[kgtm]

I'm sorry but this is crap.

Any amount of service toggling and hosts file stuffing will not suffice. It just screams ignorance. As a software developer you should understand that plugging holes in a black box is a futile effort. All these tools are doing is giving a false sense of privacy, that the next update will undo by flipping a switch or installing a new service.

If you think the OS is violating your privacy, stop using it or remove it from the Internet. Or both. It's the only way.

Edited to add: If you actually like Windows (I do), just switch to the Enterprise Edition and dial Telemetry down to "Security". Here is an explanation of what little is then shared, and how to even further minimize your footprint: https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/itpro/windows/manage/con...

Edit to address the availability of the Enterprise Edition: If you are not able to get it via your $JOB, a valid key from MSDN surplus shouldn't be more than $50 if you look around. Of course you'd then be bending the EULA in your favor, but hey, since Microsoft is spying on everyone against their will I think it is fair game, right?

[Programmatic]

Pragmatically there are reasons for some people to run Windows 10 vs. other operating systems, even if you don't/won't recognize them. Tools like this allow people to run Windows 10 in a "good enough" state and spread awareness of the problem. It will always be a cat and mouse game if the black box vendor so chooses but it's still better than doing nothing.

Edit: To address your edit, aren't you trusting their black box and using a different tool to accomplish the same? Also, not everyone has access to Windows 10 Enterprise.

[curt15]

I actually like Windows from a technical point of view. However, as a private consumer how do I buy the Enterprise edition that gives me full control of my system? Even with the "Professional" edition Microsoft is still in the driver's seat (e.g. http://superuser.com/questions/1110265/how-to-prevent-window...).

[dogma1138]

You can't.

[arm]

“If you actually like Windows (I do), just switch to the Enterprise Edition and dial Telemetry down to "Security"”

Ah darn. So I guess that means the “Off”¹ option never made it into the release version of Windows 10 Enterprise… ️

――――――

¹ — https://i.imgur.com/AtC1dAn.png

[oridecon]

It's not "off". My workstation running Windows 10 Enterprise still makes a lot of network calls (even explorer.exe) not related to Windows update. I never came across an in-depth analysis of what exactly is being sent, please share if you know of one.

---

https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/itpro/windows/manage/con...

The lowest telemetry setting level supported through management policies is Security.

[Security Security data only. 0]

Information that’s required to help keep Windows, Windows Server, and System Center secure, including data about the Connected User Experience and Telemetry component settings, the Malicious Software Removal Tool, and Windows Defender.

The Security level gathers only the telemetry info that is required to keep Windows devices, Windows Server, and guests protected with the latest security updates. This level is only available on Windows Server 2016, Windows 10 Enterprise, Windows 10 Education, Windows 10 Mobile Enterprise, and Windos IoT Core editions.

[arm]

Ah… I did some more looking around and found out that the “Off” option actually did still exist¹ in the release version of Windows 10 Enterprise. However, it seems like some update to Windows 10 changed the label from “Off” to “Security”² instead. I can only think of two possible explanations for the change:

• Microsoft removed the already existing capability to completely turn off Telemetry for some reason, or

• the “Off” label wasn’t accurate in the first place, so Microsoft changed it to something less misleading

In any case, it seems like Microsoft has no plans to include a way to fully turn off telemetry on Windows 10 Enterprise anytime soon³.

As for your inquiry, unfortunately, I haven’t seen a more in-depth analysis of what being sent than the one at the link you’ve posted (although it actually does go into a bit more detail than just the part you’ve quoted here). There is this⁴, although it’s just a list of hostnames and IP addresses; there was no packet inspection done, so it doesn’t make it clear what’s actually being sent.

――――――

¹ — http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2015/08/window...

² — http://i.imgur.com/ubCQrWk.png

³ — http://www.forbes.com/sites/gordonkelly/2016/02/11/microsoft...

⁴ — https://voat.co/v/technology/835741

[belorn]

The reason why people will continue using a OS that they dislike and distrust, is the same reason why people don't switch to an Free and open source OS. Too much software is exclusively on windows, and that forces the user onto that sticky platform regardless of user preference.

Its the same reason why people who dislike and tries to block advertisement don't simply stop consuming contents that contain advertisement. They don't want to turn into hermits that live on a mountain away from the web, TV, mail, email, radio, billboards, milk cartons, the sky, and practically everywhere where a company can stick a advertisement on something. It is an imperfect solution to an imperfect world.

[WayneBro]

> The reason why people will continue using a OS that they dislike and distrust...Too much software is exclusively on windows...

Is there any room in your opinion for people who love Windows and think it's better than any other OS that is currently available? Because that's why I stick with it, despite having some very minor issues...

Also, the reason that I don't switch to a Free and open source OS for my desktop is because they all suck. They're slower and clunkier than Windows and they don't have the features that I want.

