How to Block a Program from Accessing the Internet?

Sometimes you need to block a program from accessing the internet for security or testing purposes.
Whether you're concerned about an application sending telemetry data, want to prevent automatic updates, or need to test how your software behaves offline, restricting network access gives you greater control over your system.

This guide will walk you through various methods to block programs from connecting to the internet using your operating system's built-in firewall and other security tools.

Windows 11

Using GUI

Press Windows key + S, type Control Panel, and open it.
Go to System and Security > Windows Defender Firewall
Click Advanced settings from the left panel
Select Outbound Rules , then click New Rule... on the right.
Select Program and click Next
Click Browse, select the .exe file, then click Next
Select Block the connection and click Next
Tick all three checkboxes Domain, Private, Public and click Next
Give the rule a Name and click Finish
Now, unless you remove the blocking rule, the test.exe file cannot access the internet.

Using Command Prompt

Press Windows key + S, type Command Prompt, and open it with Right Click > Run as administrator

Run below two commands in Command Prompt, For example if we have a test.exe file in the Desktop, the commands would be:

netsh advfirewall firewall add rule name="Block test.exe TCP" protocol=TCP dir=out action=block program="C:\Users\john\Desktop\test.exe"
netsh advfirewall firewall add rule name="Block test.exe UDP" protocol=UDP dir=out action=block program="C:\Users\john\Desktop\test.exe"

In the command above, replace C:\Users\john\Desktop\test.exe with the path of your target file

For Block Microsoft Store Apps

Store apps are typically installed under C:\Program Files\WindowsApps . You can find the .exe there and apply the same firewall rule as above.

How to Unblock a Program from Accessing the Internet?