Windows 10 Privacy Fix

Windows 10 is a great operating system, but being honest it’s not really the most “privacy-conscious” one.  So here I bring to you what you’re searching for – Windows 10 Privacy fix.

Windows 10 is loaded to the brim with trackers, data-gatherers and what not of all kinds, on the backdrop of using it all “for the betterment of the operating system”, but we all know the data is used for more than just that.

Some of the simplest yet serious privacy concerns are with tools with advanced capabilities such as Cortana which records and monitors your webcam along with your microphone in the background and transmits the data to Microsoft.

Not to mention the personal information it collects for its “custom tailored” ads, now obviously those ads make our lives somewhat easier but how much data exactly is collected and what? That is something that most users are oblivious too.

And in most cases, it’s more than you or me would want to share. Guess what, Windows 10 comes in with a built-in “Keylogger”! So every key you press on your keyboard is logged, even log in to social networks and personal calendar aren’t private!

While most of these can be disabled from inside the operating system itself, still a lot of data and telemetry is still transmitted, for which you need external windows 10 privacy tools and that’s what we’ve included throughout this list.

So without further beating around the bush, let’s get you what you came here for, the best tools which have been able to garner the reputation of being the best Windows 10 privacy fix tools individually.

• Spybot Anti-Beacon

Website: https://www.safer-networking.org/

As the name indicates, it’s a program which acts as an enemy to a “beacon”, beacon here indicates the programs or features which may let Windows 10 gather personal information about you, or your computer.

It detects everything of that sort, which includes telemetry services, feedback, P2P updates, ID detection, WiFi sense etc, and then blocks them.

Using the program is simple, users only need to click on the “immunize” button once the application starts, and it automatically blocks all known trackers available at them moment.

It also has an “undo” button, which makes sure that if it blocks something it shouldn’t, or if you face any other problem after running the app, you can simply undo the action with a click and whatever changes were made, are reverted.

In my own experience, the program didn’t cause any of those above programs, or even the OS in general to crash, hang or disrupt, in fact, I can compare its ease to installing a game.

It’s a free program, also available as a portable application (so it won’t need any installation, and can be run directly from the setup) and they even have a support team that’s seriously “fast”!

Also, the tool can be used not just on Windows 10, but also on Windows 7, Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 so there’s that as well.

• Ashampoo® AntiSpy for Windows 10

Website: https://www.ashampoo.com/

Yet another Windows 10 privacy fix which you can use to keep your business to yourselves, with a hint of uniqueness.

Ashampoo is a unique and exclusive Windows 10 privacy fix because of the fact that it brings the power to “the users”.

Unlike Spybot which protects you from overall threats automatically, which is great of course, but Ashampoo lets the users decide what they want to share and what they don’t.

It lets you select from as many as 40 different trackers for WiFi sense, biometrics, location trackers, camera settings, ID detectors and what not.

The best part is, if something goes wrong, with Ashampoo too you can simply undo that action by “enabling/disabling” the setting which you last tempered with.

The fact that each setting is listed “individually” and there’s no “disable all” feature can both be a curse as well as a boon.

In one case, it grants you more control and opinion about your data, and helps keep certain aspects of your OS blocked while others may still function smoothly.

On the other hand, it’s more time-consuming to disable each tracker manually one by one.

Ashampoo too is available both as a standalone installer, as well as a portable version making this easier and simpler for the users.

• W10Privacy 

Website: https://www.winprivacy.de

W10 Privacy is a free piece of software developed by an individual named Bernd Schuster. It doesn’t even require installation and is rather a single executable file which can be launched with just two clicks after downloading it.

Its primary aim is the display; and if required changing of certain parameters on your Windows10 system, considering how even though Windows 10 does let users alter some of its questionable parameters; it generally hides them behind a ton of other options generally hard for users to stumble upon.

The UI isn’t that graphic-rich or professional considering how it’s a non-profit project by the developer it simply gets the job done.

Alike Privacy Repairer it too lists various telemetries in various categories such as Search, Network, Edge, OneDrive, Tasks and so on. Each telemetry can be enabled or disabled by clicking the adjoining tick-box.

It does however colour-code the telemetries which indicate which of those are safe to be disabled and which should only be disabled in extreme conditions. As for descriptions, users can hover over the individual telemetries to get an idea of what it does.

• BlackBird 

Website: https://www.getblackbird.net

Want to secure your Windows 10 system; and feel like a hacker while doing so? BlackBird is what you go for. It’s a non-GUI interface app and rather offers a command-line interface.

What’s good about it is it doesn’t leave any files behind after being used, doesn’t modify the HOST files or Firewall settings.

It lists all of its functions on its documentation, which includes being able to Modify P2P update sharing, Wifi senses, OneDrive, Cortana, data leaks, network settings and so on and despite being a command-line thing you don’t have to be a coder or hacker to use it; rather which command does what is listed on the same documentation page as well.

Some Other Manual Fixes

So hey we’ve talked of all those kinds of solutions as Windows 10 privacy fix, but all of those are “third-party” apps even though they’re mostly free.

Here are some other in-built ways using which you can disable some basic tracking from your end without the need of any application.

• Turning off Cortana

Cortana really is a privacy-invader, in more ways than I’d like to count. Well fortunately turning it off is simple as well.

Note that you only need to turn it off if you’ve ever used Cortana, if you haven’t, ever, in that case it’s off by default.

Anyway, to turn it off click on the Cortana icon > click on the notepad like icon > settings > turn the slider off.

• Turning off WiFi Sense

WiFi sense simply lets others “auto-connect” to your WiFi without your password, as long as they’re your “digital friends”.

Here’s how to turn it off:

Go to Settings > Network and Internet > WiFi> Manage WiFi settings, there you’ll see two options saying “connect to suggested open hotspots” and “connect to networks shared by my contact”.

All you’ve got to do is, turn these two sliders off. Done!

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