15 Ways to Keep Your Privacy Secure in Windows 10

Windows 10 is well-known and widely used for a number of reasons. However, there are certain features that have received criticism for violating or compromising user privacy. For instance, like other personal digital assistants on the market, Cortana tends to ask for too much personal information.

But that’s not all. Windows 10 also comes with various built-in features for sharing, providing feedback, and collecting telemetry data. This means that your personal information may be shared with others, be it your friends or even Microsoft itself. However, I can understand why many people are concerned about their privacy and prefer to have control over their personal data.

Hey there! It’s time to take control of your data and protect your privacy. So, in this article, I’m going to give you some tips and tricks to help you disable those data spies and reclaim your privacy in Windows 10.

Say goodbye to ads

Just like Android and iOS, Windows 10 bombards you with ads in apps and on the web. These sneaky spies follow you around online, collecting your data so that Microsoft can display personalized ads. But guess what? You can actually disable these ads and keep your data private.

1. Start
2. Settings > Privacy > General > Change privacy options
3. Toggle off “Let apps use my advertising ID for experience across apps“

Opt out of personalized ads

Hey there! Did you know that Microsoft assigns a special number to everyone using their stuff? It helps advertisers track what you do online and show you ads that match your interests. But don’t worry, you can stop this tracking! Just follow these steps in each browser:

1. Open this link in each browser: https://account.microsoft.com/privacy/ad-settings/signedout?ru=https:%2F%2Faccount.microsoft.com%2Fprivacy%2Fad-settings

To make sure you’re not seeing personalized ads, you’ll need to make a quick change in your browser settings. Here’s what you need to do:

1. Open each browser you use, like Chrome, Firefox, or Safari.

2. Look for the settings menu – usually, it’s the three dots or lines in the top right corner of the window.

3. In the settings menu, find the option that says “Personalized ads in this browser” and toggle it off. Do the same for the option that says “Personalized ads wherever I use my Microsoft account”.

4. Don’t forget to turn on cookies and turn off any ad blockers you may have installed. These settings are important for the changes to take effect.

That’s it! Now you should experience fewer personalized ads while browsing.

Turning off Cortana and the taskbar search

Hey there! Did you know that Cortana collects a bunch of your personal data to give you those handy suggestions and search results? But hey, if you’re not really into having your information floating around in the cloud, even if it’s anonymous, I totally get it. Here’s how you can disable it:

1. To start, open up Cortana. You can find it in your taskbar.
2. Once you’re in Cortana, go to the Settings. Easy peasy.
3. Now, take a look at all the options in Settings. Toggle off everything you see there, like “Hey Cortana“, “My device history“, and “My search history“. Make sure to turn off anything that you don’t want Cortana to have access to.

Just a quick heads up: once you turn off these features, you won’t be able to use Cortana’s smart features anymore. But hey, if that’s a sacrifice you’re willing to make for the sake of your privacy, go for it!

Take Control of Cortana’s Knowledge

Did you know that Microsoft keeps a record of all the information it collects about you through its apps? Surprisingly, turning off Cortana doesn’t automatically erase this stored data from the cloud. However, there is a way to delete this saved information. Just follow these simple steps:

1. To begin, open Cortana and select Settings > “Change what Cortana knows about me in the cloud“.
2. Once there, scroll to the bottom of the window and click the Clear button.
3. To clear your search history, favorites, and more, you can follow these steps:
4. First, click on the following links: “Bing Maps“, “Search History page“, and “the notebook connected services page“. This will take you to the respective pages where you can clear your information.



5. Next, open Cortana’s window and click on the “Notebook icon“. From there, go to the Permissions section.
6. In the Permissions section, you will find a link that says “Manage everything Cortana can see and use“. Click on this link.
7. Once you’re on the Manage Everything page, you can toggle off the options for “Location“, “Contacts, email, calendar, & communication history“, and “Browsing history“. This will prevent Cortana from accessing and using this information.

If you want to protect your privacy while using Windows 10, there are a few settings you should consider. Here’s how you can do it:

1. Click on the link “Speech, inking, & typing privacy settings“.
2. In the new window, find the section called “Getting to Know You“, and click on “Stop Getting to Know Me“.

Disable Wi-Fi Sense

The Wi-Fi Sense feature was originally designed to share passwords with your peers and friends, but now it’s disabled. Its current function is to suggest and connect to open Wi-Fi hotspots in your area based on crowd-sourced information. If you want to disable this feature for added security, just follow these steps:

Here’s a revised version with the requested changes:

1. First, let’s get started. Click on the “Start” button, then go to “Settings” > “Network & Internet” > “Wi-Fi”.
2. Next, scroll down until you find the “Wi-Fi Sense” option. Toggle off the switch for “Connect to suggested open hotspots”.

