How to Configure Windows 10 to Protect Your Privacy

Windows 10 has some new useful features, but if you think what the rest of the Internet, it also comes with other Murdering any hint of privacy for the user.However, this idea is somewhat exaggerated. Let’s look at what it is that each element of privacy settings really does, and what pose a risk

Windows 10 has the reputation of “call home” more than its predecessors. In principle it is true, but most of this behavior was already in Windows 8, and much can also find it on Android, iOS and Chrome. Of course, that does not mean that all functions are recommended. Simply, there is nothing new under the sun. You can read the privacy statement for Windows 10 here . It is not as aggressive as the policy of the Windows Insider program that caused so much in the community, but is still very wide.

Many websites have published a list of the settings you must disable Windows 10 to protect your privacy, but most do not explain in detail what makes each of these settings, which helps make it difficult to separate the facts of paranoia. Here we offer a walk through these adjustments, what we know about what they are in reality, and how to turn what really matters.

How to Configure Windows 10 to Protect Your Privacy
How to Configure Windows 10 to Protect Your Privacy

General privacy settings: How to Configure Windows 10 to Protect Your Privacy

Let ‘s start with the obvious. Opens the settings for Windows 10 and enters Privacy> General . Most of the settings in this section are self – explanatory, but this is what they do: How to Configure Windows 10 to Protect Your Privacy

  • Allow applications to use my id. Advertising: This helps Microsoft to offer more personalized ads in applications that have them . You can disable without affecting the user experience.
  • Turn on SmartScreen Filter: This sends the addresses bought visits within the Windows Store to Microsoft to check that they are not in a list of malicious sites applications. Google does the same thing, but locally, thatis, with the list on the computer itself, and only sends the URL if you have enabled the option to share usage statistics. I think it’s a very useful function, so I left it on. Note that this only affects the way we visited in other different apps to Edge browser. Below we explain how to activate and deactivate Edge.
  • Send information to Microsoft about how I write: This function is to improve autocomplete suggestions. It is supposed to be for what we write with the keyboard, or handwriting function on touch screens. Its definition is somewhat wide for my taste. I recommend off.
  • Let websites offering relevant local content: If you speak another language other than English, this feature could be useful. Feel free to disable it .

In short, you can turn off all past and not notice any noticeable difference.

Location Settings: How to Configure Windows 10 to Protect Your Privacy

Windows 10, like iOS or Android, you can use your location to offer a better user experience in certain applications, for example, can check your location so you do not have to type in your zip code every time you look at what time in your neighborhood, or to show where you are on the maps. However, this is likely to have to share your location with a number of trusted partners as meteorological service said … or any other.

In a normal desktop computer, you probably do not bring much advantage of this feature as you would on a smartphone, or you can turn it off completely if you prefer. To do this just go to Settings> Privacy> Location and look at the list of applications at the bottom. You can disable applications individually, or completely disable facility above. Just keep in mind that the general location Cortana need to be active or not work. Which brings us to: How to Configure Windows 10 to Protect Your Privacy

Cortana and searches start menu: How to Configure Windows 10 to Protect Your Privacy

Cortana has some of the tightest privacy features, but is also one of the most useful features of the new Windows, which means you have to decide between your privacy or part of that utility. To work, Cortana record your voice (to understand what you say), your location (to adjust the answers to where you are), you write (to answer), contacts (so you can refer to them), the events of your calendar (to create, edit, or give information about them), and more.That’s a lot of privacy.

Of course, not much different from Siri or Google Now, which also collect a lot of data (on your smartphone rather than on the PC). Fortunately, like those other assistants, Cortana is easy to disable if what you want is a railway privacy. To do that you must change the following options: How to Configure Windows 10 to Protect Your Privacy

  • Disable Cortana: Open the Start menu and type something. Click on the notepad icon on the left side and select Settings . And from there you can disable Cortana.
  • Search online and include web results: When you turn off Cortana, this option will see appear. You can disable it if you do not want any suggestion from the start menu, which also records what you type and sends it to Microsoft for their predictions live. Exactly the same as Google.com, Chrome or Firefox.
  • How to know: In Settings> Privacy> Voice input handwriting and writing is a function called Get to know me . This is probably the feature that most violates the privacy of all Windows 10. Even after disabling Cortana, you ‘ll have to do the same with this function. Just press the button Stop to know .
  • Manage cloud information: Shut How to know it causes Windows 10 to stop our store data on your computer, but you have to delete the copy in the cloud separately. In the same window, click Go to Bing and manages personal information on all your devices to delete data How Conocerme stored in your Microsoft account.

