Week 5 Posting - Windows 10 and Privacy
Hello everyone and welcome to week 5! This weeks topic is optimizing your privacy settings in Windows 10. Many data collection options are turned on by default in Windows 10, including voice data collection via Cortana. The recent Creator's update for Windows 10 Home makes disabling Cortana difficult, but not impossible. I will include a link detailing the process later in the post.
First though, let's start off with the basics. Windows 10 is pretty good when it comes to transparency and letting users decide what data they share. Go to Settings > Privacy and manage what information is stored in the cloud, including usage data for your advertising ID, if and how apps can use your camera, location, and more. Many apps also have additional privacy settings in the apps themselves, so be sure to check there too.
If you want to get more in depth, doing things such as a clean install of Windows will remove all of the additional apps that came with your computer, including a lot of the bloatware often included on today's pre-built systems. You will have to reinstall the apps you want to use, including Microsoft apps such as Office.
To do this, have your registry key somewhere handy, and download and use this tool from Microsoft. Be sure to back up any files and programs you want to keep, as well as registry files, to make the process of setting up your computer after reinstalling Windows easier. And as always, read the directions.
To disable Cortana in Windows 10 Home, you are going to have to edit the registry files. This can have unexpected consequences if done incorrectly, so like the article states, be sure to back up everything BEFORE you do this. This process is simpler for Pro, Enterprise, and Education users, and the article details that process as well. Anyway, here it is, see you all next week!
First though, let's start off with the basics. Windows 10 is pretty good when it comes to transparency and letting users decide what data they share. Go to Settings > Privacy and manage what information is stored in the cloud, including usage data for your advertising ID, if and how apps can use your camera, location, and more. Many apps also have additional privacy settings in the apps themselves, so be sure to check there too.
If you want to get more in depth, doing things such as a clean install of Windows will remove all of the additional apps that came with your computer, including a lot of the bloatware often included on today's pre-built systems. You will have to reinstall the apps you want to use, including Microsoft apps such as Office.
To do this, have your registry key somewhere handy, and download and use this tool from Microsoft. Be sure to back up any files and programs you want to keep, as well as registry files, to make the process of setting up your computer after reinstalling Windows easier. And as always, read the directions.
To disable Cortana in Windows 10 Home, you are going to have to edit the registry files. This can have unexpected consequences if done incorrectly, so like the article states, be sure to back up everything BEFORE you do this. This process is simpler for Pro, Enterprise, and Education users, and the article details that process as well. Anyway, here it is, see you all next week!
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