Tech talk, cold comfort.

How to disable Windows 10 spyware telemetry logging.

RECOMMENDED, SEE ALSO: How to use Windows Firewall in an efficient manner (BLOCK ALL EXCEPT).

I have gathered a bunch of information from around the Web. Will try to keep this post update when I find new stuff. Remember that I have used these on an "Enterprise" version of Windows 10. I have no idea if these will work on other Windows 10 editions.

Use at your own risk. I do NOT recommend turning off "Windows Defender".

For lazy or novice users:

Use this tool called "DoNotSpy10". I have cached version "1.0.0.1" for you here but you should probably use the latest version. I have not used this tool personally but it seems to be safe to use.

DoNotSpy10-1.0.0.1-Setup.zip

(761.63 KiB) Downloaded 2189 times

For semi advanced users:

"Start" > "Settings" > "Privacy" and turn off everything.

"Start" > "Update & security" > "Advanced options" > "Choose how updates are delivered" and turn off everything.

"Computer management" > "System tools" > "Task scheduler" > "Task scheduler library" > "Microsoft" > "Windows". Disabled these:

"Application Experience" -> "Microsoft Compatibility Appraiser"
"Application Experience" -> "ProgramDataUpdater"
"Autochk" -> "Proxy"
"Customer Experience Improvement Program" -> "Consolidator"
"Customer Experience Improvement Program" -> "KernelCeipTask"
"Customer Experience Improvement Program" -> "UsbCeip"
"DiskDiagnostic" -> "Microsoft-Windows-DiskDiagnosticDataCollector"
"PI" -> "Sqm-Tasks"
"Power Efficiency Diagnostics" -> "AnalyzeSystem"
"Windows Error Reporting" -> "QueueReporting"

Run "gpedit.msc" and...

"Computer Configuration" > "Administrative Templates" > "Windows Components" > "Data Collection and Preview Builds" > Double click "Allow Telemetry", make it "Enabled" and then set the value to 0 and click apply.

"Computer Configuration" > "Administrative Templates" > "Windows Components" > "OneDrive" > Double click "Prevent the usage of OneDrive for file storage", make it "Enabled".

Some people also like to disabled "Windows Defender" but I personally don't recommend it. You should leave it on but in case you don't like it, here is how to disable it:

"Computer Configuration" > "Administrative Templates" > "Windows Components" > "Windows Defender" > Double click "Turn Off Windows Defender", make it "Enabled".

(You need to restart the computer or run "gpupdate /force".

Run "regedit" and...

Delete these:

KEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetControlWMIAutoLoggerAutoLogger-Diagtrack-Listener
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetControlWMIAutoLoggerSQMLogger

There is a file called "hosts" inside "c:windowssystem32driversetc", edit it with notepad (you need to run notepad as administrator) add these lines to it:

