How to protect your privacy in Win10

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Preston Gralla just updated his Computerworld article, to cover Win10 version 1803. You can’t stop the snooping entirely, but you can dial it back.
[See the full post at: How to protect your privacy in Win10]

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CyGuy, Morty, Noel Carboni, Elly, lmacri

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Why do people even bother with Windows 10? Your settings and the bloatware get reset every other update anyway, so you would have to monitor your settings like a hawk. Is it really worth it for 3 seconds faster startup time and UWP apps? Don’t get me wrong, it’s a helpful article, but I don’t see how people can live with this. Windows 10 is a closed source cloud service, of course you’re not gonna have your privacy, and by the looks of it, things are not gonna get better.

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Bill C., HiFlyer

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There are third-party tools from several vendors which can help you create and save a Windows 10 privacy configuration, then reset everything the way you saved it, all in one app.  I can’t vouch for the privacy of these third-party apps themselves, but one such app is O&O ShutUp 10:

https://www.oo-software.com/en/shutup10

Other users of these forums have their own preferences.

Any of these tools will make resetting privacy preferences after any Windows 10 update just a matter of opening the app and making a couple of clicks. If anything changes, ShutUp 10 gets updated. The app has a Recommended configuration, which is what I use. This avoids turning off so many things that system performance or stability may be impacted, or you might not get important security updates anymore. You are prompted to set a Windows System Restore Point before changing anything, which is a further safeguard.

Managing the updates themselves is a whole other kettle of fish.

-- rc primak

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BobbyB

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What’s hard to figure out is whether setting all the sliders to “private” leaves a system in a serviceable (or even usable) state.

Apps like O&O ShutUp10 make the process of reconfiguring easier and they do make an attempt to let you know what’s affected, but at the pace of Win 10 releases it may just be that NO ONE knows the implications of changing some of these settings.

In past versions of Windows 10 (e.g., v1703 and v1709) I’ve had my setup just stop being able to be updated. I have not had that happen yet with v1803 on which (possibly coincidentally) I haven’t done as much tweaking.

-Noel

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AlexEiffel, BobbyB

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Why do people even bother with Windows 10?

Line of business apps, AutoCAD, Solidworks. All other things we deal with are available on other platforms.

Edit to remove HTML. Please use the “Text” tab in the post entry box when you copy/paste.

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FakeNinja wrote:

Why do people even bother with Windows 10?

What would you have people do who need new computers and want a particular one?  They come with Windows 10 so it has nothing to do with “bothering” with Windows 10. There is no choice really.

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I got a headache trying to follow the maze of settings that have to be tweaked in Windows 10 1803 to curb, not eliminate, Windows’ intrusive behaviors.

It’s a lot easier to install Linux and put Windows 10 in your rear view mirror.

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johnf, HiFlyer

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…or in a virtual machine.

Group "L" (Linux Mint)
with Windows 10 running in a remote session on my file server

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johnf, Noel Carboni

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unfortunately all new pc’s coming into my office now have win10 pro. i’ve created the registry key “windows search” and set to 0 to disable cortana on all, it does seem to stick. i also do the complete setup without an internet connection, just a local admin account. when it comes time to install office, no choice but to connect to internet, then join domain.

i’ve have limited success on delaying updates, shutting off all tracking, they do get reset. overall i see it as a losing battle, but and not cost effective to get the enterprise version. another handful of years and it will be someone else’s problem to deal with in the office. i’m all linux going forward at home.

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AlexEiffel

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I updated 1703 to 1803 yesterday and was pleasantly surprised to find my Registry Cortana block did not get removed. Neither did any other privacy setting (examined so far).

With with privacy setting intact, programs all in place and files still on the desktop it was a relatively painless update. All that remains is to discover what’s new in this new version of Microsoft snoop.

Group A (but Telemetry disabled Tasks and Registry)
1) Dell Inspiron with Win 11 64 Home permanently in dock due to "sorry spares no longer made".
2) Dell Inspiron with Win 11 64 Home (substantial discount with Pro version available only at full price)

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There is at least one not minor: forced web searches when using the Windows search tool, so now Microsoft can build a profile of your local searches even if you never want to search the web from the Windies search tool.

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Cybertooth, ch100

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Concerning the Cortana Registry block, there are some nice updated, June 22, 2018, instructions for Disabling Cortana, and returning the Search to local computer only, at this Lifewire article:
https://www.lifewire.com/turn-off-cortana-in-windows-10-4165920

and thanks SteveTree for mentioning the upgrade from 1703 to 1803 keeps the Registry block in place. I am currently on 1709.522 (June 21), I skipped the July updates and will wait for Woody to give us the Defcon 3 or hopefully better, signal to update. Cheers.

