how to disable telemetry in windows 11
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this post was submitted on 24 Jun 2026
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Privacy
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PSA, for people sticking to Windows:
You can get a reasonable level of privacy by installing Windows Enterprise via RUFUS, which also has options for removing restrictions during installation. Massgravel is used to activate your copy of Windows, the Github also having .ISOs for you to use with RUFUS.
ShutUp10 is a piece of software that goes a step further, allowing you to toggle off many bad things, uninstall Microsoft's AI, and gives a description of what you are tweaking does. The premium version also automatically applies your settings at all times, reverting Microsoft's constant tweaking of your settings.
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I recently attempted my 2nd migration to Linux through ZorinOS, but that didn't work out. There are still issues with reliability and user friendliness. As a power casual, there were too many jagged edges to let me feel good about daily driving Linux. Hopefully, SteamOS will change that within three or four years. Linux will someday be our solution to the Microsoft problem, but that year hasn't yet arrived.
Which issues did you have with Zorin?
There is zero reason to use Windows now. Linux has gotten so good that even a noob can install distros like Ubuntu and Mint. I have Linux running as my main on an old Zephyrus laptop after it arbitrarily installed W11 without my permission or prompting. Windows is spyware and gets isolated in my network.
You're delusional (saying this as a long time tech support for various new Linux users)
Agreed.
I still keep and use my Windows partition quite often, and probably will for a long time.
I do find that more and more finds its way over to Linux though, which is very nice
I’m sure I’m overestimating and I don’t care. The majority will keep using malware and complaining about it, while doing nothing to solve it. Not even the bare minimum of searching “what are my alternatives?” I know there’s a massive slice of the population that will live in PC hell until the bitter end.
Laughs in Tux
a while ago, i watched a youtube video that opened wireshark on brand new installs of ubuntu and windows with no other apps open
comparing a paid operating system and a free operating system that has been said to have privacy issues
guess which one sent 500 packets in under 2 minutes
I believe I saw the same video. I'm now planning to switch from Ubuntu to Parrot OS.
MS at least permits to desactivate all this crap (naturally not documented, but activated by default), it's all in the settings, services and registry (eg.desactivate SysMain, whith which MS ~~steal~~ share your Bandwidth). Apart there are also a ton of other services and "features" which remain active by default, despite not longer needed since 15 years, eg.Prefetch, IndexService, Hibernate and other (eg.AI), slowing down the system and wasting RAM. Most optimizer apps, like ShutUp10 and others can help, if you don't want to do it by yourself (!!!). To make easier the access, God Mode still works in Windows 11, or download Super God Mode. Windows always need work to turn it in a fast and usable OS with an reasonable privacy (remember that some telemetry make sense, eg.for update checks (Important security updates, also for drivers)
Mandatory to install Portmaster.
With all the effort it takes to figure that out on Windows (yes, even with a guide to follow), it literally would be easier to switch to Linux.
Inb4 needing to pick a distro. Here's a simple flowchart:
- Do you game with brand new graphics cards and/or brand new games that need driver updates?
- Do you want to tinker?
- If yes, use CachyOS
- If no, use Bazzite
- Do you want to tinker?
- If you don't buy graphics cards or high end games right after release, or don't game at all
- Linux Mint
Or, and this may be a difficult concept for the Windows-brained to grasp, use an operating system that you don't have to fight and beat into submission for it to do what you want and only what you want.
It's your computer, why would you give control over it to anyone else?
Yes, but due to the theme of this threat, I think it's godd to post the possibilities for the users which want or need to use Windows for several reasons. Linux isn't always the best option for all cases. It may be always a good option to use both, Win and Linux in dual boot.
Windows deleted all my files that weren't even in one drive this week when one drive had a melt down and killed itself. I stared in disbelief, thanked the heavens I just backed all that shit up recently, laughed, and installed Linux. Didn't even bother to see if I could recover anything. I've been meaning to switch for a long time and just haven't. Windows made it pretty fucking easy.
Linux Mint is surprisingly good. I have a Windows 11 system with RAID, there is no way I can mess around and try to install Linux on it. It would for sure mess up all of my storage.
You could install it on an m.2 drive.
The computer is from 2009 lol and I'm not buying an adapter. I could get an external hard drive though or a big USB for a live version.
For Windows 10 and 11 this is just scratching the surface and is next to useless for all the stuff they leave behind.
Use ShutUpWindows10++ (yes it work on 11 too) and THAT will get the vast majority of the stuff that this video doesn't even touch on.
Please post a correct URL for shutup10++, as I googled it and found github/O-O-ShutUp10 which is most likely a scam.
Does https://codeberg.org/fossarchive/Win11Debloat do the same?
This is another one of the windows negatives. There's no real standard for tools that debloat or remove the MS malware and decent chance that you end up getting more malware in the process (that might even do what it says it does in addition to installing who knows what, so it's not even immediately obvious that it might be a good idea to go back to the "wipe storage and install OS" step. Thing could even revert some of the settings later on to encourage users running an updated version of the script (not that I think most would bat an eye at their "OS optimization script" being a thing that continuously runs and auto-updates) and it wouldn't even be unexpected windows behavior considering how passively hostile they already are with users trying to reduce their stupid shit in windows.
If you start with privacy options, then Winhance, then windows shut up it covers even more ground.
Microsoft .. the poster child for Linux migration
It is so bad now, with all the ads and background services sucking up your RAM.
windows 11 idles at 8gb with only a few services in the background.
Dude I was playing Grounded (the original not the second) last week and my computer was so hot it was insane. I used to play that on my 6 year old laptop with no issues 3 year old gaming desktop shouldn't struggle. In fact about a year ago it didn't struggle. At all. Windows is just garbage.
I have never had problems when I was on older Windows like Windows 7.
I miss 7. But my nastalgia lies with 2000
I know for a fact you can run Windows 11 on 8GB of RAM. I just helped a friend install some software on his 8GB laptop. Now, did I spend five hours uninstalling so many things and snipping Windows down to size? Maybe. But it ran
I have 40 tabs open lol, I doubt it.
If my network connection goes down, I have difficulty using Windows with 64GB RAM.
Why on earth does losing your network connection make the OS unusable? Like, locks up the mouse and can’t use the keyboard unusable?
Ohhhh, that doesn't make any sense. Sounds something like a "Dead Lock" situation.
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Just spyware doing spyware things here.
pulls out typewriter
pulls out telegraph
DEAR MICROSOFT STOP (FULL STOP)
edit: Dear Microslop
I have location services turned off in windows on my work computer and MS word really dislikes it. Whenever I do a side by side window with word included I get a notification (from word) that I should enable my location services in settings
Insanity that word should even think to need location services. Wtf Microsoft, clippy would never.
Always trying to peek on you.
turn off the 'notify when apps request location' setting at the bottom of settings->privacy->location
Popped a windows 11 laptop behind a firewall for toubleshooting, it logs all traffic that leaves that subnet.
Instantly flooded my logs with all kinds of bullshit.
I only use Win11 as a remote game server to play games with Moonlight/Sunshine without worrying about compatibility issues. To work and daily usage, it's Linux all the way.
Just a matter of time until I transition 100% to Linux though. In the meantime I run WinUtil every once in a while to make sure to disable most of that shit.
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