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Disable Desktop Analytics telemetry

Overview

About this category

This category contains privacy scripts for Windows.

These changes use Windows system commands to update your settings.

Desktop Analytics is a cloud-based service that provides insights about Windows devices in an organization. The service provides insight and intelligence from user data 1.

Desktop Analytics collects diagnostic data from enrolled Windows devices and sends it to Microsoft cloud services 1. It creates an inventory of apps running in an organization. This data provides insights about application compatibility and pilot identification to help IT administrators in organizations evaluate the readiness and compatibility of devices for Windows feature updates 1.

To enable data collection, Desktop Analytics configures settings on the device registry and group policies related to commercial ID, telemetry levels, and data sharing 2.

While this data sharing raises potential privacy concerns, Microsoft states that privacy controls allow organizations to limit data collection 1.

Desktop Analytics is retired since November 30, 2022 in favor of Microsoft Intune and Configuration Manager 3.

Caution: Mixed Risk Levels

Be careful running these scripts. This category includes scripts with high impact:

  • 🟡 Some recommended scripts only if you understand its implications. Some non-critical or features may no longer function correctly after running this this category.
  • 🟢 Some safely recommended scripts. Safe-to use for any user.
Implementation Details
  • Language: batch

  • Scripts Count: 5 scripts

  • Required Privileges: Administrator rights

  • Compatibility: Windows only

  • Reversibility: All changes can be reverted

Apply now

These scripts are written using Batch (batchfile) scripting language.

Choose one of two ways to apply:

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

Alternative 1. Apply with Privacy.sexy

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

Open privacy.sexy

It allows selectively choose parts of this action to conduct. You can fully restore this action (revert back to the original behavior) using the application. Additionally, you can apply only the recommended scripts, instead of applying all of the scripts.

privacy.sexy instructions
  1. Open or download the desktop application
  2. Search for the category name: Disable Desktop Analytics telemetry.
  3. Check the category by clicking on the checkbox of the category.
  4. Click on Run button at the bottom of the page.

Alternative 2. Download

You can choose to apply only scripts with less impact or also those with higher impact:

Standard

Recommended for all users. It helps to improve privacy without affecting stability.

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Strict

Recommended if you understand its implications. It may cause some non-critical features to no longer function correctly.

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Consider restarting your computer for all changes to take affect.

Reversible

This action is completely reversible, you can restore your changes to the initial/default state. The restore/revert methods provided here can help you fix issues.

If something goes wrong, use the Revert script provided above.

Standard

This script includes only Standard recommendation level.

Safe for General Use

Standard scripts in this category is recommended for all users. They help to improve privacy without affecting stability.

Download only standard scripts by clicking on the button:

Download script

Restore these changes if you decide to revert them by downloading the restore script:

Download restore script

Strict

This script includes Standard and Strict recommendation levels.

Use with Caution

This script is only recommended if you understand their implications of every single change. Some non-critical or features may no longer function correctly after running this script.

Download Strict scripts:

Download script

Restore these changes if you decide to revert them by downloading the restore script:

Download restore script

Explore further

This category includes total of 5 scripts but no subcategories.

Explore its 5 scripts:

Disable processing of Desktop Analytics

This script ensures that Microsoft does not process Windows diagnostic data from your device. When activated, it modifies a setting known as the Group Policy object on your device. This object is a set of policies that determine how your system operates. The script disables a policy related to Microsoft's Desktop Analytics service. This service is designed to provide insights into the health and usage of your devices but may involve processing diagnostic data. By disabling this policy, the scrip...

Disable sending device name in Windows diagnostic data

This script enhances privacy by ensuring that the name of your device is anonymized in any diagnostic data collected by Microsoft Desktop Analytics. In other words, instead of your actual device name, "Unknown" will appear in the data. Since the release of Windows 10, version 1803, the device name is not included in the diagnostic data by default. This script guarantees that this privacy-enhancing measure remains in place. When implemented, it changes a specific registry setting, `AllowDeviceNam...

Disable collection of Edge browsing data for Desktop Analytics

This script configures Microsoft Edge to prevent it from sending your browsing history data to Desktop Analytics. This browsing data can include information from either your intranet or internet history, or both. When you use Microsoft Edge for browsing, it can collect and send your browsing history to Desktop Analytics, a Microsoft service that helps enterprises to analyze and improve their IT environment. If this setting is disabled, Microsoft Edge does not send any browsing history data, ther...

Disable diagnostics data processing for Business cloud

This script controls whether diagnostic data from your device is processed by Windows Update for Business cloud. If enabled, the script can enhance privacy by ensuring that diagnostic data from your device is not processed by the Windows Update for Business cloud (WufB), an update management service provided by Microsoft. This service typically helps businesses manage updates on their devices efficiently. But if privacy is a concern, you can opt to disable it. The policy is applicable to devices...

Disable Update Compliance processing of diagnostics data

Update Compliance is a service provided by Microsoft hosted in Azure, which uses Windows diagnostic data. This service doesn't meet the US Government community compliance (GCC) requirements, and is utilized by both Desktop Analytics and Azure Update Management. This script is designed to disable the Update Compliance processing of diagnostic data on your device. When this script is run, it modifies the system registry to prevent diagnostic data from your device being processed by Update Complian...

Explore Categories

This action belongs to Disable enterprise/business focused data collection category. This category contains scripts to disable data collection capabilities focused on enterprise/business uses. The scripts target various Windows features like Desktop Analytics, Windows Update for Business, and Azure services. These capabilities are meant to provide insights for IT administrators... Read more on category page ▶

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