This, next to send information to Microsoft about how I write explained above are the two major concerns of privacy Windows 10. Much of the reason is that they use such vague language that does not specify how and when to register, say, what we are writing . That is very problematic. We have contacted Microsoft and has answered us this:

This is the kind of feature that users can disable at any time. Microsoft does not collect personal information through this feature. What is collected has only purposes of process improvement. For example, to improve the translation engine handwriting to text, or to enrich the dictionary and spelling functions of Windows. The data goes through a rigorous multiple filter that ensures not collect sensitive information or identifiable fields such as email addresses, passwords or alphanumeric codes. Then, the collected data is fragmented into very small sequences so that there can be reconstructed to form an identifiable whole. Samples collected data are limited. Microsoft does not capture everything you write, or do it all the time. How to Configure Windows 10 to Protect Your Privacy

In short, it’s not like a program Keylogger . It is more a text analysis software that selects parts of a sequence and analyzes purposes and AutoCorrect dictionary. However, again, the concept of language is extremely broad, and the function remains a concern from the point of view of privacy. If you are concerned about this issue and you can live without Cortana, you just have to turn it off.


  1. Mac computers that support Windows 10 – Windows 10 on a macbook pro
  2. How to install Windows 10 on your phone – Technical preview of windows 10 for phone

  3. Top windows keyboard shortcuts full guide

  4. Windows 10 Best new features

  5. Over 14 million People Are now Using Windows 10

  6. Best new features of Windows 10: Smart new and improved features in Windows 10

  7. Windows 10 keyboard shortcuts – New Keyboard Shortcuts in Windows 10

  8. How to prepare your PC for Windows 10

  9. Windows 10 and Xbox One Features you Should Know

  10. Windows 10 News: fast Edge browser, one windows app store for Mobile, PC’s and tablets


microsoft Edge: How to Configure Windows 10 to Protect Your Privacy

The new Microsoft browser, like most new browsers (and that includes Chrome and Firefox) includes some features that “call home”. You will find them in Settings> Advanced Settings. This is what needs to be done:How to Configure Windows 10 to Protect Your Privacy

  • Allowing Microsoft Cortana help me Edge: If you use Cortana, will track your browsing history to use as a reference when you ask things. You can disable it if you want.
  • Show search suggestions to write: As the start menu, Edge records what you type, but it does to offer predictive text. If you do not want to just turn it off.
  • Protect my PC against malicious sites and downloads: As we mentioned in the first section, SmartScreen filter can register web addresses you visit to try to protect against malicious sites. Eta recommend leaving turned on , but if you want to disable, no one will stop you .

If you do not use Microsoft Edge, these settings do not matter much, but it is good to know where they are.

Manage WiFi connections: How to Configure Windows 10 to Protect Your Privacy

Windows 10 includes a new feature called Sensor WiFi that allows us to connect to WiFi networks without a password protected making it through Facebook, Outlook or Skype from a friend. In this way, we can automatically connect to the WiFi network from a friend without asking the password. It is safer to share the WiFi key, and your friend can not share that connection.

Most of the process is optional, so you should not worry too much about it. You have to activate a check box to share the WiFi network with your contacts, and they have to do the same. However, you can make your WiFi network can not be selected to be shared in this way if you add “_optout” at the end of the SSID address.

By default, Windows will give you the option to connect to networks that your friends have shared with you. If you want to disable it, you can do it inSettings> Network and Internet> Wi-Fi> Manage WiFi settings .

Synchronize Windows settings

Many features of Windows 10 require a Microsoft account that store data in the cloud or are synchronized over the Internet. The most important in relation to privacy are: How to Configure Windows 10 to Protect Your Privacy

  • Sync settings: In Settings> Accounts> Sync settings can decide to share with your other PC with Windows 10. This includes your desktop wallpaper and theme your browser settings, passwords, accessibility and more. You can disable it from here.
  • Bitlocker encryption: Encrypt your hard drive is a must. To do this, Bitlocker comes pre – installed on all versions of Windows 10. However, if you have the Home Edition, you automatically store your recovery key with your Microsoft account. Not much you can do about it except Pro happen to Windows 10 or use an alternative encryption program asVeraCrypt .

