![]() ![]() No matter how much Microsoft promise they don’t do this, there’s no way to be certain as these programs are proprietary – you’ve no way of knowing for certain what happens under the hood.įOSS (Free and Open Source Software) is just that: the code has been made publicly available online for review, so experts know exactly how it works. If you’ve taken care of Cortana but continue to use other Microsoft apps, then Windows can continue to gather data about your user activity. If you choose Bitlocker depending on your setup options your “Recovery Key” may also be stored on Microsoft’s servers.Ĭonsider using an open-source alternative like Veracrypt to protect your hard drive instead. This means if your device falls into the wrong hands, there’s no way to recover your data without the correct key.īitlocker may keep you safe but there have been accusations of a software “backdoor” that would allow Microsoft and government agencies to access data without your permission. Encrypt your hard driveĪll versions of Windows 11 now support Bitlocker, which allows you to fully encrypt your hard drive. Under “Background Apps Permission” choose “Never”. Under “App Permissions” set “Microphone” to “Off”. ![]() Click the ‘…’ and choose ‘Advanced Options’. Next, go to Apps > Installed Apps > Cortana. To disable Cortana, first open Windows settings. This is a big privacy price to pay for the convenience of being able to schedule meetings and set alarms using your voice instead of a keyboard. Windows also only offers limited options to control Cortana and it can’t be removed altogether. ![]() The Cortana virtual assistant records your voice and then shares search queries and other information with the cloud. ![]() Go to Windows Settings > Privacy & Security > General and disable all the options there like “Let Apps show me Personalized Ads by using my Advertising ID.” In theory, this means Microsoft will collect less data about your activity and browsing habits. You can also go to System Settings > Accounts > Your Info and choose “Sign in with a local account instead”. If you decided to do a clean install of Windows in the previous step, there is a workaround where you can force Windows to let you use a local account by disconnecting from the internet. This isn’t best for your privacy though, as it’s just another way for Microsoft to log your user activity. for syncing purchased content across your devices. Windows 11 Home and certain versions of Pro now require you to log in with a Microsoft Account. If you don’t feel comfortable doing this, you can reset Windows to restore system files but not preinstalled apps. Still, the safest way is to do a clean install of Windows 11 using an installation USB or DVD you created yourself. (Windows won’t let you delete anything vital). You can just go to “Add/Remove” programs in ‘Control Panel’ to get rid of any you don’t use. These are known as ‘bloatware’ or ‘junkware’. Here you’ll learn some ways to boost your Windows privacy Remove Bloatwareĭepending on where you bought your Windows device, it may come with a number of unnecessary programs. It’s also not clear how much information it sends ‘home’ to Microsoft that could be used to identify you. It uses some of this information to serve up advertising. By default, the operating system collects data like user activity and search queries. The latest version of Windows does have some privacy issues. ![]()
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