Enable or Disable Collect Activity History in Windows 10  

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    Enable or Disable Collect Activity History in Windows 10

    Enable or Disable Collect Activity History in Windows 10

    How to Enable or Disable Collect Activity History in Windows 10
    Published by Category: User Accounts
    25 May 2021
    Designer Media Ltd

    How to Enable or Disable Collect Activity History in Windows 10


    Starting with Windows 10 build 17040, Microsoft added settings that let you to view and manage your activity history, which Cortana uses to let you pick up where you left off.

    Your collected activity history allows you to jump back into what you were doing with apps, docs, or other activities, either on your PC or your phone. To resume your activities, Windows needs to collect your PC activity.

    If you like, you can enable or disable letting Windows collect User Activities.

    If enabled, Store my activity history on this device will be turned on for all users, but users will still be able to turn this setting on or off for their account.

    If disabled, Store my activity history on this device will be turned off for all users, and users will not be able to turn this setting on or off for their account.

    This tutorial will show you how to enable or disable Activity history settings to let Windows collect User Activities for all users in Windows 10.

    You must be signed in as an administrator to enable or disable online tips and help for the Settings app

    Timeline requires the Windows Search service to be enabled, running, and set to Automatic (Delayed Start).


    Starting in July 2021, if you have your activity history synced across your devices through your Microsoft account (MSA), you'll no longer have the option to upload new activity in Timeline. You'll still be able to use Timeline and see your activity history (information about recent apps, websites and files) on your local device. AAD-connected accounts won't be impacted.



    Contents

    • Option One: Enable or Disable Collect Activity History in Local Group Policy Editor
    • Option Two: Enable or Disable Collect Activity History using a REG file



    EXAMPLE: "Store my activity history on this device" disabled in Settings
    Enable or Disable Collect Activity History in Windows 10-disable_store_my_activity_history_on_this_device.jpg






    OPTION ONE

    Enable or Disable Collect Activity History in Local Group Policy Editor


    The Local Group Policy Editor is only available in the Windows 10 Pro, Enterprise, and Education editions.

    All editions can use Option TWO below.


    1 Open the Local Group Policy Editor.

    2 In the left pane of Local Group Policy Editor, navigate to the location below. (see screenshot below)

    Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\System\OS Policies

    Enable or Disable Collect Activity History in Windows 10-activity_history_gpedit-1.png

    3 In the right pane of OS Policies in Local Group Policy Editor, double click/tap on the Allow publishing of User Activities policy to edit it. (see screenshot above)

    4 Do step 5 (enable) or step 6 (disable) below for what you would like to do.


    5 To Enable Collect Activity History

    A) Select (dot) Not Configured or Enabled​ (recommended), click/tap on OK, and go to step 7 below. (see screenshot below)

    Not Configured is the default setting.


    6 To Disable Collect Activity History

    A) Select (dot) Disabled, click/tap on OK, and go to step 7 below. (see screenshot below)

    Enable or Disable Collect Activity History in Windows 10-activity_history_gpedit-2.png


    7 When finished, you can close the Local Group Policy Editor if you like.






    OPTION TWO

    Enable or Disable Collect Activity History using a REG file


    The downloadable .reg files below will add and modify the DWORD value in the registry key below.

    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\System

    PublishUserActivities DWORD

    0 = Disable
    1 = Enable


    1 Do step 2 (enable) or step 3 (disable) below for what you would like to do.


    2 To Enable Collect Activity History

    This is the default setting.

    A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 4 below.

    Enable_Activity_history.reg

    Download


    3 To Disable Collect Activity History

    A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 4 below.