Code: Select all

# WINDOWS 10:START (UPDATED: 2015-08-10)
0.0.0.0 a.ads1.msn.com
0.0.0.0 a.ads2.msn.com
0.0.0.0 a-0001.a-msedge.net
0.0.0.0 a1621.g.akamai.net
0.0.0.0 a1856.g2.akamai.net
0.0.0.0 a1961.g.akamai.net
0.0.0.0 a23-218-212-69.deploy.static.akamaitechnologies.com
0.0.0.0 a248.e.akamai.net
0.0.0.0 a978.i6g1.akamai.net
0.0.0.0 ad.doubleclick.net
0.0.0.0 adnexus.net
0.0.0.0 adnxs.com
0.0.0.0 ads.msn.com
0.0.0.0 ads1.msads.net
0.0.0.0 ads1.msn.com
0.0.0.0 americas2.notify.windows.com.akadns.net
0.0.0.0 any.edge.bing.com
0.0.0.0 az361816.vo.msecnd.net
0.0.0.0 az512334.vo.msecnd.net
0.0.0.0 bl3302.storage.live.com
0.0.0.0 bl3302geo.storage.dkyprod.akadns.net
0.0.0.0 BN1WNS2011508.wns.windows.com
0.0.0.0 cdnjs.cloudflare.com.cdn.cloudflare.net
0.0.0.0 cdp1.public-trust.com
0.0.0.0 choice.microsoft.com
0.0.0.0 choice.microsoft.com.nsatc.net
0.0.0.0 client.wns.windows.com
0.0.0.0 compatexchange.cloudapp.net
0.0.0.0 corp.sts.microsoft.com
0.0.0.0 corpext.msitadfs.glbdns2.microsoft.com
0.0.0.0 cs1.wpc.v0cdn.net
0.0.0.0 df.telemetry.microsoft.com
0.0.0.0 diagnostics.support.microsoft.com
0.0.0.0 directory.services.live.com
0.0.0.0 directory.services.live.com.akadns.net
0.0.0.0 dns.msftncsi.com
0.0.0.0 e2835.dspb.akamaiedge.net
0.0.0.0 e7341.g.akamaiedge.net
0.0.0.0 e7502.ce.akamaiedge.net
0.0.0.0 e8218.ce.akamaiedge.net
0.0.0.0 en-us.appex-rf.msn.com
0.0.0.0 fe2.update.microsoft.com.akadns.net
0.0.0.0 fe2.ws.microsoft.com.nsatc.net
0.0.0.0 fe3.delivery.dsp.mp.microsoft.com.nsatc.net
0.0.0.0 fe3.delivery.mp.microsoft.com
0.0.0.0 feedback.microsoft-hohm.com
0.0.0.0 feedback.search.microsoft.com
0.0.0.0 feedback.windows.com
0.0.0.0 hostedocsp.globalsign.com
0.0.0.0 i1.services.social.microsoft.com
0.0.0.0 i1.services.social.microsoft.com.nsatc.net
0.0.0.0 ipv6.msftncsi.com
0.0.0.0 ipv6.msftncsi.com.edgesuite.net
0.0.0.0 lb1.www.ms.akadns.net
0.0.0.0 li581-132.members.linode.com
0.0.0.0 login.live.com.nsatc.net
0.0.0.0 msnbot-65-55-108-23.search.msn.com
0.0.0.0 oca.telemetry.microsoft.com
0.0.0.0 oca.telemetry.microsoft.com.nsatc.net
0.0.0.0 OneSettings-bn2.metron.live.com.nsatc.net
0.0.0.0 pre.footprintpredict.com
0.0.0.0 preview.msn.com
0.0.0.0 rad.msn.com
0.0.0.0 redir.metaservices.microsoft.com
0.0.0.0 register.mesh.com
0.0.0.0 reports.wes.df.telemetry.microsoft.com
0.0.0.0 schemas.microsoft.akadns.net
0.0.0.0 services.wes.df.telemetry.microsoft.com
0.0.0.0 settings.data.glbdns2.microsoft.com
0.0.0.0 settings-sandbox.data.microsoft.com
0.0.0.0 settings-win.data.microsoft.com
0.0.0.0 skyapi.live.net
0.0.0.0 skyapi.skyprod.akadns.net
0.0.0.0 skydrive.wns.windows.com
0.0.0.0 sls.update.microsoft.com.akadns.net
0.0.0.0 sqm.df.telemetry.microsoft.com
0.0.0.0 sqm.telemetry.microsoft.com
0.0.0.0 sqm.telemetry.microsoft.com.nsatc.net
0.0.0.0 ssw.live.com
0.0.0.0 ssw.live.com.nsatc.net
0.0.0.0 statsfe1.ws.microsoft.com
0.0.0.0 statsfe2.update.microsoft.com.akadns.net
0.0.0.0 statsfe2.ws.microsoft.com
0.0.0.0 survey.watson.microsoft.com
0.0.0.0 telecommand.telemetry.microsoft.com
0.0.0.0 telecommand.telemetry.microsoft.com.nsatc.net
0.0.0.0 telemetry.appex.bing.net
0.0.0.0 telemetry.appex.bing.net:443
0.0.0.0 telemetry.microsoft.com
0.0.0.0 telemetry.urs.microsoft.com
0.0.0.0 travel.tile.appex.bing.com
0.0.0.0 v10.vortex-win.data.metron.life.com.nsatc.net
0.0.0.0 v10.vortex-win.data.microsoft.com
0.0.0.0 vortex.data.microsoft.com
0.0.0.0 vortex-sandbox.data.microsoft.com
0.0.0.0 vortex-win.data.microsoft.com
0.0.0.0 watson.live.com
0.0.0.0 watson.microsoft.com
0.0.0.0 watson.ppe.telemetry.microsoft.com
0.0.0.0 watson.telemetry.microsoft.com
0.0.0.0 watson.telemetry.microsoft.com.nsatc.net
0.0.0.0 wes.df.telemetry.microsoft.com
0.0.0.0 wildcard.appex-rf.msn.com.edgesuite.net
0.0.0.0 win10.ipv6.microsoft.com
0.0.0.0 win10.ipv6.microsoft.com.nsatc.net
0.0.0.0 wns.notify.windows.com.akadns.net
0.0.0.0 www.bing.com
0.0.0.0 www.go.microsoft.akadns.net
# WINDOWS 10:END

To remove and unpin "OneDrive" from explorer. Run "regedit", go to "HKEY_CLASSES_ROOTCLSID{018D5C66-4533-4307-9B53-224DE2ED1FE6" and in the subkey "System.IsPinnedToNameSpaceTree" change the DWORD from 1 to 0.