Remember: If you want to prevent Wi-Fi Sense users from connecting to your Wi-Fi network, simply add “_optout” to your network’s SSID. For example, if your network is named “mynetwork”, change it to “mynetwork_optout”.

Turning off OneDrive Sync

I want to tell you about Microsoft’s OneDrive. It’s a cloud storage service that is included with Windows 10. This means you can store and share files from any device. However, it automatically backs up all your user data if it’s turned on. If you’re not a fan of OneDrive and don’t use it as your main cloud storage, it’s best to turn it off.

Here’s how to do it:

1. To make changes to your OneDrive settings, start by clicking on the up-facing arrow in the system tray.
2. Next, right-click on the OneDrive app icon and select the Settings option.
3. In the settings window, uncheck the two options: “Start OneDrive automatically when I sign in to Windows” and “Let me use OneDrive to fetch any of my files on this PC“.
4. Once you’ve made your changes, click OK to save the new settings.

Take Control of Your Privacy

In addition to the OneDrive settings, there are a few other privacy-related features that you may want to turn off to protect your privacy in Windows 10. These features collect data and send it to Microsoft when you visit websites, type using the on-screen keyboard, or use certain apps. Although disabling these features may have a slight impact on your user experience, it’s worth it for the added privacy. Follow these steps to manage these privacy options:

Hey there! Let’s make some important changes to your computer settings to ensure your privacy and improve your typing and writing experience. Here’s what you need to do:

1. First, click on the Start button. Then, go to Settings > Privacy > General.
2. Once you’re in the “Change privacy options” section, there are two options we need to turn off. The first one is “Send Microsoft info about how I write to help us improve typing and writing in the future“. The second one is “Let websites provide locally relevant content by accessing my language list“. Make sure both of these options are toggled off.
3. Lastly, let’s turn off some other features to protect your privacy. Toggle off features like Camera, Microphone, Contacts, Calendar, and any others that you see on the list.

Now you’re all set! Your computer settings are configured to prioritize your privacy and improve your typing and writing experience. If you have any questions, feel free to ask!

If you’re not using Microsoft Edge as your main browser or if you don’t need its extra features, it’s a good idea to turn them off. These features include things like collecting data on the websites you visit, recording your keystrokes to predict what you’re typing, and integrating with Cortana for personalized results. Disabling these features can help improve your browsing speed and overall experience. Here’s how you can do it:

1. Open Microsoft Edge by clicking on the menu icon (three dots) in the top right corner.
2. Select “Settings” and then choose “View Advanced Settings.”
3. In the new window, turn off the option that says “Use Adobe Flash Player.”

When it comes to privacy and services, there are a few things you can do to take control of your browsing experience. Here’s what you can do:

1. Turn off the option to save passwords. This will prevent the browser from suggesting and remembering passwords for you.

2. Disable the feature that saves form entries. This means that the browser won’t remember what you’ve entered in online forms.

3. Opt out of having Cortana assist you in Microsoft Edge. This virtual assistant won’t be offering suggestions or help while you browse.

4. Stop search suggestions from appearing as you type. This will give you more privacy by not revealing your search queries.

5. Turn off page prediction. While this feature is designed to speed up browsing and improve reading, you might prefer to browse without it.

6. Disable the SmartScreen filter. This feature helps protect you from unsafe websites and downloads, but if you want more control, you can turn it off.

By toggling off these options, you’ll have more control over your privacy and browsing experience.

Turning Off SmartScreen Filters

When I use Windows 10, Microsoft’s SmartScreen filters are always active, keeping me safe by blocking any potentially malicious websites or downloads. However, I’ve realized that this means Microsoft knows all about the websites I visit and the apps I install. If you’re concerned about your privacy and want to turn off these filters, follow these simple steps:

1. First, right-click on the Start button and select “Control Panel”.
2. In the top-right corner, change the view by selecting “Category”. Then, go to “System and Security” > “Security and Maintenance”.
3. From the options on the left panel, choose “Change Windows SmartScreen settings”.

When it comes to boosting your Windows 10 security, there are a few key steps you can take. Let’s get started!

First, select the radio button that says “Don’t do anything (turn off Windows SmartScreen)”. This will help protect your computer from potentially harmful content.

Next, head over to Settings > Privacy > General. Here, you’ll find the option to change your privacy settings.

Look for the section labeled “Change privacy options” and toggle off the option that says “Turn on SmartScreen Filter to check web content (URLs) that Windows Store apps use”. This will prevent Windows from checking the websites you visit with the SmartScreen Filter.

Now that you’ve disabled Windows SmartScreen, let’s move on to disabling Windows 10 sync. This will help ensure that your personal information stays private.

That’s it! By following these steps, you’ve taken important measures to strengthen your Windows 10 security. Keep up the good work!

