[Guide] Disable Data Collection in Windows 10

[bookie32]

Hi Guys!

Can someone do an update here....

I have a test Windows ** computer and would like to know who has the most up to date list of what to do and not do on Windows ** Pro...

I wll not be using the Home version...

Would appreciate some up to date feed back....and I know that I am behind the times....been avoiding Windows ** like the plague....sorry for the pun....

bookie32

[alacran]

I use this 3 free programs:

MSMG Toolkit

This is a good start to let you remove all unwanted (CR)Apps and many other parts, from your install.wim image indexes including some related to telemetry MSMG Toolkit: https://msmgtoolkit.in/

O&O ShutUp10

After install you can also use O&O ShutUp10: https://www.oo-software.com/en/shutup10

Firewall App Blocker

And finally you can use Firewall App Blocker (Fab) v1.6, by means of Whitelist all inbond and outbond connections are blocked, and only the programs you select will be able to connect to Internet: https://www.sordum.org/8125/firewall-app-blocker-fab-v1-6/

alacran

 

Edited April 9, 2020 by alacran
Additional ifo

[bookie32]

Hi alacran!

Thanks for the update!

bookie32

[Bruninho]

How come I didn’t know about this guide? It would possibly make Win 10 bearable for me in certain situations. I might try it when I reinstall it again some day.

[Bruninho]

BTW, is there a way to reduce the Windows 10 footprint on hard disk? Currently it is ten times bigger than my Windows 2000 VM...

[Tripredacus]

Nuhi has NTLite: https://www.ntlite.com/

[ZaPbUzZ]

Just like to inform interested persons of a real privacy dashboard that also removes some built in windows apps. A built in blocklist and a Microsoft shut up blocker as well. It is available in the following link and it is the best thing I've found especially for this years internet issues I actually got some stability issues resolved by setting it up just after fresh install of windows 10. It also works on other versions as well. WPD Windows Privacy Dashboard

Edited October 18, 2020 by ZaPbUzZ
additional info

[cov3rt]

i personally do not like to use third party apps to change settings, unless there is no other choice or practical workaround. that being said, i was wondering if anyone knows what would be the most optimal settings for telemetry on windows 10. what i mean by this is, i only want the crucial factors that microsoft would need to provide updates, etc. from what i researched, windows 10 enterprise is the only one that's mentioned for allowing the "0" enabled setting in group policy for allowtelemetry setting, however, the connected user experience and telemetry service in services.msc must be in the default setting, enabled / manual? for it work properly? but the same also would need to be done for professional and home editions for example, if using the "1" setting in group policy for allowtelemetry. the only other setting i can think of that also needs to be set is required diagnostic data, found in settings - privacy - diagnostics & feedback. however, from what i also looked at, there is something else related to the telemetry from taskmanager, called "Microsoft Compatibility Appraiser", which can somehow be disabled.   

if someone knows what would be the best settings or a recommendation for all this, that would be nice. for me, the datacollection and privacy is one thing, but another is knowing how much there'd be slowdown and from what angles. i can understand the frustration from people alike, who share the same concern, because not knowing the exact details of whats happening from all these windows 10 things is a problem. 

[Monroe]

I am reading this today ... an article dated yesterday (March 22) in a CA Newsletter. I don't use Windows 10 but is this article actually true?

"Windows 10 Secretly Listens to Everything You Say and Records All Your Keystrokes with Hidden Keylogger that Uploads to Microsoft"

https://humansarefree.com/2021/03/creepy-bill-gates-strikes-again-windows-10-secretly-listens-to-everything-you-say-and-records-all-your-keystrokes-with-hidden-keylogger-that-uploads-to-microsoft.html

It is in this CA News Letter:

https://presscalifornia.com/

If there is some truth to this article ... I can't imagine all the information coming in from everywhere with all the Windows 10 machines out there in the world on a daily basis. Where would it all be stored and of what real use with all the keystrokes and verbal speech being saved. Too much for 'humans' to look through ... right?

It says it can be turned 'off' ... who knows for sure, how would a person confirm that?

