Silencing Windows from Over Sharing
Windows Telemetry: What It Collects and How to Limit It with O&O ShutUp10++
Microsoft systems collect a wide range of telemetry by default. This includes:
- Device information: serial number, hardware model, TPM status, system version
- User and account identifiers: Microsoft or institutional login
- Application usage patterns: timestamps, crash logs, session duration
- File metadata: filenames, save frequency, cloud sync details
- Crash reports: may include fragments of documents or typed data
- Location data: Wi-Fi, GPS, or IP-based when enabled
- Web browsing, search history, typing patterns: through Edge, Cortana, Copilot
- Usage logs and collaboration history: Teams, OneDrive, SharePoint
Type of data → published Link
Device information → https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/privacy/basic-level-windows-diagnostic-events-and-fields
User and account identifiers → https://privacy.microsoft.com/en-us/privacystatement
Application usage patterns → https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/privacy/windows-diagnostic-data
File metadata → https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/deployoffice/privacy/overview-privacy-controls
Crash reports → https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/privacy/windows-error-reporting
Location data → https://privacy.microsoft.com/en-us/privacystatement
Web browsing, search history, typing patterns → https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-edge/privacy-whitepaper
Usage logs and collaboration history → https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/compliance/auditing-solutions-overview
Tools like O&O ShutUp10++ allow quick reduction of this telemetry without registry edits or Group Policy work. With recommended settings applied, you can cut back:
- Most device identifiers and usage logging
- Cortana and Edge activity reporting
- Location tracking
- File and app usage collection
However, some data flows cannot be fully stopped, such as:
- Core update and security diagnostic reporting
- Crash reports when Windows Error Reporting is enabled
- Certain cloud-tied features in Teams, OneDrive, and SharePoint
A key limitation is that O&O ShutUp10++ settings are reset by every major Windows update. Without reapplying the configuration, telemetry quietly resumes. For enterprises, the fix is to automate:
- Deploy settings via an RMM tool policy (I am presently appreciative of tacticalRMM).
- Apply a startup script that enforces O&O ShutUp10++ defaults on every boot
- Monitor Windows update cycles and reapply after cumulative patches
Bottom line: O&O ShutUp10++ offers fast, no-cost control of telemetry, but it is not “set and forget.” Automated enforcement is the only way to ensure Windows doesn’t silently revert to high-data-collection defaults.