To remove and unpint "Network" from explorer. Run "regedit", go to "HKEY_CLASSES_ROOTCLSID{F02C1A0D-BE21-4350-88B0-7367FC96EF3C}ShellFolder". Now you'll need to change value of "Attributes" DWORD value present in the right-side section. But Windows will not allow you to change its value as you won't have proper permissions. To get permissions, first right-click on "ShellFolder" key and select "Permissions". It'll open a new window. Select "Administrators" in user list and check "Allow" box given for "Full Control" permission.

Now double-click on "Attributes" DWORD value given in right-side section and change its value to "b0940064". If you want to restore "Network" in Navigation pane, simply change value of "Attributes" DWORD to "b0040064".

Of course, I didn't stop there! The following is for advanced users only!

Here is a list of services you can disable and Windows still seem to be working fine. Well, at least for me so use at your own risk. I have attached both "disable" and "enable" in case you want to "revert" things. You need to run both "disable.reg" and "disable.bat" ... "enable.reg" and "enable.bat" ... and restart.

You also need to take ownership from the file "C:WindowsSystemAppsMicrosoft.Windows.Cortana_cw5n1h2txyewySearchUI.exe" because my files rename the "SearchUI.exe" to prevent Windows 10 search from running.

enable.disable.services.zip

(3 KiB) Downloaded 2415 times

Remember that these files will kill a lot of services, like, almost everything. You can test and see what fits you, maybe you need to enable some of them. Windows Update will NOT work if you run the "disable" files so you can either run the "enable" files and restart or make a batch file and do this:

(Remember to change the "<CHANGE THIS TO YOUR ACCOUNT FOLDER NAME>" to your account folder name, whatever you use. It will just bring the Windows Update window forward for you. When it first says "Press any key to continue", you press once. Run Windows Update fully. Then you can press again to close the batch file.)

Code: Select all

@echo off

sc config "BITS" start=delayed-auto
sc config "wuauserv" start=demand
net start "BITS"
net start "wuauserv"

pause

start /wait explorer.exe "C:Users<CHANGE THIS TO YOUR ACCOUNT FOLDER NAME>AppDataLocalPackageswindows.immersivecontrolpanel_cw5n1h2txyewyLocalStateIndexedSettingsen-GBAAA_SystemSettings_MusUpdate_UpdateActionButton.settingcontent-ms"

pause

sc config "BITS" start=disabled
sc config "wuauserv" start=disabled
net stop "BITS"
net stop "wuauserv"

After doing the above, I finally felt some peace of mind! It is my PERSONAL computer after all!

Although, I must admit, I am only one step from moving to Linux. Not that I "like" Linux. Oh no, not at all actually! I think Linux is a complete moronic and unfriendly system to use. I also dislike a lot of Linux community idiots but this is probably as much as I could take in terms of fixing and disabling stuff in Windows, TO GET SOME MOTHERFUCKING PRIVACY. Anything more than this, for example if Microsoft comes up with some update to kill these stuff, well, then I might as well use Linux because the hassle would be as much as fixing shit in Linux. Took me maybe 400 reboots, several reinstalls and days to test all of this. (Yes, I like a stable system.)

Oh and by the way, FUCK YOU MICROSOFT!

Naissssssss

Remember that if you use the "enable.disable.services.zip", you still should do the steps in the "For semi advanced users" as well. Also, the "enable.disable.services.zip" will kill off around 132 services in Windows. Use at your own risk... ...but I done it and things seem to be working all good.

The thing is, I hate it when I can't stop "Windows Update" or ANY other service or application from running or doing anything unplanned or unwanted in MY PERSONAL computer. Doing these steps makes me sleep better at night and trust my computer more because I know that if I leave it running for days, weeks, months or years, NOTHING will magically "happen" in it which would break things or that they would add or remove some shit I don't want or want from it with a "Windows Update".

