Microsoft to Introduce Telemetry Data Viewer for Windows

[Raevenlord]

Remember all that talk and noise regarding Microsoft's "automagical" telemetry data collection, and how that spurred the company to create a "telemetry-less" version of its Windows 10 operating system for the Chinese market? It seems Microsoft is keen to keep giving users more information on exactly what information is gathered and when - slowly but assuredly striving for greater transparency, and looking to garner increased trust from consumers and enterprises alike.

The much awaited capability is being baked in to the next major Windows 10 release, and Microsoft is giving Windows Insiders an early preview of the Windows Diagnostic Data Viewer utility. Adding to this new utility are some changes to the Microsoft Privacy Dashboard that will enable users to see and manage more data associated with their Microsoft accounts. Available to everyone in the Microsoft Store, the Diagnostic Data Viewer is separate from the Microsoft Privacy Dashboard, and "allows you to see, search, and take action with your diagnostic data." It's not clear yet what sort of telemetry features users will be able to stop Microsoft from collecting, if any. However, at least now you'll be able to look at exactly which processes and services are collecting data form your system. The diagnostic data that will be viewable in the new utility follows.

• Common Data, like the Operating System's name, the Version, Device ID, Device Class, Diagnostic level selection and so on.
• Device Connectivity and Configuration such as device properties and capabilities, preferences and settings, peripherals, and device network information.
• Product and Service Performance data that show device health, performance and reliability data, movie consumption functionality on the device and device file queries. It's important to note that this functionality is not intended to capture user viewing or, listening habits.
• Product and Service Usage data includes details about the usage of the device, operating system, applications, and services.
• Software Setup and Inventory such as installed applications and install history, device update information.

Microsoft Privacy Dashboard
Updates to the Microsoft Privacy Dashboard include a new Activity History page, which aims to provide a clear and easy to navigate way to see the data that is saved with users' Microsoft accounts. The Microsoft Privacy Dashboard further allows users to manage their data and change what data is collected by adjusting the privacy settings on their devices or browser at any time.

In the coming months, Microsoft will keep the slow roll-out of additional features that will allow users to:

• View and manage media consumption data, as well as product and service activity on the Activity History page
• Export for any of the data you see on the dashboard
• Delete specific items to allow for greater individual control

View at TechPowerUp Main Site

 

[FYFI13]

Let me to turn it off, not show me what's being collected...

 

[RejZoR]

Well, lets be honest, while telemetry is a privacy concern to some, Win10 works so well because there is telemetry. Users may or may not report issues or detail the problem, but telemetry will gather it. If there are emerging problems, MS can spot them without a single user report. OS is a very complex program, this isn't just app with few menus, it's running hundreds of them with just as many subsystems. Telemetry is a key to make it better. Whether you like it or not...

Also not all telemetry is a privacy concern. System uptime, boot time and number of restarts/shutdowns per day tells nothing about you personally. But it tells MS how people use their systems and where they need to invest their time in improving it, which is why MS made a lot of improvements in bootup times. And there are many things like this. It doesn't have to be "if it's telemetry, it must be personal stuff they want to harvest from you".

 

[Reeves81x]

Let me to turn it off, not show me what's being collected...

this^

Well, lets be honest, while telemetry is a privacy concern to some, Win10 works so well because there is telemetry. Users may or may not report issues or detail the problem, but telemetry will gather it. If there are emerging problems, MS can spot them without a single user report. OS is a very complex program, this isn't just app with few menus, it's running hundreds of them with just as many subsystems. Telemetry is a key to make it better. Whether you like it or not...

Also not all telemetry is a privacy concern. System uptime, boot time and number of restarts/shutdowns per day tells nothing about you personally. But it tells MS how people use their systems and where they need to invest their time in improving it, which is why MS made a lot of improvements in bootup times. And there are many things like this. It doesn't have to be "if it's telemetry, it must be personal stuff they want to harvest from you".

I still run win7 and its full of telemetry. So, it not just to "make win10 work well" it's because everybody's got a stiffy for data collection under the guise of anti-terrorism and also they need raw data to let their ai projects chew on... same as Google, Facebook etc. Orwellian nightmare world, dystopian fascist nazi's. lol.

 

[Fx]

Well, lets be honest, while telemetry is a privacy concern to some, Win10 works so well because there is telemetry.

Repeat that 6 more times to yourself and you will completely believe it.

No, an OS does not need telemetry to work well. We've gone decades with operating systems running well without the usage of telemetry.

 

[Blinken]

Also not all telemetry is a privacy concern. System uptime, boot time and number of restarts/shutdowns per day tells nothing about you personally. But it tells MS how people use their systems and where they need to invest their time in improving it, which is why MS made a lot of improvements in bootup times. And there are many things like this. It doesn't have to be "if it's telemetry, it must be personal stuff they want to harvest from you".