All of my Windows issues were solved by simply toggling features via Settings and Group Policy though. I think there is one setting that you need the Enterprise version to toggle and that is Telemetry. However, you can disable that service manually too - http://www.thewindowsclub.com/windows-10-telemetry/ Of course disabling Telemetry causes you to lose Cortana, the Windows Store and any use of your Microsoft Account - but I don't use any of that crap anyway and anyone who does want to use that stuff wouldn't care about the basic Telemetry data that gets collected, which is detailed here - https://privacy.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-10-feedback-diag...

[shakna]

Slower...?

I really don't understand how something that can run on less than a Pi can feel slower on consumer hardware than something that requires beefier specs.

For example, I never have to wait for my file manager to open. Not half a second.

Secondly, though Microsoft details the telemetry, its encrypted before the user can see it. You have to trust a company, that have a habit of bending over backwards for the US's clandestine organisations. It can't be verified.

[WayneBro]

I'm judging by the speed of the apps that run on top of the OS not the OS itself. Desktop apps specifically.

For example, all of the browsers run slower and are klunkier on Linux.

I'm with you on the telemetry. I just disabled it via the registry though. That option works on all editions of Windows unless I'm mistaken... which I very well may be since I did not go to very far lengths to verify that my machine is not sending back anything. However, I am not worried about US clandestine operations because there's nothing I can do about them anyway. They are into everything around you, not just Windows.

In my opinion the greatest threat is not spying on you. The thing you should be worried about the most is psychological warfare. They are not supposed to be running psychological operations on US soil, but it's so obvious that nobody follows that rule. TV, movies, news...all of them are used to program people. Honestly, there's nothing you can do about that either unless you are seriously rich and very well-informed.

[shakna]

Sorry you've found everything slower!

Spying leads to manipulation, true. But my fear is based on not living in the US. And disabling regkeys doesn't stop 5gb of telemetry going to MS a day. Which I find just a tad excessive.

[WayneBro]

Well I have a very nice router that shows me all of the traffic on my network and I certainly do not see 5 GB of data going to Microsoft on any day.

[blauditore]

Another big reason is maturity of the software. I've been using Linux and Windows in parallel for years now and even though it got better recently, I still stumble over minor bugs, inconsistencies, usability slips and such on Linux while those are practically non-existent on Windows.

It's quite understandable given the different objectives and budgets of the two, but I think for most average users this is a deal breaker for switching.

[code_scrapping]

So - no effort is better than some effort? That's pretty dark, and if we're given a control of at least 20% of the holes, I would say - use that control.

[krapp]

There is no such thing as "some effort" when it comes to privacy on Windows - only futile effort.

Either you accept that using Windows means Microsoft exercises arbitrary and unrestrained control over your system, or you don't use Windows.

[rwallace]

> If you are not able to get it via your $JOB, a valid key from MSDN surplus shouldn't be more than $50 if you look around.

Then again, the main reason for running Windows instead of Linux is because you want stuff to just work. Once 'buy Windows' becomes 'go looking on the gray market in the hope of finding something unsupported that might or might not actually work when you try to install it' the value proposition relative to Linux has been significantly eroded.

[rasz_pl]

You might want to check out outgoing connections in Enterprise Edition with all the official Telemetry switches flipped to off, you will be surprised.

The only way is a total firewalling of all Windows services from the internet, including dnscache.

[static_noise]

People want to have their cake and eat it, too. The windows ecosystem is all they know and they are not ready to step outside their comfort zone to use open source alternatives. They rather pirate whatever comes along and try to patch things up as good as possible using antivirus, firewall, VPN and a whole lot of snakeoil software. I don't think we can change a lot on that front in the coming years. I don't know if we should even try.

[tracker1]

Windows actually has a pretty nice UI, and although some of the underlying system is different than more unixy variants, that doesn't make it bad. I use Linux (htpc, and work dist) as well as Windows and macOS daily... I prefer the Windows UI on the desktop, and Unity (Ubuntu) is close enough for me... macOS is the odd one out... I mostly stick to bash and node stuff lately, so I can get by anywhere. I use VS Code for editing, so again can get by anywhere.

[WayneBro]

Nope. I use Windows because I like it better than any other desktop OS. I also run Mac and Linux but I prefer Windows by far.

[madshiva]

I agree, for example when they block IP in host file and when you check these IP as nothing to do with Microsoft...

Also they block things that can be used in a good way, like recognition of ink pen, yeah you don't want Microsoft can improve then how they will improve it? and they will complain why this pen don't recognize anything, the solution will be to use ccleaner to do more mess because we all know the script that BOOST windows performance...

[jmnicolas]

Sadly the Enterprise edition is not sold individually (at least in France) you have to go through a Microsoft partner.