{"id":1028,"date":"2025-08-06T01:17:00","date_gmt":"2025-08-06T01:17:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/digiconceptng.com\/blog\/?p=1028"},"modified":"2025-09-21T17:59:27","modified_gmt":"2025-09-21T17:59:27","slug":"how-to-block-a-program-from-accessing-the-internet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/digiconceptng.com\/blog\/how-to-block-a-program-from-accessing-the-internet\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Block a Program from Accessing the Internet Windows 7, 8,10 and 11"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"digic-3234487715\" class=\"digic-bedfore-post digic-entity-placement\"><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-4104817480020566\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-4104817480020566\" \ndata-ad-slot=\"\" \ndata-ad-format=\"auto\"><\/ins>\n<script> \n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \n<\/script>\n<\/div>\n<p>Sometimes, you may want to stop an application from going online. This could be because the app tries to update itself and breaks important features, because you want to limit what your child does online, or simply because the software is unlicensed and may get blocked when it connects to the internet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Whatever the reason, the best way to do this on Windows is by using <strong>Windows Firewall<\/strong>. In this guide, I\u2019ll walk you through the steps to block any program from accessing the internet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1014\" height=\"629\" data-src=\"https:\/\/digiconceptng.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/domain-24-h-1014x629-1.jpg\" alt=\"How to Block a Program from Accessing the Internet\" class=\"wp-image-1031 lazyload\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/digiconceptng.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/domain-24-h-1014x629-1.jpg 1014w, https:\/\/digiconceptng.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/domain-24-h-1014x629-1-300x186.jpg 300w, https:\/\/digiconceptng.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/domain-24-h-1014x629-1-768x476.jpg 768w\" data-sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1014px) 100vw, 1014px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1014px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1014\/629;\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why Block a Program from the Internet?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Here are some common reasons:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>To stop unlicensed software from connecting online.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>To prevent apps that auto-update and cause issues.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>To block video games from accessing multiplayer features.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>To restrict certain apps from consuming data unnecessarily.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>No matter the reason, you\u2019re in the right place.<\/p><div id=\"digic-3887040940\" class=\"digic-get-free-material digic-entity-placement\"><p>Get <a title=\"TikTok SEO Cheats\" href=\"https:\/\/digiconceptng.com\/blog\/download\/tiktok-seo-cheats\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>TikTok SEO Cheat<\/strong><\/a> here<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Read also:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/digiconceptng.com\/blog\/crack-coreldraw-x7\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">ways to Install &amp; Crack Corel Draw x7 for life<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/digiconceptng.com\/blog\/link-instagram-and-whatsapp-accounts\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">How to link Instagram business to Whatsapp business<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/digiconceptng.com\/blog\/best-hotels-in-lekki\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Best Hotels in Lekki<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>There are few apps you may not want to have free access to the network and this excludes your web browser (after all of what use is a web browser that can\u2019t connect online).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to Block a Program with Windows Firewall<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In this part of the world, Nigeria, Africa, some people might have an application that insists on automatically updating itself, but find that those updates break some functionality and you want to stop them. Some can be as a result of unlicensed software and this we can understand for those who do not have the cash capacity to acquire one. It might be a video game that you\u2019re comfortable with your child playing, but you\u2019re not so comfortable with the kid playing online (and unsupervised) multiplayer elements. And so many other reasons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Regardless of why you want to stop such a program from connecting online, a trip into the canal of the Windows Firewall is the best way to do so. Let\u2019s take a look at how to block an application from accessing the Internet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Best Ways to Block a Program from Accessing the Internet<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Although we\u2019ll be demonstrating this trick on Windows 10, the basic layout and premise has remained largely unchanged over the years and you can easily adapt this tutorial to earlier versions of Windows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Step 1: Open Windows Firewall<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Launch the Windows\u00a0<strong>Settings<\/strong>\u00a0app.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Navigate to the Control Panel\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>In the left sidebar, select\u00a0<strong>&#8220;Network &amp; internet.&#8221;<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Then, Click\u00a0<strong>&#8220;Advanced network settings&#8221;<\/strong>\u00a0and choose\u00a0<strong>&#8220;Windows Firewall.&#8221;<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"650\" height=\"320\" data-src=\"https:\/\/digiconceptng.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/windows-firwall.webp\" alt=\"windows firwall\" class=\"wp-image-1029 lazyload\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/digiconceptng.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/windows-firwall.webp 650w, https:\/\/digiconceptng.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/windows-firwall-300x148.webp 300w\" data-sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 650px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 650\/320;\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Step 2: Create a New Rule<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>In the left sidebar, click <strong>Inbound Rules<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Then click <strong>New Rule<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Click on \u201c<strong>Inbound Rules<\/strong>\u201c.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-src=\"https:\/\/digiconceptng.