Today, in our series of guides for novice Windows 10 users, we'll look at how to block a Windows program from accessing the internet.
There are times when you don't want a Windows program to connect to the internet. The reasons could be security concerns or you don't want it to do an automatic update, etc. Of course, you can disconnect from the internet by simply turning off the router, but that would also cut off the connection to other programs you don't want, such as your browser.
The Windows operating system has a firewall that you can use to block specific programs from the internet. You don't need to install third-party programs for this job. The Windows firewall has you covered.
Before we show you how to operate the firewall, let's take a closer look at why you might want to block certain programs from connecting to the Internet.
The main reason is your privacy. Some Windows programs may transmit statistical data, details of your computer's hardware, other information, or even your own data and files to servers on the internet.
Blocking internet access is also a good way to prevent some programs from updating automatically. You might want a program to stay on a specific version, e.g. you might want uTorrent or Bandizip to stay on an old version without ads.
Another reason may be that you don't want irrelevant programs to consume your internet connection and limit other applications from being able to use the full bandwidth.
Finally, some programs may display news or advertisements, which are delivered from their own servers or from third-party ad servers. If you have an application that does this, you may want to block them from the internet.
How to block a Windows program from accessing the Internet
Step 1: Open the Control Panel
Open the Windows Control Panel and click on “Windows Defender Firewall”. If you have problems finding the Control Panel, simply press the Windows + Pause keys at the same time. In the window that opens, click on the up arrow next to the address bar or the “Control Panel Home” link on the left.
In the “Windows Defender Firewall” window, select “Advanced settings” located on the left side of the window.
Step 2: Create rules
You will create a new firewall rule. And since you don't want any program to go out to the world, you should select the “Outbound Rule” from the left panel.
Then, click “Create rule…” on the right side of the window.
A new Windows window titled “Outbound Connection Rules Wizard” will appear. In it, click on the “Program” option on the left.
Logically, the “This program path” option will automatically be checked. If not, click on it and select it. Then press the “Browse” button. A Windows File Explorer window will open, where you will need to find the physical path of the program you want to block from the internet.
The program you are looking for is probably in “C:\Program Files\program name” (you may have it as C:\Application Files). Find the name of the folder containing the program, go inside it and look for the executable (.EXE) of the program for which you want to block access to the Internet. Select the .EXE and click the “Open” button to add it to the firewall.
You will be returned to the “Outbound Connection Rules Wizard” window. Click “Next.” Make sure that the “Block the connection” option is selected and click the Next button.
Now you need to select which networks should be excluded, Domain, Private and Public. If you are not sure, leave all three options checked and click the “Next” button.
Give the rule a name and optionally add a description (if you want). We recommend using the program name for the rule name so you can easily identify it later. Click the “Finish” button and you’re done.
Note: The description section can be left blank. But it's better to note why you are setting this rule because after 6 months you will not remember anything!!!. You could type something like “I don't want it to go online, or last known good version or I am playing with Dimitris' instructions from Secnews or something similar”.
Repeat the process for each program you want to block from accessing the internet.
This method should work on both Windows 7 and Windows 8.
