You are probably aware of it, but to be safe here are some of the privacy tweaks you could do in addition: Article that talks about traffic blocking in Windows 10 and uses DisableWinTracking application. I've also seen one article that talks about disabling hosts from the system itself. I don't have source, but I have the instructions I've copied to help one person: 1. Open your host file located in this directory C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc file in Notepad or other text editor of your choice. 2. Add following lines to the file: 0.0.0.0 vortex-win.data.microsoft.com 0.0.0.0 telecommand.telemetry.microsoft.com 0.0.0.0 telecommand.telemetry.microsoft.com.nsatc.net 0.0.0.0 oca.telemetry.microsoft.com 0.0.0.0 oca.telemetry.microsoft.com.nsatc.net 0.0.0.0 sqm.telemetry.microsoft.com 0.0.0.0 sqm.telemetry.microsoft.com.nsatc.net 0.0.0.0 watson.telemetry.microsoft.com 0.0.0.0 watson.telemetry.microsoft.com.nsatc.net 0.0.0.0 redir.metaservices.microsoft.com 0.0.0.0 choice.microsoft.com 0.0.0.0 choice.microsoft.com.nsatc.net 0.0.0.0 df.telemetry.microsoft.com 0.0.0.0 reports.wes.df.telemetry.microsoft.com 0.0.0.0 services.wes.df.telemetry.microsoft.com 0.0.0.0 sqm.df.telemetry.microsoft.com 0.0.0.0 telemetry.microsoft.com 0.0.0.0 watson.ppe.telemetry.microsoft.com 0.0.0.0 telemetry.appex.bing.net 0.0.0.0 telemetry.urs.microsoft.com 0.0.0.0 telemetry.appex.bing.net:443 0.0.0.0 settings-sandbox.data.microsoft.com 0.0.0.0 vortex-sandbox.data.microsoft.com 3. Save file. 0.0.0.0 vortex.data.microsoft.com
Check your network traffic if you can. I read somewhere that the telemetry bypasses/ignores the hosts file and needs blocking at the router. I've no way to verify that though as I don't have 10 installed and I've removed as much of the backported telemetry stuff in Win7/8.
That's a really good point, especially to check the difference before and after applying some changes. jadedog - if you would have trouble with this, I can guide you to some extent about what you need to do in Wireshark (great and free program to check network traffic) to test it. This article is a rather concise description, but if you would need some help than feel free to ask me. Although I think that it could better serve people if it would be kept open. Plus I would be really surprised if I would be the only one who can help (or provide best direction for that matter) ;).Check your network traffic if you can. I read somewhere that the telemetry bypasses/ignores the hosts file and needs blocking at the router.
Sure, but that does not mean I can't try to help 'staunch the bleeding' so to speak. Although I don't deny that it's more than likely that any such links can simply bypass host file by either built-in exception that takes precedence or by simply hardcoding them into system. Mainly guess on my part though, I have never intended to either make people think that that's an absolute fix nor make them extra paranoid. Either way, Windows 10 is not even adjacent to my problems. Debian on one computer, Mint on the other and OpenWRT on the router ;).