Optionally, you can avoid using a deMicrosoft account using the option Register with a local account during installation, or by entering Settings> Accounts> Your account and choosing Register with a local account. If you do, note that you can not download applications from the Windows Store or use many of the functions mentioned above.

Windows updates: How to Configure Windows 10 to Protect Your Privacy

Unlike its predecessors, Windows 10 does not offer the ability to disable updates. Users of Windows 10 Pro, Enterprise and Education have that option through the registry group, but Home editions can not disable it . This is due to safety reasons, so do not recommend deactivating. You can always disable specific patches if you are giving problems.

Windows Update also uses a file system share the BitTorrent style. That’s fine, but if you do not want other people to download actualizacioness using your bandwidth, you can disable the option in Settings> Updates and Security> Advanced> Choose how you want updates to be delivered . On this screen, disables, or better yet change the radio button to include only computers on your local network. This will allow your network equipment upgrade faster, but close access to other Internet users.

Comments and diagnostics: How to Configure Windows 10 to Protect Your Privacy

How to Configure Windows 10 to Protect Your Privacy
How to Configure Windows 10 to Protect Your Privacy

Like so many other applications and operating systems, Microsoft allows you to send diagnostic data to help troubleshoot. This option also sends information inadvertently perhaps rather not send, as memory registers or apps you use most often. If you go into Settings> Privacy> Comments and diagnostics , you’ll see two points to consider:

  • Frequency: Occasionally, Windows 10 will ask your opinion about the system. If you do not want to bother with it simply select Never .
  • Diagnosis and use of data: This function can send a lot of information to Microsoft, including how often you use certain applications, which ones you use most often, or capture memory may include fragments of a document you’re working during a crash. You can change the degree to which it does. You have more information about each here .

Microsoft does not allow completely disable diagnostics Enterprise version except in Windows 10. The basic level of this tool works only with data that is critical to the operation of Windows, such as updates or protection against malicious software.


How to prepare your PC for Windows 10: Follow these steps to ensure a smooth transition to the latest version of Windows.

Here’s how to upgrade to Windows 10: There’s a switch you’ll need to enable before you can get Cortana’s attention from across the room.

How to Upgrade to Windows 10 From Windows 8.1:  Enjoy amazing new features and a familiar experience, where you’ll feel like an expert from the start. Plus, with Windows 10, we will keep you up to date and safer with built-in security features.

How to do a clean install of Windows 10: Three ways to install a clean version of Windows 10 onto any PC.

How to get Windows 10 right now: Don’t want to wait for Microsoft to push the update to your PC? Here’s how to download the new OS immediately.

How to install Windows 10 on your phone: Have a Windows Phone device and want to test out Windows 10 on it? Now you can.

How to install Windows 10 on a Mac: Why yes, you can install Windows 10 on your Mac. The process can be a little technical, but we’ll have your back the whole way through.


Ultimately what is the problem? How to Configure Windows 10 to Protect Your Privacy

Is the murderer Windows 10 operating system privacy of history? Probably not, but it has its problems. Mainly: How to Configure Windows 10 to Protect Your Privacy

  • Descriptions of some of the settings are very vague, making it difficult to know when it is collecting our data and what type of data collected. How to know the function is probably the most insidious in this regard.
  • All options are opt-out rather than opt-in. In other words, they are enabled by default and you have to disable them. Most users will never dive so deep into the configuration.

At least, Microsoft offers the ability to configure more or less everything to our liking, which is a step in the right direction. Apart from these problems, there is nothing that we’ve talked it particularly new. Criminalizing the start menu because we write analyzes to offer predictive text seems a bit out of place, especially when we use that same technology in Google.com, Chrome and Firefox for years. Most functions also exist in other operating systems and, of course, on your smartphone.

This does not mean you should stop worrying about privacy. It is a personal decision. If you feel uncomfortable with any of the above settings, or if you do not trust that Microsoft does with the data, simply disable them, but in return you will have to sacrifice certain new features.

Just be aware that Microsoft is far from being the only company that does this, so be sure to check your privacy settings in other applications or operating systems (such as the browser or OSX). The only way to protect all your data is not permanently connected to the Internet. Good luck with that. How to Configure Windows 10 to Protect Your Privacy

Leave a Reply