Windows 10 services

useful info
1

So my questions are fairly simple, and i have been doing the google leg work, but i wanted to hear from all of you who are more experienced.
I want to know: how to turn off all of the settings that send information to Microsoft, how to remove Cortona from the taskbar, if its possible to shut off the key logger that is built in, how to stop auto updates or at least delay them with out a wsus server.

I would greatly appreciate any feed back, i will keep up the digging.

2

This link has a lot of basic stuff you can set and is current with the Anniversary update. GPO is your best bet to lock down a machine but you need W10 Pro to use the editor. As they mention in the article, you can do it but it can be a pain.

W10 Home users can’t defer or delay updates but W10 Pro can.

Basically, if you want to lock it down upgrade to Pro, Enterprise or Education versions and use the Group Policy editor to lock down and turn things off.

3

I also found a pretty comprehensive Powershell script that deletes or disables all the MS bloatware.
Like… how many business machines want XBox, or CandyCrush?

If you want it, reply back. I’m at work and the script is at home.

4

I want it! I haven’t done the upgrade to Windows 10, but I know I’ll have to eventually.

5

I’ll grab it when I’m back there… unless I can remember where I got it.

6

Thank you so much this really helps me out and anything else would be greatly appreciated

7

Comment out sections you don’t want, uncomment sections you do.

If you don’t know, probably best to leave in or play with on a sacrificial machine

8

I’ll play with it on a virtual machine before a real one. Thanks!

9

One note on this: Store your personalized copy… you’ll need to re-run it after almost every Windows update.

Cortana gets re-installed, Edge gets re-enabled, bloatware gets put back after you removed it…

Luckily the script is pretty seamless. It’ll error on some items if they are already gone, but mostly it runs, you reboot, and on with life.

10

I really appreciate the information and the script! This will be helpful for personal use, but maybe not for the students /staff that i plan on teaching to. None the less i am really grateful!