DisableWinTracking

Uses some known methods that attempt to minimize tracking in Windows 10

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Quick Overview

DisableWinTracking is an open-source tool designed to disable various tracking features in Windows 10 and 11. It aims to enhance user privacy by allowing users to turn off telemetry, disable Cortana, and remove unwanted Microsoft apps. The project provides a graphical user interface for easy interaction.

Pros

User-friendly interface for managing Windows privacy settings
Offers options to disable multiple tracking features in one place
Regularly updated to support newer versions of Windows
Open-source, allowing for community contributions and transparency

Cons

May potentially cause system instability if used incorrectly
Some features might require administrative privileges
Disabling certain services could impact Windows functionality
Not officially supported by Microsoft, use at your own risk

Getting Started

To use DisableWinTracking:

Visit the GitHub repository: https://github.com/10se1ucgo/DisableWinTracking
Download the latest release from the "Releases" section
Run the executable as an administrator
Select the desired options in the GUI to disable tracking features
Click "Go" to apply the changes
Restart your computer to ensure all changes take effect

Note: It's recommended to create a system restore point before using this tool.

Competitor Comparisons

WindowsSpyBlocker

4,897

Block spying and tracking on Windows

Pros of WindowsSpyBlocker

More comprehensive blocking approach, including hosts file, firewall rules, and proxy PAC
Regularly updated with new telemetry endpoints
Provides multiple blocking methods for different user preferences

Cons of WindowsSpyBlocker

More complex setup and configuration process
May require more technical knowledge to use effectively
Potential for false positives due to extensive blocking lists

Code Comparison

WindowsSpyBlocker (PowerShell):

$hosts = Get-Content -Path "$PSScriptRoot\data\hosts\spy.txt"
foreach ($host in $hosts) {
    Add-Content -Path $env:windir\System32\drivers\etc\hosts -Value "0.0.0.0 $host"
}

DisableWinTracking (Python):

def disable_service(service):
    subprocess.call(["sc", "config", service, "start=", "disabled"])
    subprocess.call(["sc", "stop", service])

Both projects aim to enhance Windows privacy by blocking telemetry and tracking. WindowsSpyBlocker offers a more comprehensive approach with multiple blocking methods, while DisableWinTracking focuses on disabling specific services and features. WindowsSpyBlocker may require more technical expertise but provides greater customization, whereas DisableWinTracking offers a simpler, more straightforward solution for users seeking basic privacy enhancements.

Debloat-Windows-10

6,191

A Collection of Scripts Which Disable / Remove Windows 10 Features and Apps

Pros of Debloat-Windows-10

More comprehensive debloating options, including removal of built-in apps and tweaking system settings
Modular script structure allows for customization and selective execution
Actively maintained with regular updates and community contributions

Cons of Debloat-Windows-10

More complex and potentially risky due to its extensive modifications
Requires manual review and editing of scripts before execution
May cause unintended side effects on system functionality

Code Comparison

DisableWinTracking:

def disable_service(service):
    subprocess.call(["sc", "config", service, "start=", "disabled"])
    subprocess.call(["sc", "stop", service])

Debloat-Windows-10:

Function Disable-WindowsOptionalFeature {
    param([string[]]$feature)
    foreach ($f in $feature) {
        Disable-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName $f -NoRestart
    }
}

DisableWinTracking focuses on disabling specific services, while Debloat-Windows-10 provides more extensive functionality, including disabling optional Windows features. The latter offers greater flexibility but requires more careful consideration before execution.

Windows10Debloater

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Script to remove Windows 10 bloatware.

Pros of Windows10Debloater

More comprehensive debloating features, including removal of pre-installed apps and telemetry services
Offers a graphical user interface for easier use by non-technical users
Provides options to disable Cortana and remove OneDrive

Cons of Windows10Debloater

Less focused on privacy-specific features compared to DisableWinTracking
May cause unintended consequences due to its more aggressive approach to system modifications
Requires more careful consideration before use, as it can potentially break some Windows functionality

Code Comparison

DisableWinTracking:

def disable_service(service):
    subprocess.call(["sc", "config", service, "start=", "disabled"])
    subprocess.call(["sc", "stop", service])

Windows10Debloater:

Function DisableCortana {
    Write-Output "Disabling Cortana..."
    Set-ItemProperty -Path "HKCU:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Search" -Name "CortanaConsent" -Type DWord -Value 0
}

Both projects aim to enhance Windows privacy and reduce bloatware, but they differ in their approach and scope. DisableWinTracking focuses primarily on disabling tracking services, while Windows10Debloater offers a broader range of system modifications. Users should carefully consider their needs and technical expertise before choosing between these tools.

privatezilla

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👀👮🐢🔥Performs a privacy & security check of Windows 10

Pros of Privatezilla

More user-friendly interface with a graphical UI
Regularly updated with new features and Windows 10/11 compatibility
Offers a wider range of privacy and security options

Cons of Privatezilla

Larger file size due to the GUI components
May require more system resources to run

Code Comparison

DisableWinTracking:

def disable_service(service):
    subprocess.call(["sc", "config", service, "start=", "disabled"])
    subprocess.call(["sc", "stop", service])

Privatezilla:

public static void DisableService(string serviceName)
{
    using (var service = new ServiceController(serviceName))
    {
        service.Stop();
        service.WaitForStatus(ServiceControllerStatus.Stopped);
        service.ChangeStartMode(ServiceStartMode.Disabled);
    }
}

Both projects aim to enhance Windows privacy, but they differ in implementation. DisableWinTracking uses Python and focuses on command-line operations, while Privatezilla is written in C# and provides a more comprehensive GUI-based solution. Privatezilla offers more features and regular updates, making it more suitable for users who prefer a visual interface and broader customization options. However, DisableWinTracking may be preferable for users who want a lightweight, command-line tool for quick privacy adjustments.

