Advice Request Favourite tool to block Telemetry and disable Tracking in Windows 10? [Poll]

Please provide comments and solutions that are helpful to the author of this topic.

What is your preferred tool to block Telemetry and disable Tracking in Windows 10?

  • Ashampoo AntiSpy

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Blackbird

    Votes: 2 2.7%
  • Debotnet / SharpApp (Mirinsoft)

    Votes: 5 6.8%
  • O&O ShutUp 10

    Votes: 47 63.5%
  • WindowsSpyBlocker

    Votes: 2 2.7%
  • Windows Privacy Dashboard (WPD)

    Votes: 7 9.5%
  • Other (I will comment below..)

    Votes: 11 14.9%

  • Total voters
    74

Ink

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Marko :)

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I was using O&O ShutUp10, but I'm not using anything at to moment. No matter what you use and what you block, you'll never stop Windows from reporting to Microsoft. Apparently, even if you block everything, Windows would hang often and stop responding.

So, right now, I'm not using anything, but I did disable everything that can be disabled in Windows regarding data collection.
 

plat

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Sep 13, 2018
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I use a bunch of firewall rules by Winaero Tweaker and these have never been impacted anything but sometimes I wonder if some rules are still effective. I switched to Basic telemetry in Settings App after determining 2004 was stable on here. There's always more one can do, I guess, but it's not a top priority right now.

Does anyone use BlackFog Privacy? I read up a little bit on the site, but it's not the same as having tried it on the machine. If I can mimic with Windows in-built tools what a third party app can do, I'm all for it.
 

EndangeredPootis

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Sep 8, 2019
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I use a bunch of firewall rules by Winaero Tweaker and these have never been impacted anything but sometimes I wonder if some rules are still effective. I switched to Basic telemetry in Settings App after determining 2004 was stable on here. There's always more one can do, I guess, but it's not a top priority right now.

Does anyone use BlackFog Privacy? I read up a little bit on the site, but it's not the same as having tried it on the machine. If I can mimic with Windows in-built tools what a third party app can do, I'm all for it.
Ive heard many times of people asking about blackfog and always getting the same answer of it being unwanted, and the virustotal report doesnt seem too convincing VirusTotal, there simply is not enough information about it to warrant people to use it, their grammar on their sites is sometimes questionable aswell, despite marking itself as being "professional" and a "market leader".
 
Last edited:

Gandalf_The_Grey

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Cortex

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I use O&O which never has caused any issues, I have used WPD which did cause a few problems but nothing major but ceased use of it - You can't stop some telemetry going off to Redmond but maybe cut it down somewhat?
 

TairikuOkami

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Disabling Windows 10 Features is a License Breach, Claim States
While that link to the project has now been taken down by Github (Hasan insists that the page “does not contain any violation of Microsoft’s rights”), the complaint goes on to highlight several features of Ninjutsu OS that are claimed to be infringing. As advertised and specifically highlighted by BSA/Microsoft they are:

– Customize Windows 10 with powerful tweak and optimize.
– Protect your privacy by tweak and customize Windows 10.
– Disable many of the annoying features built into Windows.
– Unwanted Windows components removal.
– Remove/Disable many Windows programs and services.
 

Brahman

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Windows defender is a feature of windows 10. So in the event of an antivirus software disables WD while installing itself, will this be interpreted as a violation of licence agreement? Are all av vendors in breach of windows licence agreement? What say you MS? If MS says so, will that amount to breach of antitrust/ competition laws? So does this gives me a right to sue Ms for not allowing me to install a proper av software in windows 10?
 

Step 1

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Sep 17, 2018
102
Currently using O&O Shutup.

I used to use Windows Firewall rules to block telemetry but now I'm a ZoneAlarm Firewall user, so, do you know where I can get a list of rules, even manually, to create them in ZoneAlarm?

Thanks in advance

-----------------------------EDIT------------------------

I found this:

 
Last edited:

bayasdev

Level 19
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Sep 10, 2015
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Sharpapp is good, it's basically a collection of powershell tweaks embedded into a nice GUI.

Isn't it enough for Bill to be the richest person in the world? Why bother about people developing tools to customize his products?
 

Brahman

Level 16
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Aug 22, 2013
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Currently using O&O Shutup.

I used to use Windows Firewall rules to block telemetry but now I'm a ZoneAlarm Firewall user, so, do you know where I can get a list of rules, even manually, to create them in ZoneAlarm?

Thanks in advance

-----------------------------EDIT------------------------

I found this:

Or you can use "nextdns.io" to block all windows telemetry at dns level.
You can use yogadns app to enforce nextdns via dns over https (doh)
IMG_20200611_233038.jpg
IMG_20200611_233421.jpg
 
Last edited:

Ink

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Windows defender is a feature of windows 10. So in the event of an antivirus software disables WD while installing itself, will this be interpreted as a violation of licence agreement? Are all av vendors in breach of windows licence agreement? What say you MS? If MS says so, will that amount to breach of antitrust/ competition laws? So does this gives me a right to sue Ms for not allowing me to install a proper av software in windows 10?
No, because Microsoft made it Third-party AV compatible.

From my understanding it's Microsoft turning off Defender if another AV is detected, not the vendor. -- Please correct if wrong.

On the face of it, the heavily modified version of Windows 10 "looks" similar to pirated version of the OS, although the developer states it does require a genuine license to use the software.

However, if anyone is going to THIS EXTREME, they should not be using Windows 10. Period. Microsoft. Google. Amazon. Apple all use telemetry for diagnostics and subtle in-OS ads to sell their products. Open-source does not give it the legal status.
 

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