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/inbound-rules.jpg\" alt=\"windows inbound rules\" class=\"wp-image-535 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 622px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 622\/467;\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Step 3: Select Program<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Choose <strong>Program<\/strong> and click <strong>Next<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Select <strong>This program path<\/strong>, then browse to the app you want to block.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Example: For CorelDRAW X7, the default path is:<br><code>C:\/Program Files\/Corel\/Programs64\/CorelDRW.exe<\/code><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-src=\"https:\/\/digiconceptng.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/inbound-rule-windows-firewall.jpg\" alt=\"windows inbound rules\" class=\"wp-image-537 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 651px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 651\/490;\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-src=\"https:\/\/digiconceptng.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/New-inbound-rule-wizard.jpg\" alt=\"New inbound rule wizard\" class=\"wp-image-539 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 600px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 600\/489;\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Step 4: Block the Connection<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Choose <strong>Block this connection<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>On the Profile screen, select where the rule should apply:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Domain<\/strong> (when connected to a domain network)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Private<\/strong> (home or small business network)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Public<\/strong> (public Wi-Fi like cafes or airports)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"650\" height=\"296\" data-src=\"https:\/\/digiconceptng.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/connection-block.webp\" alt=\"connection block\" class=\"wp-image-1030 lazyload\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/digiconceptng.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/connection-block.webp 650w, https:\/\/digiconceptng.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/connection-block-300x137.webp 300w\" data-sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 650px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 650\/296;\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Select the \u201cThis program path\u201d option, and then type (or browse for) the path to the program you want to block.\u201c<strong>This program path<\/strong>\u201d click on <strong>Browse <\/strong>and <strong>locate where the application is. <\/strong>in my case, I used Corel draw x7 installed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Corel draw default install location is C:\/Program Files\/Corel\/Programs64\/CorelDRW.exe<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-src=\"https:\/\/digiconceptng.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/inbound-rules-to-block-internet.jpg\" alt=\"inbound rules to block internet\" class=\"wp-image-540 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 651px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 651\/489;\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p> Click \u201c<strong>Block this connection<\/strong>\u201d which in my case is to block Corel draw x7 from accessing the internet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-src=\"https:\/\/digiconceptng.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/block-the-connection.jpg\" alt=\"block the connection\" class=\"wp-image-541 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 596px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 596\/489;\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Step 5: Name the Rule<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Give your new rule a name (e.g., <em>Block CorelDRAW X7<\/em>).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Add a short description if you like.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Click <strong>Finish<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-src=\"https:\/\/digiconceptng.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/inbound-rule-naming.jpg\" alt=\"inbound rule naming\" class=\"wp-image-542 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 597px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 597\/488;\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>That\u2019s it! Your selected app is now blocked from connecting to the internet.Extra Tip<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you want to refine the rule later (e.g., allow local connections but block internet), simply double-click the rule in your Firewall settings and adjust.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Final Thoughts<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Blocking a program from accessing the internet is simple once you know your way around Windows Firewall. Whether you\u2019re trying to stop updates, control bandwidth, or manage how apps behave online, this method works across Windows versions.<\/p><div id=\"digic-3529736868\" class=\"digic-content_2 digic-entity-placement\"><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-4104817480020566\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-4104817480020566\" \ndata-ad-slot=\"in post\" \ndata-ad-format=\"auto\"><\/ins>\n<script> \n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \n<\/script>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Was this guide helpful? Kindly share it, and check back for more practical tech tips.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Sometimes, you may want to stop an application from going online. This could be because the app tries to update itself and breaks important features, because you want to limit what your child does online, or simply because the software is unlicensed and may get blocked when it connects to the internet. Whatever the reason, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1031,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-1028","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-how-to"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/digiconceptng.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1028","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/digiconceptng.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/digiconceptng.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/digiconceptng.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/digiconceptng.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1028"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/digiconceptng.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1028\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5634,"href":"https:\/\/digiconceptng.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1028\/revisions\/5634"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/digiconceptng.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1031"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/digiconceptng.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1028"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/digiconceptng.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1028"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/digiconceptng.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1028"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}