How to stop Windows 10 from spying on you

Windows 10 comes with a lot of new and exciting enhancement. However this latest Microsoft operating system also likes to collect a lot of data on its users and that might not be a good thing for people who value their personal information and privacy. Here are a few things that you can do to minimise Windows 10 from knowing too much about you. (Updated 14 Nov 2016)

Note: whether you want certain feature to stay on or off depend on your personal preference.

The Privacy Settings

Before you start, as a precaution, please make sure you save all open files and close all running applications before proceeding.

1) At the search bar type “privacy settings” and select “Privacy settings, System settings”.

2) In the privacy setting window, under “General”, set the 4 options to “off” by clicking on each. Once it’s done, click on “Manage my Microsoft advertising and other personalization info”

3) Windows will open the setting options in a webpage with the default web browser. Look at the right hand side and make sure the two options “Personalised ads in this browser” and “Personalised ads wherever I use my Microsoft account” are off”. Close the window when you are done.

4) Click on “Location”. If you don’t want Microsoft or any other applications to know your location, then you might want to make sure the “Location for this device is off”. Click on “change” to set it. This is totally optional.

5) Click on “Camera”. If you don’t want Microsoft or any other applications to see you with the onboard camera, then you might want to make sure the setting is “off”. This is totally optional. If you use Skype for video conferencing, then you might want to keep this option on. You might want to check what application has access to the camera too.

6) Click on “Microphone”. If you don’t want Microsoft or any other applications to see you with the onboard microphone, then you might want to make sure the setting is “off”. This is totally optional. If you use Skype for calls, then you might want to keep this option on. You might want to check what application has access to the microphone too.

7) Click on “Speech, inking, & typing”. This is for voice control and typing suggestions. If you don’t want Microsoft or any other applications to know your voice and what you type, then you might want to make sure you click on “Stop getting to know me”. This is totally optional. Don’t forget to click on “Go to Bing and manage personal info for all your devices”

8) Windows will open the setting options in a webpage with the default web browser. Sign in if needed. Close the window when you are done.

9) Click on “Account Info”. If you don’t want Microsoft or any other applications to access your name, picture and other account info, then you might want to make sure the setting is “off”. This is totally optional. Do similar checks with “Contacts”, Calendar”, “Messaging” and “Radios”.

10) Click on “Sync with devices”. If you don’t want your apps to automatically share and sync info with other wireless devices, then you might want to make sure the setting is “off”. This is totally optional.

11) Click on “Feedback & diagnostics”. This is about giving Microsoft feedback and your usage data. We would recommend setting “Windows should ask for my feedback” to “Never” and “Send your device data to Microsoft” to “Basic”.

12) Click on “Background apps”. Check what application is running in the background. Most are default. But if you spot anything a bit strange, you can turn it off.

Close the window when you are done. Great you have just finished setting up the privacy settings on Windows 10! Well done!! If you need some help to change the settings, our friendly local experts are more than happy to help you. You can find your local IT expert here.

Windows WiFi Sense

To secure your WiFi settings, you might want to lock down WiFi Sense.

1) Go back to the Settings window by clicking on "<- Settings". Then to go "Manage Wi-Fi settings" by clicking on icon "Network & Internet", then click on the WiFi tab (on the left) and then click on "Manage Wi-Fi settings".

2) In the Manage WiFi Settings window. Turn off "Connect to suggested open hotspots", "Connect to networks shared by my contacts" and "Paid WiFi services" by clicking on the on/off button. Bascially you want to turn off every option you see here. You might have to scroll down to get the rest of the settings.

3) Once done you should get a similar picture.

Windows update settings

The following part is not about privacy setting per se, but to protect your Windows 10 from downloading malicious windows updates. The goal is to tell it to download updates from Microsoft only.

A) At the search bar type “windows update settings” and select “Windows Update settings, System settings”.

B) In the “Update & Security” window, click on “Advanced options”.

C) In the “Advanced options” window, click on “Choose how updates are delivered”.

D) In the “Choose how updates are delivered” window, set the update from more than one place option to “off”.

Great! Your Windows 10 should now only fetch updates from Microsoft directly.

We hope you found this guide useful. Please feel free to Like and Share. Comments are welcome too (see below). Certainly, if you need some help to change the settings, our friendly local experts are more than happy to help you. You can find your local IT expert here.

Good Luck!

Links

• http://www.techradar.com/news/software/operating-systems/the-windows-10-privacy-settings-you-need-to-change-right-now-1301257
• http://www.polygon.com/2015/7/31/9075531/windows-10-privacy-how-to
• http://www.thewindowsclub.com/privacy-settings-windows-10