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How To Disable Telemetry and Other Data Collection in Windows

Gary NavatUpdated July 27, 2024

In Windows Settings

1. Go to Windows Settings by pressing the Win key + I, or click the start button then type “settings” in search and click settings.

How To Disable Telemetry and Other Data Collection in Windows

2. In Settings window, search advertising and click “Choose if apps can use your advertising ID” setting (Or go to Privacy & security tab then General settings) then turn off all of the settings.

Choose if apps can use your advertising ID  How To Disable Telemetry and Other Data Collection in Windows Adjust general privacy and security settings

3. Go back to Privacy & Security tab, click “Activity history”, then turn off all of the settings and click the Clear history button.

Activity history setting Disable activity history

4. Go back to Privacy & Security tab, click “Search Permissions” then turn off Cloud content search, History and Show search highlight settings.

Set search permissions Disable cloud content search history

Using Registry Editor

1. Press Win key +R then type "regedit", then click Yes in the pop-up window.

start regedit start regedit uac

2. Go to Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\DataCollection.

regedit data collection entry

3. Double-click "AllowTelemetry" and set the Value data to 0, select Hexadecimal and click OK.

disable telemetry via regedit edit allow telemetry in registry

4. If there’s no AllowTelemetry option, right-click on the blank space and click New, click DWORD (32-bit) Value, name it as "AllowTelemetry", the do step 3.

disable telemetry in registry disable telemetry via regedit

5. Got to Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer.

edit explorer search box suggestions in registry

6. Double-click on "DisableSearchBoxSuggestions" and set the Value data to 1, select Hexadecimal and click OK.

disable search box suggestions

7. If DisableSearchBoxSuggestions does not exist, right-click on the blank space and click New, click DWORD (32-bit) Value, name it as DisableSearchBoxSuggestions (like step 4), then do step 6.

8. Close the Registry Editor and restart your computer.

Using Group Policies

1. Press Win key +R, then type "gpedit.msc".

start group policy editor

2. Got to Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Data Collection and Preview Builds folder then double-click "Allow Diagnostic Data".

disable allow diagnostic data

3. Click the Disabled option, click Apply and click OK.

disable diagnostic data

4. Look for "Configure collection of browsing data for Desktop Analytics" option. Double-click it.

Configure collection of browsing data for Desktop Analytics

5. Click the Disabled option, click Apply and click OK.

Click the Disabled option

6. Got to Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Search and look for "Allow Cortana" and double-click it.

Find Allow Cortana

7. Click the Disabled option, click Apply and click OK.

disable cortana in gpedit

8. Also in Search folder, look for Do not allow web search then double-click it.

look for Do not allow web search

9. Click the Enabled option, click Apply and click OK, then close the Group Policy Editor and finally restart your computer.

Click the Enabled option, click Apply and click OK

In Services

1. Press Win key +R then type "services.msc".

run services.msc

2. Look for "Connected User Experiences and Telemetry", double-click it, then set the Startup type to Disabled, click Apply and OK, then restart your computer.

Connected User Experiences and Telemetry Connected User Experiences and Telemetry step 2