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This guide will help you remove the Add/Remove Programs option from the Control Panel. This is not a fool proof method, but deters most users from accessing this list.

This guide is included as part of the Windows Guides security and administration series. Please visit the main page if you would like to learn why this guide may be useful.

Please Note: This guide involves working with the Windows Registry. If this is your first time editing the registry, please read this guide to get you started.

Disabling Add/Remove Programs Access

  • Start Registry Editor (Start > Run > “regedit”)
  • Disable Current User: In the left panel, navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Uninstall
  • Disable All Users: In the left panel, navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Uninstall
  • Create a new DWORD value named NoAddRemovePrograms
  • Set the value to 1 to disable Add/Remove Programs
  • Set the value to 0 to re-enable Add/Remove Programs

In order for this to take effect, you may need to restart your system.

About Rich

Rich is the owner and creator of Windows Guides; he spends his time breaking things on his PC so he can write how-to guides to fix them.

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Comments

9 thoughts on “Disable Add/Remove Programs Access in Windows Vista/XP”

  1. Kylie says:

    ooo very useful :)

  2. Kylie says:

    ooo very useful :)

  3. Jack Culler says:

    Will someone please walk me through (tell me what steps are needed to disable programs) for new installations in Windws Vista. Something always gets screwed up each time I attempt to disable and install new programs.

  4. Jack Culler says:

    Will someone please walk me through (tell me what steps are needed to disable programs) for new installations in Windws Vista. Something always gets screwed up each time I attempt to disable and install new programs.

  5. Jack Culler says:

    Will someone please walk me through (tell me what steps are needed to disable programs) for new installations in Windws Vista. Something always gets screwed up each time I attempt to disable and install new programs.

  6. Jack Culler says:

    Will someone please walk me through (tell me what steps are needed to disable programs) for new installations in Windws Vista. Something always gets screwed up each time I attempt to disable and install new programs.

  7. Nizamuddin Wafa says:

    Thanks for the share !!! Nizamuddin WafA

Comments are closed.


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