Besides all that, I DID PAY FOR WINDOWS! It's not like I got it for free! So why the fuck do they try to "sell me and my data as a product" AS WELL? They should come up with a special version, maybe more expensive without all the spyware in it. I would definitely buy it. For now, Windows 10 Enterprise will do.

Funny thing is, I never had ANY problems with "Windows Update". I had everything on but after they slipped in a nag screen for installing Windows 10, I do NOT trust them anymore.

Turns out, I was right. Without doing the steps above, having "Windows 10" makes your PC no longer yours but Microsoft will kind'a own it. I mean, motherfuckers, they won't allow you to turn the updates you don't want off, EVEN IF THEY BREAK YOUR SHIT. They don't even allow you to turn updates for "Apps" you buy from the Microsoft Store. *lol* ...what kind of moron would buy ANYTHING from their Orwellian "Store"? What if I like GIMP version 1.x but not 2.x, they say, you can't have that! You MUST always want and have the latest version. What if it's an old game I like? What if I don't want it to change? Oh no no no, that's not allowed, Microsoft OWNS your PC.... really? Well, fuck you! Because that's fucking stupid!

Imagine that, you go to sleep, wake up in the morning and your PC(s) aren't working anymore. Oh, ooops, some sons of bitches at Microsoft decided to push and FORCE an update into YOUR system(s) and now everything is fucked!

They scare you day and night that oooh, the big bad wolf is out there to get you. All those oooh viruses will eat your firstborn and all. It is all to con sheeple people running into the biggest baddest wolves, which are they, themselves! Big corporations, having answer to nothing and no one with only one goal: To milk money from their users as much as possible.

WHO THE FUCK DO THEY REALLY THINK THEY ARE?

As I said earlier, this was the absolut last push for me. If they come up with more junk and make the steps above useless in a way that I can't have a stable trustworthy personal computing experience without worrying "what if tomorrow some update breaks my stuff", then I will just move to Linux.

And who is saying "I will just move to Linux"? Hah, me! I used to HATE Linux. I was so anti Linux and pro Microsoft, I wouldn't even recognize myself if I saw myself back then some years ago. Haha... they turned their most devoted fans into hating them. Nice going morons!

...and if Linux also gets nasty... you know what? It's fine. I will just stop using computers! They can go to hell and have all the computers for themselves in that case. I started with computers because of the specific reason that it was THE ONLY PLACE IN THE ENTIRE WORLD (for me) that I could be "left alone". Have my little icons, little files and do whatever the fuck I want in it without someone rearranging my icons or switching colors and do all sort of crazy shit without me wanting it. They take that away, there is no reason to have a computer.

It's not like I have 10000 applications installed either but that little thing which I have, like fucking PAINTBRUSH, GIMP and NOTEPAD... I want it the way I have setup. Not the way Microsoft "decides" for me. Just like the way they try to force specific colors on you.

Shit, think if you go to a painter and he comes to paint your room white, then suddenly you are out of house and tomorrow, it's blue instead, because oh, the painter decided this is the new cool look you should have! That is exactly what Microsoft is trying to do and I don't know why many people find it acceptable. On top of that, the painter goes into your stash of clothes, pictures, everything... makes a copy of it all and then goes to the street trying to sell it to the shops for a profit! NO ONE would accept that. They would jail the painter as a thief and maybe home invasion. Why is this acceptable when Microsoft or any other corporation tries to do?

FUCK THEM! FUCK THEM ALL AND FUCK THEM HARD!

I hope they burn in hell for eternity for all the heartache they have caused me and many! All I ever asked for was the "option to choose" and to be left alone without being force fed crap I don't want into my personal space. They say I can't have that? Well, fuck you! Burn in hell!

Updated the "hosts" list.

Speaking of Windows Update, I was thinking, why the FUCK do I really need it anyway? Of course, I don't download random crap from Internet on my main machine.

I mean, if you install Windows and get everything and all devices going good and running smooth, why bother to even do the Windows Update? If you have a nice firewall and you keep your Web browser (obviously, I don't use IE or Edge) up to date, there shouldn't be any issues. The computer will run fine for years! Until it dies.

Stupid hysteria about always keeping everything "up to date" is bullshit. It's just a way for the salesmen at Google or Microsoft to make you connected to them ALL THE TIME. OOOH, THE BIG BAD WOLF IS GONN'A EAT YA UP IF YOU DON'T RUN WINDOWS UPDATE. ....well, FUCK YOU Microsoft and others!