Except when that 'up-time' is tied your unique machine-id and the US Gov can just ask Microsoft when you last were on your computer, or sold off to some advertising firm that builds meta-profiles of when you are home and how often you use your computer.

 

[lexluthermiester]

Let me to turn it off, not show me what's being collected...

You can, it just takes some know-how that not everyone has or wants to learn.

Repeat that 6 more times to yourself and you will completely believe it.

Telemetry does have some benefits, there's no denying that. But it is supposed to be completely optional, not mandatory.

No, an OS does not need telemetry to work well. We've gone decades with operating systems running well without the usage of telemetry.

Excellent point. Windows 10 is even more buggy and glitchy as any previous version of Windows. Telemetry does make fixing problems faster. However that knowledge has made the OS devs at MS a bit lazy and sloppy because they know if they make a mistake it will be reported to them and they'll be able to patch it.

 

[RejZoR]

Repeat that 6 more times to yourself and you will completely believe it.

No, an OS does not need telemetry to work well. We've gone decades with operating systems running well without the usage of telemetry.

If you think that most widely used Windows XP actually worked "well", then you're monumentally delusional. And same goes for Windows 7. Both most widely accepted and used versions.

 

[StrayKAT]

I think Win8/10's fault has nothing to do with any of this. It's the confusion caused by the App/Desktop Application differences imo. They made a mistake by trying to go full on into a new development model, and it didn't take off. Now even Windows Phone failed. So they're still recovering from all of this. What the older systems had going for them was just a sense of unity and dependability. I think a sense of neutrality as well. 3rd party applications didn't feel as out of place in the past. Now it feels weird if you're not using all MS ecosystem apps. That's how I feel at least.

That aside, if you want to turn things off, just don't ever have an MS account. That'll do most of the work at least. You can turn off location settings and whatnot outside of that. A tool like this is more useful for someone who wants a little of both. I mean, you download off the MS App Store, after all. You can't even get it without an MS Account.

 

[Reeves81x]

If you think that most widely used Windows XP actually worked "well", then you're monumentally delusional. And same goes for Windows 7. Both most widely accepted and used versions.

Ive been using win 7 since beta.. never had problems. have it on 4 computers, the one i'm on right now "desktop" 24/7 365 computer was installed on aug 30, 2010. Never had to reinstall, repair, nothing. HDD is begining to fail. My laptop has been up for 95 days without reboot.. 24/7 as a media center. "only reason it ever need to be rebooted is for updates." Other laptop and desktop just as old 2011, 2012. No issues. Keep the registry clean and delete junk files. ccleaner is all you need to keep win 7 perfect. This desktop has BSOD'd from me tweaking the OC more times than I can count... lol. Still no repairs no problems. XP on the other hand was a nightmare... edit: 59,804 hours on this HDD. It was new when I installed 7. So 60,000 hours problem free... think anyone will ever have that experience with win 10? And btw before some rube tries to flame me, I only buy older computers because i can get 70-80% of the performance of a new computer for 20% of the price... refurbed in like new condition.

 

[RejZoR]

WinXP and Win7 were riddled with idiotic glitches all over the place. No such thing in Win10 anymore. I literally don't remember experiencing any glitch for last several weeks or months.

 

[Reeves81x]

WinXP and Win7 were riddled with idiotic glitches all over the place. No such thing in Win10 anymore. I literally don't remember experiencing any glitch for last several weeks or months.

its not even close to being right to lump win7 and win2000/xp. "since XP was just a prettier 2000 with a bit more security." I was also a first adopter of XP way back in the day. it was garbage, i fought that OS at every turn, reinstalled many many times. read my above post as to my experience with win 7. You must have had really bad drivers or lame hardware if you had any real issues with it. IMO..
Ive been repairing computer hardware,software since the rash of bad electrolytic Caps in the early 2000's. I find myself fixing mostly software issues nowadays and surprise surprise, 90% of the computers i fix are WIN 10. Reminds me of Vista in terms of stupid compatibility issues...

 

[eidairaman1]

In other words, Use Extreme Prejudice towards any updates microsuck uses.

 

[RejZoR]

You probably "fix" all the crappy old ones that barelly ran Win7 back then and they got free upgrade to Win10...

 

[eidairaman1]

its not even close to being right to lump win7 and win98/xp. "since XP was just a prettier 98 with a bit more security." I was also a first adopter of XP way back in the day. it was garbage, i fought that OS at every turn, reinstalled many many times. read my above post as to my experience with win 7. You must have had really bad drivers or lame hardware if you had any real issues with it. IMO..
Ive been repairing computer hardware,software since the rash of bad electrolytic Caps in the early 2000's. I find myself fixing mostly software issues nowadays and surprise surprise, 90% of the computers i fix are WIN 10. Reminds me of Vista in terms of stupid compatibility issues...