...

 

Edited March 23, 2021 by Monroe
sp

[Gansangriff]

Monitoring your own network is easy. Get a network analysis software like Wireshark and have a look at, what happens on your network. And then you have to ask for every web packet, why it's there. You'll come across different web protocols. And then you need a wall to block everything you didn't ask for: A firewall! Even if it might not be possible to configure current Windows to not chat around, with a good firewall their connections can be blocked surely.

Be aware of the fact, that the Hosts file is undermined since Windows XP! Microsoft servers can't be blocked with it, instead, block entries for some websites are just ignored. Very trustworthy, indeed, my dear Microsoft!

For some reason, todays computer still start up, even if no internet connection is there. Consider there were discussions about Windows XP needing an internet connection to activate it 15 years ago (telephone activation was possible, too). People got upset about the power, Microsoft tried to enforce on the users.

So Microsoft working against user privacy, 100% true! And not only them. Maybe have a look at something as harmless looking as a printer. Color printers put a nearly-invisible yellow grid (MIC, Machine Identification Code) over your printouts. It is reported, that this method helped the NSA sometimes.

Collecting and reading data is done by machines. A huge database about what people have said and done. The big brother presses Ctrl+F on the giant database, searches for the keywords of choice. You better stay on the rails to avoid being found! This is no order!

Dammit! I can tell you that the East German state security would have been very keen on these spying technologies... they would have used them! They've educated people to spy on each other. You can't believe how cruel humans can be. I'm sorry to sound that negative, but it happened unfortuneatly before... so you better set up your network right!

[Dixel]

3 hours ago, Gansangriff said:

Monitoring your own network is easy...

I like your post , though blocking is not easy , even with a good firewall . As one may guess , they (devs of firewalls) may (surely) work in conjuction with corporations. I have a good example , I will just leave the link here , I do not like double posting . That's just one example , I have others . Any ideas ?

https://msfn.org/board/topic/62611-ssdp-discovery-service-ssdpsrv/?do=findComment&comment=1195214

[Monroe]

6 hours ago, Gansangriff said:

Monitoring your own network is easy. Get a network analysis software like Wireshark and have a look at, what happens on your network. And then you have to ask for every web packet, why it's there. You'll come across different web protocols. And then you need a wall to block everything you didn't ask for: A firewall! Even if it might not be possible to configure current Windows to not chat around, with a good firewall their connections can be blocked surely.

Be aware of the fact, that the Hosts file is undermined since Windows XP! Microsoft servers can't be blocked with it, instead, block entries for some websites are just ignored. Very trustworthy, indeed, my dear Microsoft!

For some reason, todays computer still start up, even if no internet connection is there. Consider there were discussions about Windows XP needing an internet connection to activate it 15 years ago (telephone activation was possible, too). People got upset about the power, Microsoft tried to enforce on the users.

 

I also liked reading your post. I was not aware that the 'Host file' is not 100% secure. I will check Wireshark out. I found the last version to work with Win XP ... "As shown on the Wireshark Wiki LifeCycle page, the last version to support XP is 1.10 and the last release of that was 1.10.14".

Thanks for the reply.

...

[Tripredacus]

Wireshark can be overwhelming for beginners, you can also look into something else like TCPView.

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/tcpview

[RanCorX2]

NetLimiter is also good but it's not free, it's mostly for restricting connections though.

btw is there any other sites like https://browserleaks.com/ip that check for tcpip fingerprinting? i recently changed my mtu to one that doesn't fragment packets and now that site doesn't detect my windows os, only shows hops and mtu. I did change a few other settings too.

I read this https://www.irongeek.com/i.php?page=security/osfuscate-change-your-windows-os-tcp-ip-fingerprint-to-confuse-p0f-networkminer-ettercap-nmap-and-other-os-detection-tools before having a tinker.

Edited August 21, 2021 by RanCorX2

[legacyfan]

glarysoft has a bunch of good bloat removers as well (uninstall tools cleaners anything you would need for a clean windows 10 install) there's also ltsc for an even more spy free and bloat free is choice