Amazing Truths Revealed: Link to Simply Magnificent AskWoody Knowledge Bases

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HiFlyer, Cybertooth

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I’m still debating on whether I should try to upgrade one of my 1709’s to 1803 this weekend. Veeam does backups every night, so nothing will be lost if it goes kaput. I guess I might as well give it a go, a few more gray hairs won’t hurt…

IMHO Win10 privacy is still a grossly over-exaggerated “problem”. I do check from time to time to see if my settings have been reverted, but so far, 2 feature upgrades later, they have not. You really can set your choices off the OOBE screen, and then go into settings for two minutes and set the rest (including deferrals) and you’re done.

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Done yesterday. I found it painless. Programs all intact, desktop intact, files intact and settings all intact.

Standard mealey-mouthed disclaimer  – YMMV.

Group A (but Telemetry disabled Tasks and Registry)
1) Dell Inspiron with Win 11 64 Home permanently in dock due to "sorry spares no longer made".
2) Dell Inspiron with Win 11 64 Home (substantial discount with Pro version available only at full price)

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Not quite all settings intact. Having just opened Task Scheduler, Application Experience tasks relating to Telemetry were back on so it looks like there’s a need to dig into notes to check other locations not included in the Settings App.

Group A (but Telemetry disabled Tasks and Registry)
1) Dell Inspiron with Win 11 64 Home permanently in dock due to "sorry spares no longer made".
2) Dell Inspiron with Win 11 64 Home (substantial discount with Pro version available only at full price)

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HiFlyer

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Last week Martin Brinkmann posted an interesting article on Ghacks.net about the commands for setting up W10 from new using the windows-setup-automation from MSFT.

While home users may not need most of the commands, some, such as disabling Telemetry, installing extra drivers, loading third-party encryption drivers, and more, can certainly be useful in a home context.

This may be of use to some out there.

Note: My bolding

Windows - commercial by definition and now function...

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HiFlyer, Kirsty, woody

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@microfix thanks for that interesting link, begs the question are they going back to the old ei.cfg file that used to reside in the Sources folder?
[SetupConfig]
NoReboot
ShowOobe=None
Telemetry=Enable
ReflectDrivers = <path of folder containing INF and SYS files for the encryption drivers>
Interesting indeed I still use the unattend.xml for clean installs thrown in on the root of the install media, which you’ll probably know is a pain to create especially for a specialised deployment. Its a bad year when I have to lock swords with SIM in ADK, mercifully with Win10 and the “fast and furious” change of versions the old .xmls still have some functionality enough to minimise tweaking after set up. So I am definitely in favour of a simpler format for the average user, as an aid for a regular user contemplating a clean install with Win10 and wants to select the version during set up and/or avoid the, on very rare occasions, you can still use a ei.cfg in the sources folder same as Win7-8.1 especially useful if your installing Win’s 7-8.1 on machines never intended for that version or you just want to choose the version. There’s a “Ton” more I could write about the subject but its either “Snooze” Material or way off Topic. So for a quick and simple solution after setup (with network off) Plough through all your settings as per article to your satisfaction, delete you M$ stuff you don’t want either with Power Shell or uninstall, Install WinaeroTweaker and it does the lot, to many to mention, Cortana, MSRT, Drivers, Telemetry, Ad’s and “crudware” from M$ and its quick and easy to use even does appearance tweaks too awesome. (do we still get follow up Mail on Topics not seen one for a while? just wondering here not a biggie )
PS for simpler creation of .xml ‘s you can use this web site http://www.windowsafg.com/ not very full featured alas but possibly enough for the average user.

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Well-written article – thorough and easy to understand.

There is A LOT you have to do to lock down Windows 10! In addition to individual settings, they should include category settings, allowing you to lock several things down with one switch. My guess is that Microsoft will include such a capability in a future release of Windows 10.

Group "L" (Linux Mint)
with Windows 10 running in a remote session on my file server

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Private Morty is still using Win 10.

But Google knows more about me than I do.

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ch100, RTEsysadmin, BobbyB, Microfix

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Love that the link from Vess (https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/privacy/manage-windows-endpoints) shows that Microsoft bakes in an endpoint for Candy Crush Saga: candycrushsoda.king.com

Does that mean Server 2016 is trying to get Candy Crush updates too?

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Quite telling that any end users are not supposed to know the process which communicates with the sponsored application endpoints.

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If this has raised issues for you about telemetry or snooping in earlier (but supported) versions of Windows, check out the relevant topics in our Knowledge Base.
(yes, very tongue-in-cheek, but I thought the information might be new to some of our Loungers and guests)

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The manual approach to disable telemetry and user-tracking on Windows 10 is way too naive. These are some the best applications that you can use, from worst to best: O&O ShutUp, WPD (Windows Privacy Dashboard), W10Privacy and Blackbird.

