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Disable device and configuration data collection tool

Overview​

About this script

This script improves your privacy on Windows.

These changes use Windows system commands to update your settings.

This script prevents the execution of devicecensus.exe, also known as the "device and configuration data collection tool" 1. This tool is located at %SYSTEMROOT%\System32\DeviceCensus.exe 1 2 and is responsible for gathering data used for compatibility updates 3. Disabling this tool helps keeping the device's data private and preventing its usage for diagnostic collections or determining update applicability 1 2 3.

This script uses Batch (batchfile) scripting language.

Safe for General Use

This script is recommended for all users. It helps to improve privacy without affecting stability.

Implementation Details

  • Language: batch

  • Required Privileges: Administrator rights

  • Compatibility: Windows only

  • Reversibility: Can be undone using provided revert script

Explore Categories​

This action belongs to Disable census data collection category. This category focuses on disabling Windows Census. Windows Census is a component that collects device configuration data. This configuration data includes your operating system, region, language, and hardware architecture. Microsoft uses this data to determine which updates are appropriate for... Read more on category page ▶

Apply now​

Choose one of three ways to apply:

  1. Automatically via privacy.sexy: The easiest and safest option.
  2. Manually by downloading: Requires downloading a file.
  3. Manually by copying: Advanced flexibility.

Alternative 1. Apply with Privacy.sexy​

privacy.sexy is free and open-source application that lets securely apply this action easily.

Open privacy.sexy

You can fully restore this action (revert back to the original behavior) using the application.

privacy.sexy instructions
  1. Open or download the desktop application
  2. Search for the script name: Disable device and configuration data collection tool.
  3. Check the script by clicking on the checkbox.
  4. Click on Run button at the bottom of the page.

Alternative 2. Download​

Irreversible Changes

This script is irreversible, meaning there is no straightforward method to restore changes once applied. Exercise caution before running, restoring it may not be possible.

  1. Download the script file by clicking on the button below:

    Download script

  2. Run the script file by clicking on it.

Download revert script​

This file restores your system to its original state, before this script is applied.

Download restore script

Alternative 3. Copy​

This is for advanced users. Consider automatically applying or downloading the script for simpler way.

  1. Open Command Prompt as administrator.
HELP: Step-by-step guide

  1. Click on Start menu

  2. Type cmd

  3. Right click on Command Prompt select Run as administrator

  4. Click on Yes to run Command Prompt

Animation showing how to open terminal as administrator on Windows 11

  1. Copy the following code:
Code to apply changes
:: Check and terminate the running process "DeviceCensus.exe"
tasklist /fi "ImageName eq DeviceCensus.exe" /fo csv 2>NUL | find /i "DeviceCensus.exe">NUL && (
    echo DeviceCensus.exe is running and will be killed.
    taskkill /f /im DeviceCensus.exe
) || (
    echo Skipping, DeviceCensus.exe is not running.
)
:: Configure termination of "DeviceCensus.exe" immediately upon its startup
:: Set the registry value: "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Image File Execution Options\DeviceCensus.exe!Debugger"
PowerShell -ExecutionPolicy Unrestricted -Command "$registryPath = 'HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Image File Execution Options\DeviceCensus.exe'; $data = '%SYSTEMROOT%\System32\taskkill.exe'; reg add 'HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Image File Execution Options\DeviceCensus.exe' /v 'Debugger' /t 'REG_SZ' /d "^""$data"^"" /f"
:: Add a rule to prevent the executable "DeviceCensus.exe" from running via File Explorer
PowerShell -ExecutionPolicy Unrestricted -Command "$executableFilename='DeviceCensus.exe'; try { $registryPathForDisallowRun='HKCU:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer\DisallowRun'; $existingBlockEntries = Get-ItemProperty -Path "^""$registryPathForDisallowRun"^"" -ErrorAction Ignore; $nextFreeRuleIndex = 1; if ($existingBlockEntries) { $existingBlockingRuleForExecutable = $existingBlockEntries.PSObject.Properties | Where-Object { $_.Value -eq $executableFilename }; if ($existingBlockingRuleForExecutable) { $existingBlockingRuleIndexForExecutable = $existingBlockingRuleForExecutable.Name; Write-Output "^""Skipping, no action needed: '$executableFilename' is already blocked under rule index `"^""$existingBlockingRuleIndexForExecutable`"^""."^""; exit 0; }; $occupiedRuleIndexes = $existingBlockEntries.PSObject.Properties | Where-Object { $_.Name -Match '^\d+$' } | Select -ExpandProperty Name; if ($occupiedRuleIndexes) { while ($occupiedRuleIndexes -Contains $nextFreeRuleIndex) { $nextFreeRuleIndex += 1; }; }; }; Write-Output "^""Adding block rule for `"^""$executableFilename`"^"" under rule index `"^""$nextFreeRuleIndex`"^""."^""; if (!(Test-Path $registryPathForDisallowRun)) { New-Item -Path "^""$registryPathForDisallowRun"^"" -Force -ErrorAction Stop | Out-Null; }; New-ItemProperty -Path "^""$registryPathForDisallowRun"^"" -Name "^""$nextFreeRuleIndex"^"" -PropertyType String -Value "^""$executableFilename"^"" ` -ErrorAction Stop | Out-Null; Write-Output "^""Successfully blocked `"^""$executableFilename`"^"" with rule index `"^""$nextFreeRuleIndex`"^""."^""; } catch { Write-Error "^""Failed to block `"^""$executableFilename`"^"": $_"^""; Exit 1; }"
:: Activate the DisallowRun policy to block specified programs from running via File Explorer
PowerShell -ExecutionPolicy Unrestricted -Command "try { $fileExplorerDisallowRunRegistryPath = 'HKCU:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer'; $currentDisallowRunPolicyValue = Get-ItemProperty -Path "^""$fileExplorerDisallowRunRegistryPath"^"" -Name 'DisallowRun' -ErrorAction Ignore | Select -ExpandProperty DisallowRun; if ([string]::IsNullOrEmpty($currentDisallowRunPolicyValue)) { Write-Output "^""Creating DisallowRun policy at `"^""$fileExplorerDisallowRunRegistryPath`"^""."^""; if (!(Test-Path $fileExplorerDisallowRunRegistryPath)) { New-Item -Path "^""$fileExplorerDisallowRunRegistryPath"^"" -Force -ErrorAction Stop | Out-Null; }; New-ItemProperty -Path "^""$fileExplorerDisallowRunRegistryPath"^"" -Name 'DisallowRun' -Value 1 -PropertyType DWORD -Force -ErrorAction Stop | Out-Null; Write-Output 'Successfully activated DisallowRun policy.'; Exit 0; }; if ($currentDisallowRunPolicyValue -eq 1) { Write-Output 'Skipping, no action needed: DisallowRun policy is already in place.'; Exit 0; }; Write-Output 'Updating DisallowRun policy from unexpected value `"^""$currentDisallowRunPolicyValue`"^"" to `"^""1`"^"".'; Set-ItemProperty -Path "^""$fileExplorerDisallowRunRegistryPath"^"" -Name 'DisallowRun' -Value 1 -Type DWORD -Force -ErrorAction Stop | Out-Null; Write-Output 'Successfully activated DisallowRun policy.'; } catch { Write-Error "^""Failed to activate DisallowRun policy: $_"^""; Exit 1; }"
  1. Right click on command prompt to paste it.
  2. Press Enter to apply remaining code.

