Using applications to stop telemetry

f14tomcat · 04 Mar 2020

TairikuOkami said:

Many people have been jailed over data shared by onedrive, smartscreen, windows defender's cloud, etc. So privacy does matter, since what is considered illegal and against TOS, is subjective these days. Kaspersky is banned in USA merely because its cloud engine uploaded NSA files for analysis.

I myself prefer tools, that scan current settings, so you can see, what is already applied.
For example I like BlackBird, some of those settings are related to ADs and security.

Thought you might like to know that Defender promptly quarantined this app, BlackBird, as a Severe Trojan.

Using applications to stop telemetry-2020-03-04_07h26_09.png

TairikuOkami · 04 Mar 2020

f14tomcat said:

Thought you might like to know that Defender promptly quarantined this app, BlackBird, as a Severe Trojan.

Of course, it changes critical Windows settings. It is detected by 26 engines on VirusTotal.

P.S.: I wondered where it had gone, Defender removed it upon clean install, just like Nirsoft tools.

Callender · 04 Mar 2020

FYI: I've used Blackbird in the past but only with a system image backup in place. You can also create a backup file within Blackbird. It's apps manager is okay.

I'm not currently using it.

See: Powershell usage and usage for computer diagnostics

windowz123 · 05 Mar 2020

Callender said:

FYI:

I've used this:

Debotnet | Mirinsoft ❤︎

Which uses scripts based on information found here:

Windows 10 Privacy Guide - May 2019 Update - Federico Dossena

I've also used O&O plus Spybot but didn't find them of much use.

In addition I've run:

Instructions - W10Privacy

It has backup available. See:

Download W10Privacy - MajorGeeks

Note: If disabling/ removing items that might be targeted in a cumulative update then you risk that cumulative update failing resulting in the need to reinstall windows.

Thanks this will be my week-end project.

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Steve C said:

I wouldn't worry since most of our personal details are probably already available after many hacks. Just review the Privacy settings and disable those you wish.

It's true.. it's just that some days I wish to protect some thoughts from being captured, it's the fact that every thought is captured and occasionally it's fun to have tools to be hidden. To have a choice to share or not my thoughts on a given day.

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TairikuOkami said:

Comparison of Windows 10 Privacy tools - gHacks Tech News

I copied some tweaks from privacy tools. I prefer to do it myself, I like to know, what each command does rather than clicking on some magical button: Block all telemetry. Because even when some of them claim to backup, restore does not always work. Just like uninstalling store is pretty much irreversible.

I believe in what you say here, understanding what I am doing, I tried ShutUp10 but I don't understand the purpose of most things inside the application.. it's an unacceptable path. There is more to it.

But I think the store will be killed in my case, but I am not there yet.

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Pejole2165 said:

Microsoft have made available a utility in the MS store for free, the Diagnostic Data Viewer, it shows you what type of information is being sent, from what and when.
I have to say though without any 3rd party apps and just turning off settings easily accessed through Settings and Control Panel I apparently send no data, my Ethernet connection seems to back this up.

Attachment 269150
Most of the paranoia has been generated by unsubstantiated Twitter/ Reddit style posting and it wouldn't surprise me to find that most of these "privacy enforcing apps" are either snake oil or sending data themselves, especially the paid for ones.

Good points.. thanks for the idea of the diagnostic data viewer

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I might look at blackbird in the virtual machine windows just for fun.