But scripts are needed too, like Debloat Windows 10 and others.

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Those apps add the pertinent keys to the registry where needed to provide the changes, which is something anyone can easily do themselves (and batch script, as I do).

Anything above that, such as futzing with the HOSTS file or disabling services, can also be done manually and in a batch script.

All those apps do is provide a GUI for users who want one. Nothing more, nothing less.

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Lars220 wrote:

I skipped the July updates and will wait for Woody to give us the Defcon 3 or hopefully better, signal to update. Cheers.

Wise move.  Mine was installed almost by accident. I was using DISM to find space within WinSxS on a cramped hard drive. I was a little late with WUShowHide when update was turned on for RestoreHealth. Since 1709 had previously been refused there was no expectation it would complete. The query about scheduling a shut-down time  came as a great surprise. The choice to defer shut-down (up to a week, from memory) almost seemed polite in comparison to the 1703 update experience.

Group A (but Telemetry disabled Tasks and Registry)
1) Dell Inspiron with Win 11 64 Home permanently in dock due to "sorry spares no longer made".
2) Dell Inspiron with Win 11 64 Home (substantial discount with Pro version available only at full price)

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Lars220 wrote:

Concerning the Cortana Registry block, there are some nice updated, June 22, 2018, instructions for Disabling Cortana, and returning the Search to local computer only, at this Lifewire article: https://www.lifewire.com/turn-off-cortana-in-windows-10-4165920 .

That’s not new and at an irritating site that almost gave me a migraine headache as it has stuff jumping all over the page! I did the GPEdit last December when I got this Win 10 Pro machine.  But that doesn’t stop and kill Cortana.  It still runs several instances of itself in task manager.  It still works. ..at least appears to work for search.  I don’t really understand Cortana anyway because I don’t have a $100 mike (or any mike) attached to my computer in a sound proofed room and that is the only way speech on Windows works (after you have extensively trained it)…it’s a joke.  Microsoft has never done anything since XP to improve Speech.

I would never use Windows based c****y search anyway and I turn off Indexing as soon as I get a new computer as it is unneeded and insulting…I can’t use Explorer to find something?  If I really can’t find something that way I use Agent Ransack.

Maybe I should do the registry fix but will that actually FULLY KILL IT?  I have read countless places that it is NOT possible to fully kill it (much less remove it…not hide it but actually remove it forever off the computer).  I found it was impossible to fully remove Microsoft apps off Windows 8.0 Pro.  You thought, after much effort of many, many hours that you had but all you did was hide them deep.

I want to know how to actually KILL IT AND REMOVE IT from the computer.  I don’t think that is possible though.

 

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Mele20 wrote:

I found it was impossible to fully remove Microsoft apps off Windows 8.0 Pro.

They’re gone from my Windows 8.1 installation.  They can be removed if you get a bigger hammer… the question is whether what’s left will still work.  In 8.1, it does, beautifully.  In 10 when I tried it in 2015, also beautifully.  Now, as Noel reports, not so much anymore.

 

Dell XPS 13/9310, i5-1135G7/16GB, KDE Neon 6.2
XPG Xenia 15, i7-9750H/32GB & GTX1660ti, Kubuntu 24.04
Acer Swift Go 14, i5-1335U/16GB, Kubuntu 24.04 (and Win 11)

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HiFlyer, columbia2011

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I apologize for upsetting anyone, I was just trying to be helpful. Just for info, I use Fifefox with Adblock Plus and do not seem to be bothered by blinking ads. That ‘Lifewire’ website uses animated gifs to show a series of pictures in one frame, with no way to slow it down. I noticed that the website had been updated on June 22, 2018, I was not trying to imply that this was new information, only that I thought it had good instructions. For some also decent instructions on disabling Cortana, without any blinking stuff that I noticed, maybe this website could be useful for some people, hopefully (?)

https://pureinfotech.com/disable-web-search-windows-10-version-1803/

 

Amazing Truths Revealed: Link to Simply Magnificent AskWoody Knowledge Bases

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HiFlyer, bjm

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Lars220 wrote:

For some also decent instructions on disabling Cortana, without any blinking stuff that I noticed, maybe this website could be useful for some people, hopefully (?)

Sorry, if I sounded grumpy.  I really dislike Cortana and the fact I can’t keep it from running in task manager although it is disabled.

That pureinfotech site page looks useful but it would be nice if I saw the images…there are huge blanks where the images should be on all my browsers (maybe the site doesn’t like Windows 10 1709)?  I even disabled my ad blockers and still saw no images, but for those who can see the images, it looks helpful.

 

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Yoda says

Hard-wired into windows 10, Cortana is.

Totally switched off Cortana cannot be.

Learn to live with the service you must.

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