When you use Windows 10, your preferences and settings are synchronized across all of your devices. This means that settings like passwords, language preferences, and desktop and web browser settings are available on every device you sign in to using the same Microsoft account. But what if you’re not a fan of the cloud and don’t want your data to be synced? Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered. Here’s what you need to do:

1. To turn off syncing in Windows 10, go to Settings > Accounts > Sync your settings.
2. If you want to turn off syncing for all settings, toggle off “Sync settings“. If you prefer to turn off syncing for specific settings, toggle them off one by one under ‘Individual sync settings“.

Switch to a Local Account

In Windows 10, when you use a Microsoft account, your settings are synced, and apps have access to your information. This may pose privacy concerns. If you don’t need the features of an online account, it’s a good idea to turn it off.

Here’s how you can switch to a local account in Windows 10:

First, I’ll guide you through the process of turning off syncing. Go to Settings, then select Accounts, and finally, click on Sync your settings.

Next, you’ll need to decide whether you want to turn off syncing for all settings or just specific ones. If you want to stop syncing altogether, toggle off the “Sync settings” option. However, if you prefer to control which settings are synced, you can toggle them off individually under the ‘Individual sync settings’ section.

Now, let’s move on to switching to a local account. This will disconnect your Microsoft account and allow you to sign in with a username and password instead.

To switch to a local account, go to the Settings menu, then select Accounts, and finally, click on Your info.

Under the “Create a username for this PC” section, click on the “Sign in with a local account instead” link.

Enter your current Microsoft account password when prompted, and then follow the instructions on the screen to set up a new username and password for your local account.

Once you’ve completed these steps, you’ll have successfully switched to a local account on Windows 10. Your settings will no longer be synced online, and you’ll have more control over your privacy and personal information.

1. To change your account settings, go to Settings, then click on Accounts, and finally select Your info.
2. If you prefer to sign in without using an online account, select “Sign in with a local account instead” and follow the instructions on the screen.

Disable Location Access

Location access allows apps and services to provide you with location-specific information, such as weather updates and local news. However, if you’re concerned about sharing your location, you can easily disable this feature:

Here’s how you can protect your privacy and configure Windows Update:

1. First, open your Settings by clicking on it. Then, click on Privacy, followed by Location.
2. You’ll see a button that says Change. Click on it, and then toggle off the option that says “Location service“.
3. To clear your Location History, simply click on the Clear button.

Now, let’s configure Windows Update:

Windows Update has a feature called peer-to-peer sharing, where other computers on your network or the Internet can download updates from your computer. But don’t worry, you can turn this off by following these steps:

1. Click on the Start button, and then go to Settings. From there, click on Update & Security, and then select Windows Update.
   

I’m going to show you how to make some important changes to your computer settings. Follow these steps to get started:

1. In the right panel, look for “Update settings” and click on “Advanced Options.” It should be easy to find.


2. A new window will appear. Look for “Choose How Updates Are Delivered” and click on it.

3. You’ll see a few options. Look for “PCs on my local network” and select the radio button next to it. Make sure to turn off the button above the radio button called “Off.”


Now that you’ve made these changes, your computer will be more secure and up-to-date. But there’s one more thing you can do to protect your privacy.

Disable Feedback & Diagnostics. It’s easy!

When you use Windows, it sends diagnostic data to Microsoft’s servers. This is done to help fix problems with performance and make their services better. The data that is sent includes information about the apps you use and snapshots of your memory.

While it might not seem important, some people don’t want to share anything from their computer with a company’s server. If you feel the same way and don’t want to send feedback, here’s what you can do:

Here’s what you need to do:

1. First, click the Start button on your computer.
2. Next, go to Settings > Privacy > Feedback & diagnostics.
3. Then, change the “Feedback frequency” to Never.
4. Finally, change the “Diagnostic and usage data” to Basic.

Give Spybot’s Anti-Beacon a try

If you want to protect your privacy and stop Windows 10 from tracking your information, you should try out Spybot’s Anti-Beacon. This useful tool blocks and prevents various data tracking features of the operating system, ensuring that your system doesn’t send any anonymous information to Microsoft.

Even though the company says they collect this data to keep your devices secure and make the user experience better, a lot of us don’t feel comfortable sharing our data, even if it’s anonymous. That’s why you can use Spybot’s Anti-Beacon to protect yourself. Just follow these steps:

1. To get started, download Spybot’s Anti-Beacon from their official website at https://www.safer-networking.org/spybot-anti-beacon/.
2. Once the download is complete, install the program and open Spybot’s Anti-Beacon.
3. On the opening screen, you will see a button labeled Immunize. Click on this button.

Some important points to consider

While the above features can be quite invasive, disabling them limits their functionality. This means that some applications or services may require one or more of these features to be enabled. If you find yourself in a situation where you need a particular feature or tool, you can enable it. However, if you prioritize your privacy and want to have complete control over your data, it’s best to keep these features turned off.

By the way, do you know of any other privacy-infringing features in Windows 10? We’d love to hear your thoughts.