Block Internet Access for Any Application in Seconds 😳

Open the Advanced Firewall Console

Press Win + R to open the Run box, type the command below and press Enter. This opens Windows Defender Firewall with Advanced Security — the console where you can create a rule for one specific program file. Sign in with an administrator account, because creating firewall rules needs admin rights.

wf.msc

Start a New Outbound Rule

In the left pane, click Outbound Rules. Then, in the Actions pane on the right, click New Rule…. Outbound rules control the connections your PC starts towards the internet — and that is exactly the direction an application uses when it goes online, checks for updates or phones home.

Point the Rule at the Program's EXE

On the Rule Type screen, select Program and click Next. Choose This program path, click Browse, and select the application's main .exe file. Most programs live under C:\Program Files or C:\Program Files (x86), inside the app's own folder.

Block the Connection on All Profiles

On the Action screen, select Block the connection and click Next. On the Profile screen, keep all three profiles ticked — Domain, Private and Public — so the block works on every network, then click Next again.

Name the Rule, Finish and Test

Give the rule a clear name, for example Block AppName Internet, and click Finish. The rule is active immediately — no restart needed. Now start the application and try anything in it that needs the internet: it should fail to connect, while the rest of your PC stays online as normal.

Still Going Online? Block the File That Really Connects

If the app still reaches the internet, the rule is almost certainly pointing at the wrong file. Many applications start through a small launcher (Launcher.exe) while the real work — and the internet connection — happens in the main executable (for example AppCore.exe). Blocking only the launcher changes nothing: add a rule for the main exe as well.

Version folders are the second trap. Some apps keep their exe inside a version folder — app-1.9 today, app-2.0 after the next update. Your rule still points at the old folder, so the updated app slips straight past it. Open the rule's Properties and correct the program path to the new version's exe, or add a second rule.

Third, check for a background service: if the application installs a Windows service, the service's own exe may be the file that connects. Block that file too, using the same outbound rule method.