Copy restore code​

Copy and run the following code to restore changes:

Revert code
:: Remove configuration preventing "DeviceCensus.exe" from starting
:: Delete the registry value "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Image File Execution Options\DeviceCensus.exe!Debugger"
PowerShell -ExecutionPolicy Unrestricted -Command "reg delete 'HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Image File Execution Options\DeviceCensus.exe' /v 'Debugger' /f 2>$null"
:: Remove the rule that prevents the executable "DeviceCensus.exe" from running via File Explorer
PowerShell -ExecutionPolicy Unrestricted -Command "$executableFilename='DeviceCensus.exe'; try { $blockEntries = Get-ItemProperty -Path 'HKCU:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer\DisallowRun' -ErrorAction Ignore; if (-Not $blockEntries) { Write-Output "^""Skipping, no action needed: No block rules exist, `"^""$executableFilename`"^"" is not blocked."^""; exit 0; }; $blockingRulesForExecutable = @(; $blockEntries.PSObject.Properties | Where-Object { $_.Value -eq $executableFilename }; ); if (-Not $blockingRulesForExecutable) { Write-Output "^""Skipping, no action needed: `"^""$executableFilename`"^"" is not currently blocked."^""; exit 0; }; foreach ($blockingRuleForExecutable in $blockingRulesForExecutable) { $blockingRuleIndexForExecutable = $blockingRuleForExecutable.Name; Write-Output "^""Removing rule `"^""$blockingRuleIndexForExecutable`"^"" that blocks `"^""$executableFilename`"^""."^""; Remove-ItemProperty -Path 'HKCU:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer\DisallowRun' -Name "^""$blockingRuleIndexForExecutable"^"" -Force -ErrorAction Stop; Write-Output "^""Successfully revoked blocking of `$executableFilename` under rule `"^""$blockingRuleIndexForExecutable`"^""."^""; }; } catch { Write-Error "^""Failed to revoke blocking of `"^""$executableFilename`"^"": $_"^""; Exit 1; }"
:: Restore the File Explorer DisallowRun policy if no other blocks are active
PowerShell -ExecutionPolicy Unrestricted -Command "try { $currentDisallowRunPolicyValue = Get-ItemProperty -Path 'HKCU:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer' -Name 'DisallowRun' -ErrorAction Ignore | Select-Object -ExpandProperty 'DisallowRun'; if ([string]::IsNullOrEmpty($currentDisallowRunPolicyValue)) { Write-Output 'Skipping, no action needed: DisallowRun policy is not active.'; Exit 0; }; if ($currentDisallowRunPolicyValue -ne 1) { Write-Output "^""Skipping, DisallowRun policy is not configured by privacy.sexy, unexpected value: `"^""$currentDisallowRunPolicyValue`"^""."^""; Exit 0; }; $remainingBlockingRules = Get-ItemProperty -Path 'HKCU:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer\DisallowRun' -ErrorAction Ignore; if ($remainingBlockingRules) { Write-Output 'Skipping deactivating DisallowRun policy, there are still active rules.'; Exit 0; }; Write-Output 'No remaining rules, deleting DisallowRun policy.'; Remove-ItemProperty -Path 'HKCU:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer' -Name 'DisallowRun' -Force -ErrorAction Stop; Write-Output 'Successfully restored DisallowRun policy.'; } catch { Write-Error "^""Failed to restore DisallowRun policy: $_"^""; Exit 1; }"

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