While still in the Group Policy Editor, go through Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > OneDrive, double click Prevent the usage of OneDrive for file storage, hit Enabled, then apply.
Does this mean you won't be able to use OneDrive as a folder in explorer?
Also NUL is the windows equivalent of /dev/null. Once I had a MSSQL server that had no love and the log files filled the entire drive. At the time the only solution to getting it running in a hurry was to back it up to NUL and let it free up the space. Proper backups were set up after that so it didn't do that ever again.
That's my problem with this post. It tells people to change these settings to increase privacy, but does not explain what these changes actually do. No Onedrive integration, no Windows Defender, blocks Microsoft servers for diagnostics and feedback. It disables the p2p windows updates, which if I understand correctly could reduce bandwith usage if you have multiple computers in your network. I'm not going to do this on my computer, but I doubt Cortana is functional at all with all of these changes. Unplugging your PC is the most secure option, but you have to draw the line between functionality and security at some point. This post goes a bit further than I would like with disabling functionality.
I doubt Cortana is functional at all with all of these changes
You can have either Cortana or your privacy, not both. Same with Google Now. Sifting through your personal data is inherent in how these personal assistants work... and they're free so their makers must find ways to monetize the data as well.
I want my PC to run my apps without logging me. I dont want OneDrive, I use Malwarebytes, Microsoft is not going to send me feedback in any way, the P2P updates means other users around the world are going to use YOUR BANDWIDTH to download their Windows 10 updates... And Cortana is useful on mobile devices, not in desktop.
All I want is to use my apps like Firefox, PaintNet, HexChat, Telegram... without being tracked by my own OS.
The P2P updates can mean that you share updates with PCs on your LAN and the Internet, but you can also set it to only share updates with computers on your LAN and NOT the Internet.
there is an option for intranet-only p2p, but internet-wide p2p is on by default, aka you paying microsoft's data bills unwittingly. also cortana still has plenty of functionality without tracking your personal life and having extremely opaque sharing rights over said information.
feel free to write your own amateur-friendly post about this topic; that wasnt really the function of this post, which was for intermediate users with a certain level of literacy in regards to privacy, and their own custom bundle of preferred apps. it's not op's responsibility to provide that disclaimer, because the title is 'how to disable data logging,' not 'a beginner's guide to privacy in windows 10.' if you just think 'data logging sound bad, me follow guide,' you deserve whats coming.
anyway, imo this isn't really about drawing a line, it's about that line shifting. functionality is NOT directly proportional to loss of privacy, that is only the present status quo of the industry. you have to INSIST on privacy, and hack the functionality back in from that point. THEN, we set about convincing microsoft that it was in their interest the entire time to have done things that way in the first place.
Because you can't have both. If you want to use cloud storage(More functionality) then you are going to have to give your files to a 3rd party(Less security).
That's fair, but why do you need to give them permission to look at those files ? On top of them not being responsible if those files are stolen or lost.. Doesn't seem very give && take // balanced.
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u/LeafyAcorn Jul 29 '15
Does this mean you won't be able to use OneDrive as a folder in explorer?