by Lee Mathews

Created on: May 19, 2008

While it just wouldn't make sense to completely disable all downloading functions on a computer, it certainly makes sense to learn what you can do to control and limit what is downloaded.

So much of what we do on computers requires downloading of one form or another - updating your antivirus applications, reading RSS feeds, even browsing web sites - all these things require downloading bits of information from servers somewhere on the Internet. Completely disabling downloads would have a massively crippling effect on a PC's usefulness.

Some people recommend setting restrictions on user logins, which is an excellent idea but not something all operating systems can handle. Windows XP Home, for example, has limited and guest accounts, but they can still download, and there's no way to make it so they can't just using account settings. XP Pro contains a utility called the Group Policy Editor that allows much more tweaking of account settings, but even that won't block all downloads. Vista does include much more advanced controls for user accounts, but you'd still be wise to see what programs are available to help you out.

My first tool of choice in blocking downloads on any computer is the Hosts File Blocker from MVPS.org (http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/hosts.htm). The hosts file is the first place your computer looks when it requests something from the internet - it's kind of like a speed dial directory. By adding the blacklisted sites from MVPS into your hosts file, thousands of malicious files will instantly be barred fro your system simply because it can no longer figure out where they are on the Internet. It's a great, fast way to stop a lot of harmful downloading on a PC.

Getting your hands on an application like Winguard Pro 2007 (http://www.winguardpro.com/products.html) is a also good place to start. It allows some quick tweaking such as passwording the startup of Firefox and disabling all downloading of files in Internet Explorer (though you can still browse web pages).

The third tool I recommend is Secure-IT(http://www.sniff-em.com/secureit.shtml), a Windows hardening utility (hardening is an industry term which basically means strengthening its defenses). Secure-IT offers a very broad range of tools to prevent different types of download exploits that can adversely affect your computer.

As a final thought, there really is no way to disable 100% of downloading on a PC apart from pulling its network cord or disabling its wireless adapter. Knowing how and what to limit is the key, and will keep you safe and secure on your computer.

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