Xp was the worst when it came to security.

 

[lexluthermiester]

If you think that most widely used Windows XP actually worked "well", then you're monumentally delusional. And same goes for Windows 7. Both most widely accepted and used versions.

Not sure I follow your logic. Please explain.

"since XP was just a prettier 98 with a bit more security."

That is completely incorrect. Windows 3x and 9x were all based on the DOS code set and expansions of such. Xp is based on the NT code set, which is much more stable and secure.

Xp was the worst when it came to security.

That is a myth. When properly configured, XP is solidly secure.

 

[eidairaman1]

Not sure I follow your logic. Please explain.

That is completely incorrect. Windows 3x and 9x were all based on the DOS code set and expansions of such. Xp is based on the NT code set, which is much more stable and secure.

That is a myth. When properly configured, XP is solidly secure.

Ms never secured it before vista appeared.

It had so many back doors it wasn't funny.

 

[FYFI13]

You can, it just takes some know-how that not everyone has or wants to learn.

MS them selves have said it would be almost impossible to completely disable W10 telemetry as it is built in to the kernel. Can't find that article right now.
There are apps like O&O Shut Up and such that can partially disable tracking but that's not all.

 

[eidairaman1]

MS them selves have said it would be almost impossible to completely disable W10 telemetry as it is built in to the kernel. Can't find that article right now.
There are apps like O&O Shut Up and such that can partially disable tracking but that's not all.

Registry changes should be able to switch it off.

 

[StrayKAT]

XP's main problem is it looked like a damn Fisher Price OS.

 

[lexluthermiester]

Ms never secured it before vista appeared. It had so many back doors it wasn't funny.

While your point is easy to understand, not sure I agree with it. By SP3 Xp was a very robust OS. When properly configured and combined with a quality third party firewall and antivirus it was and still is very solid. The key term is " properly configured ". In it's default state, Xp was/is iffy, so you're not far off. But that rules also applies to Win 7, 8, 8.1 and 10 as well..

MS them selves have said it would be almost impossible to completely disable W10 telemetry as it is built in to the kernel. Can't find that article right now.
There are apps like O&O Shut Up and such that can partially disable tracking but that's not all.

I would like to read that. Based on packet sniffing observations, the biggest culprit is a service known as " diagtrack ", stopping and deleting that service kills 50% of 10's tracking abilities. Deleting Edge and Windows Defender takes care of most of the rest. Disabling the builtin firewall and using a quality third party firewall leaves only Cortana. Using the previously mentioned firewall to block Cortana access to the net will cut 10 off completely. Like I said, it takes some know-how, but it can be done.

XP's main problem is it looked like a damn Fisher Price OS.

You and I normally see eye to eye on most things. Have to disagree with you on this one. I liked the way XP looked, still do. Though the Royale theme was much better looking.

 

[eidairaman1]

While your point is easy to understand, not sure I agree with it. By SP3 Xp was a very robust OS. When properly configured and combined with a quality third party firewall and antivirus it was and still is very solid. The key term is " properly configured ". In it's default state, Xp was/is iffy, so you're not far off.

I would like to read that. Based on packet sniffing observations, the biggest culprit is a service known as " diagtrack ", stopping and deleting that service kills 50% of 10's tracking abilities. Deleting Edge and Windows Defender takes care of most of the rest. Disabling the builtin firewall and using a quality third party firewall leaves only Cortana. Using the previously mentioned firewall to block Cortana access to the net will cut 10 off completely. Like I said, it takes some know-how, but it can be done.

You and I normally see eye to eye on most things. Have to disagree with you on this one. I liked the way XP looked, still do. Though the Royale theme was much better looking.

Even sp3 broke alot of stuff, better off getting separate updates instead of sp3 itself.

Trust me gpedit.msc, services.msc, regedit and cmd are what i used the most then, i still do for configuring windows, turn off alot of bloat in them still.

 

[lexluthermiester]

Even sp3 broke alot of stuff, better off getting separate updates instead of sp3 itself.

I always use ISO's with it all integrated. Still do. The security updates for the version XP found in ATM's and Retail POS systems that will still be available until next year are still being vetted and integrated into custom XP ISO's.

 

[Reeves81x]

oops, I meant 2000 sry bout that, been 15 years since ive had reason to think about it. lol. XP has a built in firewall. thats the security bit i was speaking of. ;P

You probably "fix" all the crappy old ones that barelly ran Win7 back then and they got free upgrade to Win10...

incorrect, the majority of what i repair are newer laptops nowadays. I wont touch old free upgrade to 10 puters cuz MS driver support and compatibility is so bad. and i detect your sarcasm. settle down son. lol.

 

[lexluthermiester]

oops, I meant 2000 sry bout that

Win2k was also built on the NT code set. XP was an improvement and extension of 2000, which is why their drivers are interchangeable.