Within the trendy technological world, your information is a treasured useful resource. Many firms use it to supply an correct image of how you utilize their services and products, however solely after you’ve given your consent.
That’s no totally different on Home windows 11, the place Microsoft makes use of information to enhance the working system and supply higher suggestions.
Not all the pieces is critical, although. There are many information assortment settings on Home windows 11 that you could disable with none antagonistic impact in your expertise.
In case you’d reasonably preserve the info Microsoft can entry to a minimal, that is the article for you.
Tips on how to see (a few of) the monitoring information on Home windows 11
Earlier than deleting something, it’s price getting an thought of the type of information that’s being collected. You may’t entry most of this your self, however diagnostic information is an exception.
Primarily, that is the info Microsoft makes use of to make the Home windows 11 expertise higher. To view it:
- Head to Settings > Privateness & safety
- Below the ‘Home windows permissions’ sub-heading, click on ‘Diagnostics & suggestions’
- Click on ‘View diagnostic information’, then activate the toggle subsequent to ‘Activate the Diagnostic Knowledge Viewer’
- Beneath it, click on ‘Open Diagnostic Knowledge Viewer’

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- A hyperlink to the app within the Microsoft Retailer will open. Click on ‘Get’ to put in it, then open as soon as full
Inside the app, you’ll discover a record of all the info Microsoft is gathering to be able to enhance the Home windows 11 expertise. The ‘Diagnostic information’ tab is chosen by default, however you’ll be able to change to ‘Drawback studies’ to see what points have been discovered.

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It doesn’t inform the complete story, however it may be helpful to see the type of information that’s being despatched to Microsoft.
Tips on how to flip off diagnostic information assortment on Home windows 11
Not all diagnostic information might be turned off, however you’ll be able to disable the elective ones. These embody looking historical past, app utilization and extra detailed studies of errors:
- Head to Settings > Privateness & Safety > Diagnostics + suggestions
- Subsequent to ‘Ship elective diagnostic information’, make certain the toggle is within the off place. It’s price noting that this prevents you from being a member of the Home windows Insider Program
- Click on ‘Enhance inking and typing’, then make certain the toggle right here can be off.
- Click on ‘Tailor-made experiences’ and ensure the toggle is off right here too
- To take away all the pieces elective that’s been collected to date, click on ‘Delete diagnostic information’, then ‘Delete’

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Tips on how to flip off promoting monitoring on Home windows 11
Home windows 11 needs to make use of your information to point out personalised adverts and different data, however you don’t must comply with it. To disable them:
- Head to Settings > Privateness & safety > Common
- Flip off the toggle subsequent to ‘Let apps present me customized adverts through the use of my promoting ID’
- Flip off the toggle subsequent to ‘Let web sites present me domestically related content material by accessing my language record’
- Flip off the toggle subsequent to ‘Let Home windows enhance Begin and search outcomes by monitoring app launches’

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It’s price being conscious that having these settings turned off received’t take away promoting. You’ll nonetheless see the identical quantity of adverts, however they’ll be basic ones and never based mostly in your behaviour.
Tips on how to flip off exercise historical past on Home windows 11
Home windows 11’s exercise historical past characteristic consists of information on how you utilize apps and providers, plus the web sites you’ve been looking. This makes it straightforward to rapidly resume what you had been doing final, however it may be disabled:
- Head to Settings > Privateness & safety
- Below ‘Home windows permissions’, select ‘Exercise historical past’
- Flip off the toggle subsequent to ‘Retailer my exercise historical past on this system’

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Tips on how to flip off ‘Discover my system’ on Home windows 11
The ‘Discover my system’ characteristic is nice for locating a misplaced pc, however it depends on repeatedly gathering location information. In case you’d reasonably flip this off:
- Head to Settings > Privateness & Safety > Discover my system
- Flip off the toggle subsequent to ‘Discover my system’

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In case you often have your location providers turned off, this step isn’t obligatory. Microsoft can’t observe the situation of a tool when you haven’t given it entry.
Tips on how to clear Microsoft account exercise monitoring
Knowledge related together with your Microsoft account might have been collected on a number of gadgets. Right here’s the way to delete all of it:
- Head to account.microsoft.com and register together with your electronic mail and password
- Click on ‘Privateness’ from the highest of the window. You might have to confirm your particulars once more
- Below ‘Handle your exercise information’, click on every part and select ‘Clear all…’

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- Click on ‘Clear’ to substantiate

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- Repeat for another part the place information has been collected
Tips on how to flip off Microsoft Edge information assortment
The pre-installed Edge browser lets you stop web sites from utilizing trackers, and there are three settings to select from. Right here’s the way to set it up:
- In Edge, click on the three dots within the top-right nook, scroll down and select ‘Settings’
- Click on ‘Privateness, search, and providers’ within the left pane
- Subsequent to ‘Monitoring prevention’, make certain the toggle is turned on.
- Choose one of many three choices: Fundamental, Balanced and Strict

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Balanced is the only option for most individuals, because it’ll cease monitoring from unknown websites however not have an effect on any core performance.