This has been going around on the ‘Net the past few days. It has been found that Windows 10 uploads data to its servers even when every “feature” and app that normally might be expected to do that is disabled/uninstalled. For example, even if you don’t use the Cortana voice-command feature or Bing search, stuff is still being uploaded to Microsoft servers related to this. And even when users choose to not participate in any sort of customer improvement options and disable any kind of tracking, it is still tracking and uploading things.

Not only is this a big privacy issue, there is also a system performance issue, as extra CPU cycles must be run and disk and network activity must occur to process these telemetry-related tasks.

And it is also the case that Windows 8.1 and 7 also are now doing this. Microsoft has been adding all these telemetry and tracking aspects to them lately through Windows Update, making them closer to Windows 10.

The advice from many experts now is to not go near Windows 10. Do not install it. Retain your privacy and control over your systems.

Below are instructions for disabling the unwanted telemetry/tracking in Windows 7 and 8.1 and removing all updates associated with upgrading to Windows 10:

Below is the list of Windows updates to remove. Before uninstalling them and rebooting make sure that you have Windows Update set to not automatically install updates:

KB2902907 MS Security Essentials/Windows Defender related update [no description/information available]

KB2952664 Compatibility update for upgrading Windows 7 more info

KB2976978 Compatibility update for Windows 8.1 and Windows 8 more info

KB2990214 Update that enables you to upgrade from Windows 7 to a later version of Windows more info

KB3021917 Update to Windows 7 SP1 for performance improvements more info

KB3022345 Update for customer experience and diagnostic telemetry more info

KB3035583 Update installs Get Windows 10 app in Windows 8.1 and Windows 7 SP1 more info

KB3044374 Update that enables you to upgrade from Windows 8.1 to a later version of Windows more info

KB3046480 Update helps to determine whether to migrate the .NET Framework 1.1 when you upgrade Windows 8.1 or Windows 7 more info

KB3050265 Windows Update Client for Windows 7: June 2015 more info

KB3050267 Windows Update Client for Windows 8.1: June 2015 more info

KB3065987 Windows Update Client for Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2: July 2015 more info

KB3065988 Windows Update Client for Windows 8.1 and Windows Server 2012 R2: July 2015 more info

KB3068708 Update for customer experience and diagnostic telemetry more info

KB3075249 Update that adds telemetry points to consent.exe in Windows 8.1 and Windows 7 more info

KB3075851 Windows Update Client for Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2: August 2015 more info

KB3075853 Windows Update Client for Windows 8.1 and Windows Server 2012 R2: August 2015 more info

KB3080149 Update for customer experience and diagnostic telemetry more info

KB3083324 Windows Update Client for Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2: September 2015 more info

KB3083325 Windows Update Client for Windows 8.1 and Windows Server 2012 R2: September 2015 more info

KB3083710 Windows Update Client for Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2: October 2015 more info

KB3083711 Windows Update Client for Windows 8.1 and Windows Server 2012 R2: October 2015 more info

KB3112336 Windows Update Client for Windows 8.1 and Windows Server 2012 R2: December 2015 more info

They can be uninstalled manually via elevated command prompt with the following commands:

wusa /uninstall /kb:2952664 /quiet /norestart

wusa /uninstall /kb:2976978 /quiet /norestart

wusa /uninstall /kb:2990214 /quiet /norestart

wusa /uninstall /kb:3021917 /quiet /norestart

wusa /uninstall /kb:3022345 /quiet /norestart

wusa /uninstall /kb:3035583 /quiet /norestart

wusa /uninstall /kb:3044374 /quiet /norestart

wusa /uninstall /kb:3046480 /quiet /norestart

wusa /uninstall /kb:3050265 /quiet /norestart

wusa /uninstall /kb:3050267 /quiet /norestart

wusa /uninstall /kb:3065987 /quiet /norestart

wusa /uninstall /kb:3065988 /quiet /norestart

wusa /uninstall /kb:3068708 /quiet /norestart

wusa /uninstall /kb:3075249 /quiet /norestart

wusa /uninstall /kb:3075851 /quiet /norestart

wusa /uninstall /kb:3075853 /quiet /norestart

wusa /uninstall /kb:3080149 /quiet /norestart

wusa /uninstall /kb:3083324 /quiet /norestart

wusa /uninstall /kb:3083710 /quiet /norestart

wusa /uninstall /kb:3083711 /quiet /norestart

wusa /uninstall /kb:3112336 /quiet /norestart

Alternately, here is a .bat file to run the above commands. It must be run in an elevated command prompt. (Don’t forget to reboot afterwards. You can proceed to finish the next steps before rebooting.)

