security precaution for any PC in offices, businesses and places that multiple people can access, so that data on the USB stick cannot be infected with viruses and to make it more difficult to transfer data from that computer.
For home use, these are definitely a bit drastic, but still useful solutions to protect a PC from uncontrolled USB sticks of family or friends.
Here are 4 free programs to make your PC's USB ports read-only .
1) URCAM is one of the best free software, which does not require installation, to protect the USB ports and also to disable some functions of the operating system such as the command prompt, the registry, the task manager, the policy editor. group and other things.
Access to the program can be password protected so as not to allow modifications if not authorized.
2) Ratool is a free program to make USB ports read-only, so that no new data can be copied to all USB devices
In addition to the USB ports, you can also protect other computer drives such as the floppy disk.
Also in this program the settings can be password protected.
3) Disk USB Manager allows you to control USB ports, disable them, make them read-only and prevent the execution of executable programs from the drive, quickly and easily.
The software is available for free download as a portable program, but to make it work, you have to let it run in the background and access it, whenever needed, from the icon on the taskbar.
4) USB Flash Drives Control is a simple program to always keep active that allows you to choose if and when the USB ports of the computer must be read-only or free in writing and running the programs.
This software does not have an interface, but only a menu accessible from the icon in the notification area near the clock.
Finally, if you don't want to use programs, you can make a USB stick read-only by running some commands in the command prompt .
From the Start menu, run cmd or search for a command prompt as administrator (in Windows 10 press the right mouse button on the Start button or press the Windows-X keys together) and run the following commands:
DISKPART
LIST DISK
SELECT DISK X (be careful to select the right disk by putting the number 1 or 2 or 3 in place of the X)
ATTRIBUTES DISK SET READONLY
To remove the read only from the USB stick, the command is instead
ATTRIBUTES DISK CLEAR READONLY
To finish, type EXIT .
READ ALSO: How to format USB sticks and hard drives: difference between NTFS, FAT32 and FAT
