How to blacklist products from specific developers in Windows 10.

Question

I’ve found a lot of different posts, but they are usually very outdated.

How can I blacklist all products from specific developers so that nothing from them can be installed or launched — ideally blocked by both antivirus and/or firewall?

Specifically, I’m interested in blocking all programs from developers like Yandex and Mail.ru.

I seem to remember reading somewhere that you could save the developers' certificates from applications and then add those certificates to a blacklist. But to do this, you would need to download those programs first to "extract" the certificates.

I’m looking for a simple, one-time solution.

Maybe it’s possible to block by name patterns? For example, .*yandex.* and .*mail.ru.* — so that under no circumstances would these programs be granted permission to run or perform any actions.

Answer 1

To block all products from specific developers like Yandex and Mail.ru, here's a straightforward approach you can consider:

1. Using Antivirus Software:

Many antivirus programs allow you to block software based on file names, developers, or signatures. You could check if your antivirus allows you to blacklist certain developers or block programs from specific publishers. Look for a feature like “Application Control” or “Program Blocker”. Some antivirus solutions, such as Bitdefender or Kaspersky, may have this functionality.

2. Using Windows Group Policy:

If you're using Windows, you can use Group Policy to block specific executables from running. You can create a rule that prevents files with certain names (e.g., yandex or mail.ru) from being executed. Here’s how:

Open gpedit.msc (Group Policy Editor) on your computer.

Go to User Configuration > Administrative Templates > System.

Find and enable the setting for "Don't run specified Windows applications".

Add the names of the applications or patterns (e.g., yandex, mail.ru) that you want to block.

This is a straightforward way to stop the apps from running, but it doesn’t block installations.

3. Using Firewalls:

You can also block specific domains and IP addresses associated with the developers through your firewall. For example:

Block any traffic to domains like yandex.ru or mail.ru.

This will prevent software from accessing the internet and may interfere with its operation, but it won’t necessarily stop the programs from being installed or run.

4. Blocking by Certificate:

Yes, you’re correct that one way to block software from certain developers is by blacklisting their digital certificates. However, this involves downloading their software first to extract the certificates, which might not be the most practical solution for a one-time block. If you’re willing to do that, you can extract the certificates from the executable files and add them to your trusted or untrusted list (depending on your antivirus or firewall software).

5. Blocking by File Name or Pattern:

You can use Windows Defender or other tools to block specific file patterns using file name matching (e.g., .yandex. or .mail.ru.). This will prevent the apps from running, but again, this approach would need some configuration.

6. Third-Party Software:

There are third-party tools like AppLocker (available in certain Windows editions) or System Policy Editor that can help you enforce these blocks at a system level. These tools let you create rules that block executables from running based on specific criteria, such as publisher name or file name pattern.

7. Regular Maintenance:

If you’re looking for a one-time solution, consider running a manual audit of your system for any Yandex or Mail.ru software and removing it. Then, you can apply the blocking measures above to ensure nothing new gets installed.

By combining these methods, you can effectively prevent software from specific developers from running on your system.

Answer 2

Hi Nik6000,

Thank you for posting in Microsoft Q&A.

You can give a try to App Locker. Run gpedit.msc as administrator to open Group Policy Editor and go to Computer Configuration > Windows Settings > Security Settings > Application Control Policies > AppLocker. Right-click on Executable Rules, select Create New Rule and then follow the wizard to create a rule. Choose Deny as the action and Publisher as the primary condition.

Best Regards,

Ian Xue

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