    Disable_Activity_history.reg

    Download


    4 Save the .reg file to your desktop.

    5 Double click/tap on the downloaded .reg file to merge it.

    6 When prompted, click/tap on Run, Yes (UAC), Yes, and OK to approve the merge.

    7 Sign out and sign in to apply.

    8 You can now delete the downloaded .reg file if you like.


    That's it,
    Shawn






  1. Posts : 750
    Windows 10 Pro 64-bits
       #1

    These policy settings seem to be changing with Windows 10 versions, at least on my systems with local accounts only. The version 1803 has three OS policy settings:

    Enable or Disable Collect Activity History in Windows 10-1803.jpg

    The version 1809 has five OS policy settings:

    Enable or Disable Collect Activity History in Windows 10-1809.jpg

    If these policies are not configured, are the local activities still uploaded to Microsoft for local accounts? Seems to me, that there are probably other ways for MS to identify the systems. For example machine/hardware ID created at the time of OS installation, that can be used for this purpose.

    The "Privacy dashboard" link in the "Settings\Privacy" tab is the same link for systems with no Microsoft accounts. The link either results in "Can't reach this page..." error, or redirects to creating an MS account, depending on the browser and its settings.
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 68,657
    64-bit Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Thread Starter
       #2

    Hello @Cr00zng,

    Yeah, the policies have been changing lately with each build and version release.

    If the policies are not configured, then each user will be able to change them via Settings instead. The policies just allow you to force a setting you want for all users without them being able to change it.

    Turn On or Off Collect Activity History in Windows 10 | Tutorials
      My Computers


  3. Posts : 750
    Windows 10 Pro 64-bits
       #3

    Thanks Brink...

    As you've stated, this policy is only for local and/or cloud accounts, or actual end users in another word. The policy just prevents them to synchronize data across devices, that they may have.

    On the other hand, this has no impact on what MS collects from these end users. They just won't have access to the MS collected activities.

    I am not trying to start any argument about data collection, just want to verify the impact of this policy...
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 68,657
    64-bit Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Thread Starter
       #4

    No worries. What you stated is correct.

    You could try this below for what Microsoft collects to help.

    Change Diagnostic and Usage Data Settings in Windows 10 | Tutorials
      My Computers


  5. Posts : 750
    Windows 10 Pro 64-bits
       #5

    Brink said:
    No worries. What you stated is correct.

    You could try this below for what Microsoft collects to help.

    Change Diagnostic and Usage Data Settings in Windows 10 | Tutorials
    Thanks Brink, especially the "No worries" part...

    One more question...

    If this tutorial user account control is not configured, then the end users can enable activity history and replicate it across their devices that they may have, probably via MS cloud. Would the user setting override the "Change Diagnostic and Usage Data Settings" on a per individual account basis?

    On the surface, the answer seems to be no, but I am not certain what the end result of contradicting group policy would be.
      My Computer


  6. Posts : 68,657
    64-bit Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Thread Starter
       #6

    Activity History and Diagnostic and Usage Data are two separate unrelated settings.

    If you leave the group policy for Activity History in this tutorial set to "Not Configured", then users will be able to turn on collecting activity history on that specific PC.
      My Computers


  7. Posts : 42
    Windows 10 x64
       #7

    Hi, in this page there are 2 options: (1903)
    store my activity history on this device &...
    send my activity history to microsoft

    one of them are shown in registry, the other one has a registry key to change as well? thanks in advance
      My Computer


  8. Posts : 68,657
    64-bit Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Thread Starter
       #8

    Kishvand said:
    Hi, in this page there are 2 options: (1903)
    store my activity history on this device &...
    send my activity history to microsoft

    one of them are shown in registry, the other one has a registry key to change as well? thanks in advance

    Hello,

    Both options in this tutorial are for the same group policy.

    Option 1 just sets it via gpedit.msc, and Option 2 manually sets it in the registry via a .reg file. The registry key and values are in the notes at the top in Option 2.
      My Computers


  9. Posts : 42
    Windows 10 x64
       #9

    Brink said:
    Hello,

    Both options in this tutorial are for the same group policy.

    Option 1 just sets it via gpedit.msc, and Option 2 manually sets it in the registry via a .reg file. The registry key and values are in the notes at the top in Option 2.
    Hello Brink thanks for help, for some reason cannot use group policy option, I mean both of them have registry keys? One is PublishUserActivities, I look for the other one :)
      My Computer


 

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