Some programs show a lot of independent activity, sometimes not at all desirable for the user. This can be a harmless collection of statistics on the use of the program, or it can be a purposeful collection of information. Therefore, it makes sense to block access to the network for those programs that are not designed to work with the Internet directly. To do this, you can use the built-in software of the Windows 7 and Vista operating systems.
Instructions
Step 1
Click the "Start" button and select "Control Panel". A window of categories of possible actions for configuring the system will open. Click on the System and Security link to open a list of settings and access to Windows Firewall. It can be used to disable the program's access to the Internet.
Step 2
Click on the "Firewall" link. A firewall status window opens with two connection control groups: public and home networks. Opposite these categories should be green marks - a sign that the firewall is not disabled. Find the Advanced Options link in the Tasks column on the left side of the window. This will bring up a window for fine-tuning the network filtering and control parameters.
Step 3
Check the current program permissions. Find the link to the list of outbound rules on the left in the Network Security Management Console. Or scroll down the central part of the window and there you will see links to the rules for inbound and outbound connections. Follow the link and carefully review the list of rules for all applications. The bottom line is that by default the firewall denies any outgoing connections. And if your program has access to the Internet, then you need to disable the rule that allows this.
Step 4
Find the name of the program and double-click on the line with the rule. A properties window will open, in which select the "Block connection" item. Then click OK and close the firewall.
Step 5
If you can't find a rule for your program, create one yourself. In the same Outbound Rules window, find the New Rule button. By default, the line "For the program" is marked. Leave this setting and click Next. Select the program for which you want to disable Internet access. To do this, click the "Browse" button and select the program file.
Step 6
Click "Next" when you specify the program. On the next settings screen, you also don't have to change anything - by default, connections are blocked. Click the Next button and proceed to the next step in creating the rule. Leave all three types of networks checked to exclude any possibility of communication for the program. On the next screen, enter a name for the rule, for example, the name of the application to block. Click the Finish button to save your changes.
