Windows does a great job of looking user-friendly and helpful. You would notice that almost every setting that involves your data is wrapped in innocent and friendly language, like personalization and improving your experience. Once you’ve clicked Yes during the setup, your PC quietly keeps more tabs than you would ever want to share.
I don’t mean to say that there’s a hidden plot or wild conspiracy going against us. It’s just that a lot of data-collecting features are enabled by default on Windows, some of which are buried in such a way that you would rarely revisit them. I’ve disabled six Windows settings that looked innocent but behave like silent background observers.
Activity Tracking
Windows memory of you
Windows can keep a history of apps you use, files you open, websites you browse, and other general activity over time. It can store this data locally or send it to Microsoft servers if you’ve enabled the syncing feature. Activity tracking helps you pick up where you’ve left things off across your devices. However, over time, this can create a snapshot of your usage habits, like what you work on and how often you access a specific app. Even if you don’t see your activity history, Windows keeps tracking you in the background.
- Open Settings on your Windows computer.
- Visit the Privacy & security section.
- Select Activity History.
- Disable Store my activity history on this device option and hit the Clear history button to remove your existing data.
If you can’t find this option, it’s probably because Microsoft has removed the dedicated Activity History page in the newer Windows 11 builds.
Diagnostic Data settings
I thought it was basic error reporting
The Diagnostic data settings on Windows collect data about system performance, app behavior and crashes, error messages you get, what features you use, and more. This data helps Microsoft to fix software bugs, keep your device up-to-date, and improve the overall system performance. While some of this data is required, a lot of it is optional. You can’t turn off the minimum diagnostic data required by Windows, which includes device info, software inventory, and health metrics. That said, the optional diagnostic data is under your control. This includes app activity, browsing history, inking and typing, and advanced error metrics. This data might also include your app usage patterns and interaction data that you would probably not want to share.
Here’s how to limit diagnostic data on Windows:
- Go to Settings > Privacy & security.
- Click on the Diagnostic & feedback section.
- Here, turn off Send optional diagnostic data.
- Also, disable Tailored experiences and Improve inking and typing options.
- You can also delete the diagnostic data that Microsoft has collected about your device.
Now, you’ll still get updates and security fixes, but Windows will have limited access to your personal data.
Advertising ID
The ID you never signed up for
Windows generates a unique advertising ID for each user, which allows apps to track your behavior and show personalized ads. Even if you don’t care about relevant, personalized, or interest-based ads, apps can access this advertising ID to collect your data and build a profile of your interests.
Fortunately, you can disable or reset your advertising ID at any time.
- Open Settings and click on Privacy & security from the left panel.
- Next up, click on General.
- Here, turn off the advertising ID option.
It’s worth knowing that doing this won’t remove the ads completely. It just stops Windows from tailoring them according to your interests. If you turn this feature off and then back on, it will generate a new ID for you, clearing the link to the previous tracking data.
App Permissions
App-level surveillance
When you download apps on your machine, many of them request access to sensitive features like the microphone, camera, contacts, calendar, and more. Let’s face it, most folks don’t even pay attention to these requests. They would just hit the Allow button without thinking twice. While some apps require certain features to work properly, some of them might not even need them. It makes all the sense for a video conferencing app to ask for microphone and camera access. However, a calculator, file manager, and most utility apps don’t need camera or microphone access on your system.
Here’s how to review app permissions on Windows:
- Navigate to Settings > Privacy & security.
- Under the App permissions section, closely review camera, microphone, contacts, calendar, and other categories one by one.
- If an app genuinely doesn’t need a specific permission, revoke its access.
If you grant all the permissions without any second thoughts, an overly clever or curious app might collect far more information than it is required. Therefore, it’s extremely important to review and limit unnecessary app permissions.
Location Services
A feature mostly meant for phones
Most laptops and desktops don’t even need location services, and it’s something we associate more with our smartphones. When you enable location services on your system, Windows can track your device’s physical location and share it with Microsoft servers for services like maps and weather. We all know that location services are some of the most sensitive information that can reveal your habits, routines, and precise whereabouts.
If you don’t want Windows and third-party apps to access your real-time location for creepy targeted-ads, data profiling, and misuse by malicious actors, you can turn off location services. Here’s what you need to do:
- Open Settings and click on Privacy & security.
- You can turn off Location services entirely or limit it to specific apps.
This will give you more control over your privacy and security.
1. Clipboard Syncing
I didn’t realize my clipboard could be uploaded
The clipboard syncing feature on Windows allows your clipboard contents to be synced to Microsoft servers. This allows you to use your clipboard history across your other devices where you’ve signed in with the same Microsoft account. It’s worth knowing that your clipboard contents are saved in plain text, and many people copy important passwords, sensitive data, or private messages without even thinking about where all of them are going. If you share your computer, anyone can access your clipboard history. Also, if your cloud account is compromised, it puts your confidential data at risk.
Follow the steps below to disable the clipboard syncing feature.
- Open Settings, click on System from the left panel.
- Scroll down and click on Clipboard.
- Turn off the Sync across your devices option.
It will help you avoid accidental sharing, cloud syncing risks, and similar problems.
I Can’t Use a New Windows Computer Until I Change These 9 Settings
I like to start off on the right foot with my new PC.
Take ownership of your Windows PC
Privacy on Windows isn’t about turning off the features; it’s about choosing them carefully. Most settings exist for your convenience, personalization, and system improvement. However, the problem is the majority of people don’t care about settings that are enabled by default. In fact, they would rarely revisit them. Once you actually start having a look at what’s turned on, you can decide what genuinely needs to access your data, and what doesn’t. This small switch of making thoughtful choices will stop your PC from being a silent data collector.
