Check your network 1 status and name your kill switch
We’ll explain how to create a kill switch in Windows by setting up a shortcut that you can activate by clicking an icon or pressing a keyboard shortcut. We’ll also show you how to create a shortcut that reconnects you to the internet once the emergency has passed.
Windows 10 doesn’t offer a kill switch option, so you’ll need to create one. First, open Settings, either by pressing Windows key+i, or clicking the Start button followed by the Settings gear icon.
When the Settings window opens, click ‘Network & Internet’. Look under ‘Network status’ on the right, and note down the name of the network adapter that connects your computer to the internet. If it’s a wired connection, you should see ‘Ethernet’ (see screenshot above); wireless connections will show ‘Wifi’. The adapter’s name may differ.
Now you can close Settings. Next, right-click a blank area of your desktop, then click New, followed by Shortcut. The ‘Create Shortcut’ box will open. You need to type the following command into the box under ‘Type the location of your item’, to the left of the Browse button: C:\windows\system32\netsh. exe interface set interface name=”xxxx” admin = disabled (you can cut and paste this from our Pastebin account: www. snipca.com/39324).
Where we’ve put XXXX, type the name of your network adapter you noted down earlier. For example, for Ethernet type C:\windows\system32\netsh.exe interface set interface name="ethernet" admin = disabled (see screenshot above). Also note that if Windows isn’t installed on your C drive, you’ll need to change that letter.
Next, you need to give this shortcut a name that you’ll remember and easily spot in an emergency. ‘Kill Switch’ is a good option, but you may forget what this means when you’re under pressure. ‘Switch off internet’ is more literal and so might have more impact. When you’ve decided on a name, click Next then type it in. Now all you need to do is click Finish. The shortcut will appear on your desktop, ready for you to click when the time comes.
Add an icon to your 2 kill switch
Giving your kill switch a memorable name is only half the task of making it stand out. You should also change the icon so it grabs the eye
immediately. There’s no point in having a panic button that you can’t find when you need it.
Right-click the shortcut you’ve created ( 1 in screenshot above) and choose Properties. When the Properties box opens, click ‘Change Icon…’ at the bottom 2 . If you see a message saying that the file contains no icons, click OK to dismiss it. Now use the slider at the bottom of the Change Icon box( 1 in screenshot above right) to find a suitable high-impact image. The red ‘No entry’ sign 2 is a strong option, as is the yellow warning triangle. When you’ve decided on an icon, click it, then OK below.
Add a keyboard shortcut 3 to your kill switch
Now it’s time to create a keyboard shortcut for your kill switch. Go back to the Properties box and look for the ‘Shortcut key’ field. Click within this field, then press the combination of keys you want to use to trigger your switch (Windows may try to complete this for you). We’ve chosen Ctrl+shift+k (see screenshot below left), with K for Kill. Click ‘Apply’ at the bottom right to save your choice. You now have two ways of activating your kill switch: by clicking an icon or pressing a keyboard shortcut.
There’s one more important tweak to make. Turning off a network adapter requires administrator privileges, so click the Advanced button at the bottom right of the Properties box ( 1 in screenshot below), then select ‘Run as administrator’ 2 and click OK 3 .
Click ‘OK’ one more time in the Properties box, then click OK to save the changes to your kill switch. You can keep the switch on your desktop, but you may find it easier to click by dragging it to the taskbar and pinning it there.
4 Create a ‘Reconnect’ switch
Don’t be tempted to test your kill switch just yet. First, you need to create a ‘reconnect’ switch to get your PC back online when the danger has passed. To do this, repeat steps 1 to 3. When you open the ‘Create Shortcut’ box in Step 1, type the following into the location box:
C:\windows\system32\netsh.exe interface set interface name="xxxx" admin = enabled (see screenshot above). You can cut and paste this from www. snipca.com/39325). Note that ‘enabled’ has replaced ‘disabled’ from the earlier command. As before, replace the ‘XXXX’ with the name of your network adapter, adding the letter of your hard drive if necessary.
Now give the shortcut a suitable name, such as ‘Get back online’ or ‘Reconnect’, then click Finish. You can make the same changes to this icon as you did to the kill switch: right-click it ( 1 in screenshot above right), then select Properties, ‘Change Icon…’ 2 . Move the slider along and you’ll see several suitable icons, including green ticks 3 , globes and computer screens. To set up a keyboard shortcut, follow the same process as before – and don’t forget to grant administrator permission.
Click OK to save your ‘Reconnect’ switch, then exit the Properties box. You can then leave the icon on the desktop, or drag it to the taskbar - though it’s probably a good idea to keep the kill switch in a separate place.
5 Test your kill switch
Now it’s time to check that your kill switch works. Try both of the methods you set up to activate it, clicking the icon and pressing the keyboard shortcut. You’ll see a User Account Control prompt asking if you’re sure you want to allow this app to make changes to your device. This is an important warning. Yes, it adds an extra step to your kill switch, but it also stops you triggering it accidentally. Click ‘Yes’ to continue.
Your network adapter should now be disabled, terminating your internet connection. Open Windows Settings, then click ‘Network and Internet’. Under ‘Network status’ you’ll see ‘Not connected - you aren’t connected to any networks’ (see screenshot left). To turn it back on, just click or double-click your reconnect icon, or use the keyboard shortcut.
Don’t panic if you can’t get back online. Just go to Settings, ‘Network & Internet’ and select ‘Change adapter options’. Double-click your network adapter to enable it and reconnect to the internet.