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README

DO NOT SUBMIT NEW ISSUES OR PULL REQUESTS

THIS REPOSITORY IS HERE FOR ARCHIVAL PURPOSES ONLY. THIS SOFTWARE RECEIVED IT'S LAST RELEASE ON 01/2019 AND LAST COMMIT ON 12/2020.

Someone has forked and continued the project here: https://github.com/bitlog2/DisableWinTracking

As with any fork of a project, we cannot verify the integrity of their code, so report any issues with their fork to THAT repository, not this one.

--------------------------

DisableWinTracking

A tool that I created to use some of the known methods of disabling tracking in Windows 10.

screenshot

CYRILLIC LANGUAGES WARNING

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Slavic languages: Belarusian, Bulgarian, Macedonian, Russian, Rusyn, Serbo-Croatian (for Standard Serbian, Bosnian, and Montenegrin), Ukrainian.

This program cannot run correctly from a file path that contains Cyrillic characters. Make sure to run it from your root folder (usually C:/ ) so that you don't get runtime errors.

DOWNLOAD

DOWNLOAD EXE HERE

Note: Windows Defender may report the EXE as a trojan (Win32/Pocyx.C!cl), and may therefore prevent you from extracting the EXE to anywhere on your computer. Set up an exclusion in Settings > Update & Security > Windows Defender > Exclusions by adding the folder you intend to extract the EXE to.

How to Use

You can either:

A. Run the binary uploaded to the Release tab as an Administrator and select which options you'd like

B. Install Python and the dependencies listed below and run the script from an elevated command prompt and select which options you'd like

Silent

Either can be run with the -silent argument as of v3.1. This will perform all available options of the version you're using.

You still need to run it as administrator.

Dependencies

This is only to run the script from source, download the exe here

Tested on Python 3.7.2 since DisableWinTracking 3.2.4 (commit 9f1d2aa)
wxPython
PyWin32
Windows 10 (Duh)

Methods Used

Telemetry

Set the AllowTelemetry string in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\DataCollection to 0

DiagTrack Log

Clears and disables writing to the log located in C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Diagnosis\ETLLogs\AutoLogger

Services

You can delete or disable the 2 services below:

DiagTrack (aka. Connected User Experiences and Telemetry) Diagnostics Tracking Service
dmwappushsvc WAP Push Message Routing Service

Action:

Delete: Remove both services
Disable: Set the Start registry key for both services to 4 (Disabled) Located at HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\

HOSTS

Append known tracking domains to the HOSTS file located in C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc

IP Blocking

Blocks known tracking IPs with the Windows Firewall. The rules are named TrackingIPX, replacing X with the IP numbers.

Windows Defender

Disables the following:

Automatic Sample Submission
Delivery Optimization Download Mode

WifiSense

Disables the following:

Credential Share
Open-ness

OneDrive

Runs C:\Windows\SysWOW64\OneDriveSetup.exe /uninstall (64 bit) or
C:\Windows\System32\OneDriveSetup.exe /uninstall (32 bit)

Also disables registry entries that keep the OneDrive Icon pinned to your Windows Explorer list: OneDrive Example Image

Xbox DVR

Action:

Disable: Set the GameDVR_Enabled registry key for both services to 0 (Disabled) Located at HKEY_CURRENT_USER\System\GameConfigStore
Disable: Set the AllowGameDVR registry key for both services to 0 (Disabled) Located at HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\GameDVR

This action requires reboot computer for completely applying.

Delete Services vs Disable Services?

Selecting "Disable" will simply stop the services from being able to run. Selecting the "Delete" choice will completely delete the tracking services.

License

Copyright (C) 10se1ucgo 2016

This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
(at your option) any later version.

This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
GNU General Public License for more details.

You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.

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Quick Overview

Pros

Cons

Getting Started

Competitor Comparisons

Pros of WindowsSpyBlocker

Cons of WindowsSpyBlocker

Code Comparison

Pros of Debloat-Windows-10

Cons of Debloat-Windows-10

Code Comparison

Pros of Windows10Debloater

Cons of Windows10Debloater

Code Comparison

Pros of Privatezilla

Cons of Privatezilla

Code Comparison

Convert designs to code with AI

README

DO NOT SUBMIT NEW ISSUES OR PULL REQUESTS

THIS REPOSITORY IS HERE FOR ARCHIVAL PURPOSES ONLY. THIS SOFTWARE RECEIVED IT'S LAST RELEASE ON 01/2019 AND LAST COMMIT ON 12/2020.

Someone has forked and continued the project here: https://github.com/bitlog2/DisableWinTracking

As with any fork of a project, we cannot verify the integrity of their code, so report any issues with their fork to THAT repository, not this one.

--------------------------

DisableWinTracking

CYRILLIC LANGUAGES WARNING

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DOWNLOAD

How to Use

Silent

Dependencies

Methods Used

Telemetry

DiagTrack Log

Services

HOSTS

IP Blocking

Windows Defender

WifiSense

OneDrive

Xbox DVR

Delete Services vs Disable Services?

License

Top Related Projects

Convert designs to code with AI

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