For the following two updates, it is recommended to install them (see one of the comments below) but to modify the registry with following procedure after installing them:

KB3065988 Windows Update Client for Windows 8.1 and Windows Server 2012 R2: July 2015 more info

KB3065987 Windows Update Client for Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2: July 2015 more info

After installing either of the above updates, open regedit and navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE -> SOFTWARE -> Policies -> Microsoft -> Windows. Right-click on Windows and select option to create a new key and name it “WindowsUpdate”. Now right-click on the WindowsUpdate key you just created and select option to create new 32-bit DWORD and name it “DisableOSUpgrade”. Right-click on DisableOSUpgrade and select modify option and change value from 0 to 1.

The following services should be removed:

In an elevated command prompt run the following:

sc stop DiagTrack

sc stop dmwappushservice

sc delete DiagTrack

sc delete dmwappushservice

echo "" > C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Diagnosis\ETLLogs\AutoLogger\AutoLogger-Diagtrack-Listener.etl

Open the Task Scheduler (Win key then type “sched”). Under Task Scheduler Library -> Microsoft delete the following items:

Everything under “Application Experience”

Everything under “Autochk”

Everything under “Customer Experience Improvement Program”

Under “Disk Diagnostic” delete only the “Microsoft-Windows-DiskDiagnosticDataCollector”

Under “Maintenance” “WinSAT”

“Media Center” and click the “status” column, then select all non-disabled entries and disable them.

Now you can reboot. When you open Windows Update again it will ask to install whichever updates above were removed. Right-click on each one and select “hide”.

Finally, log in to your broadband router and look for an option like “content filtering” or “block sites”. Add the following hosts to be blocked. On my Netgear router each host is a keyword that must be added.

134.170.30.202

137.116.81.24

204.79.197.200

23.218.212.69

65.39.117.230

65.55.108.23

a-0001.a-msedge.net

choice.microsoft.com

choice.microsoft.com.nsatc.net

compatexchange.cloudapp.net

corp.sts.microsoft.com

corpext.msitadfs.glbdns2.microsoft.com

cs1.wpc.v0cdn.net

df.telemetry.microsoft.com

diagnostics.support.microsoft.com

fe2.update.microsoft.com.akadns.net

feedback.microsoft-hohm.com

feedback.search.microsoft.com

feedback.windows.com

i1.services.social.microsoft.com

i1.services.social.microsoft.com.nsatc.net

oca.telemetry.microsoft.com

oca.telemetry.microsoft.com.nsatc.net

pre.footprintpredict.com

redir.metaservices.microsoft.com

reports.wes.df.telemetry.microsoft.com

services.wes.df.telemetry.microsoft.com

settings-sandbox.data.microsoft.com

sls.update.microsoft.com.akadns.net

sqm.df.telemetry.microsoft.com

sqm.telemetry.microsoft.com

sqm.telemetry.microsoft.com.nsatc.net

statsfe1.ws.microsoft.com

statsfe2.update.microsoft.com.akadns.net

statsfe2.ws.microsoft.com

survey.watson.microsoft.com

telecommand.telemetry.microsoft.com

telecommand.telemetry.microsoft.com.nsatc.net

telemetry.appex.bing.net

telemetry.appex.bing.net:443

telemetry.microsoft.com

telemetry.urs.microsoft.com

vortex.data.microsoft.com

vortex-sandbox.data.microsoft.com

vortex-win.data.microsoft.com

watson.live.com

watson.microsoft.com

watson.ppe.telemetry.microsoft.com

watson.telemetry.microsoft.com

watson.telemetry.microsoft.com.nsatc.net

wes.df.telemetry.microsoft.com

References:

senk9.wordpress.com Windows 10 Privacy Checklist

msfn.org How to avoid being “upgraded to Win 10” against your will

beforeitsnews.com Here’s How to Stop Windows 7 or 8 from Downloading Windows 10 Automatically

fix10.isleaked.com fix windows 7/8.1 – Windows 7 & 8.1 spies too.

reddit.com Removing telemetry from windows 7 and 8.x

infoworld.com KB 2952664 triggers daily telemetry run in Windows 7 — and may be snooping on users

arstechnica.com Microsoft accused of adding spy features to Windows 7, 8

beyondwindows9.com Don’t wanna upgrade your W7 or W8.1 to W10?

4plebs.org this is not exactly politics, but espionage and being spied on is.

g4chan.org Uninstall and Hide following updates

pastebein.com turnoffwin7sbuiltinspyware

pastebin.com Paste this in hosts file to block botnet

piratebay: Windows 10 Enterprise 2015 LTSB N Privacy en-US x64