I now run Windows 10, works perfectly! AND NO MOTHERFUCKING WINDOWS UPDATES! Nothing, NOTHING will change or get updated or automatically reboot MY machine... unless I am the one ordering it to do it. So I sleep good at night, knowing when I wake up in the morning, the machine hasn't been bricked!

Also, mix it with my recommendations on How to use Windows Firewall in an efficient manner (BLOCK ALL EXCEPT), nothing gets in or out automatically!

Here is yet another application Destroy Windows Spying and the source code is here: https://github.com/Nummer/Destroy-Windows-10-Spying.

Windows 10 is malware, plain and simple. I see a lot of justifications going around, such as, "If Microsoft makes the Windows experience only a little bit worse for me then I'll switch to Linux," but this is exactly what conditioning is all about. If people accept Windows 10 for what it is, then the next iteration of Windows (which will just be a rented OS) will be even worse. The only reason Windows 10 isn't completely a serivice is because there was push back from the users, but give it some time. It will be just like Office 365, where people get hooked and then Microsoft jacks up the price:

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2015/07/08 ... ices_rise/

This is also the same type of behaviour of a drug addict. Justifications are always espoused from an individual subsequent to them already having made up their mind on why they need something. "Need", of course, is a term that only they feel is applicable, as it would be better replaced by "want". The justification may be complete bullshit, but denialism is something that provides a plush comfort zone for many.

The problem I see about disabling the spying stuff is that there are 1,000 different ways to do it, 2,000 different guides, 3,000 different posts explaining how, and 200 utilities to do it. Throw in the forced MS patches and you're in for a real science experiment/frankensteined PC. Plus, I won't be surprised if MS introduces new patches to Windows 10 that enables telemetry again. They backported the telemetry stuff to W7, so what makes anyone think they're not going to introduce future telemetry patches for Windows 10? Since the source code is closed, nobody knows for sure if Windows 10 is really doing any spying or not, after having tweaked with the telemetry shit. It's anybody's best guess as to how much data the backdoored OS sends back to Microsoft, even after best efforts to quiet the telemetry chatter down. I saw some videos of raw packets being captured on Windows 10, just when someone was doing normal desktop tasks. Scary to say the least. I think it was with Wireshark, but don't quote me on that.

Linux can't ever get this way because the source code is open and protected under the GPL. The Linux community is very anti-MS and anti-spying, so if someone ever tried to go in the direction of MS with open source, users would fall off like flies and there would be guaranteed forks. With MS, you're locked into a closed source hell, and you do exactly what they tell you to do. I already gave up on MS in the W7 era, but still have a Windows machine up for certain tasks. I have so many computers and laptops all over the place that it's not that big of a deal to run Linux as your primary "privacy respecting" desktop, and keep a dedicated Windows machine around for specific use cases. Microsoft sees how Linux is evolving on the desktop and keeps getting better and better, so they probably figured that they may as well get every last drop possible out of their existing "crack addict" customer base because those people are too stupid to know any better.

Rather than waste a bunch of time hoping that whatever tweaks and patches you performed worked just to get your "fix", I think a better option is to avoid Windows 10 altogether. By boycotting it, it sends a clear message to Microsoft that they aren't getting away with murder. If you do use it, even with tweaks, it shows Microsoft that they can get away with more the next time. And they'll find new ways to make all those tweaks and patches useless, when the users actually think it's protecting themselves. Whoever would have thought people would be going to such great lengths to find ways to protect themselves from their own operating system doing malicious things to them? That's not logical, and it's completely ludicrous!

Haha... spot on with the camera at the end... ...where have you been by the way? We didn't see you around for a long while.

MasterOne wrote:Whoever would have thought people would be going to such great lengths to find ways to protect themselves from their own operating system doing malicious things to them? That's not logical, and it's completely ludicrous!

AMEN!

Something that continually shocks me and is evidenced in the graphic that you uploaded, is how Windows 7 gets labeled "good". It just strikes me as a very slight improvement over the train wreck that was Vista. A slightly less disastrous derailment, if you will. I've experienced some of the very same problems in 7 that I saw in Vista, files, some of which I created, that I inexplicably lose "ownership" of and subdirectories within subdirectories with the same name mysteriously being created out of thin air. It may be slightly more stable than XP and have a few more useful APIs, but nothing spectacular. Is there something I'm missing or has being less worse than the previous disaster become a selling point? Seriously, I'm lost when it comes to 7.