Windows Guide

PrivacyGuides already has guides on configuring iOS, macOS, and non-Graphene Android in the Knowledge Base, which is different from the recommendations page. There is no reason Windows shouldn’t be right next to them.

The site also has recommendations for email services and clients even though email is inherently insecure, recommendations for Manifest V3 ad blockers even though Chrome isn’t recommended, recommendations for iOS security tools even though iOS isn’t recommended, etc.

You have to meet people where they’re at.

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You didn’t read my answer carefully enough. I said clearly that I want Edge recommendation to be allowed.

The reason is simple. Not all of Windows users can uninstall Edge and leave an unconfigured Edge on your Windows is Attack surface. Even if you use third party browsers you should configure Edge.

Considering it’s already about windows guide, we should just include a guide to force windows to think it’s an EU computer and allows us to uninstall edge, and then uninstall edge. Problem solved

eg. How to remove Microsoft Edge from Windows 11 in the latest EEA-compliant update - Neowin

There is a new PR:

https://2591--glowing-salamander-8d7127.netlify.app/en/os/windows/

I’m really loving this one so far! No coping about making Windows private, etc., just pure facts and truth.

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Very nice so far!
The group policy section is very clear and not overwhelming.
Keep up the good work guys.

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@jonah You didn’t respond to my request to add Edge recommendation. Instead, you just submit a Windows Guide PR that contains rediculously wrong infomation such as

we would recommend using Windows 10 for as long as possible.

I’m really disappointed by PG now.

I’ve specifically made that change in #2606 as well as removed some of the “proprietary” stuff because it’s not really relevant. macOS is “proprietary” also, and this really has nothing to do with privacy.

The other part I am seeking information on there is:

Some privacy features in Windows 11 are locked to devices in the European Union. We have not yet found a way to reliably access those settings worldwide.

What features exactly are was the article talking about?

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Some programs utilize the name of the pc or system’s product name link to identify users or when you use it across systems maybe add to the guide telling people to put more generic name

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Are you saying that because of security or privacy?

His account was deleted, but he said it because of security.

But a JIT toggle is now available on any desktop Chromium browser and hardware isolation (MDAG) will be getting deprecated (it’s still usable atm)

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https://alternativeto.net/news/2024/6/microsoft-blocks-new-workarounds-for-creating-local-accounts-in-windows-11-setup/

More the reason not to use Win11

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I still have a local account and I am on the dev insider preview… but yeah I know this is about during setup right? There are more workarounds?

ensure you’re offline.
press Shift + F10
in CMD Type OOBE\BYPASSNRO and press enter

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This thread just popped up again and it reminded me of something.
I installed Windows 11 Enterprise on a VM, followed the proposed guide and watched for a while. AdGuardHome still caught a few DNS request for “telemetry” urls. Unfortunately it’s been so long now that I don’t have the evidence anymore, or even remember the details. I wanted to Wireshark it for a while but ended up forgetting about it.

PS: oh and for those who haven’t seen it, Windows was caught bypassing their “telemetry” fronts and talking directly to the government cloud they host:
1- https://old.reddit.com/r/privacy/comments/1cstra9/suspicious_data_collection_after_windows_11/
2- https://old.reddit.com/r/privacy/comments/1csyn2k/found_on_rpihole_queries_to_icgov/

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Ok this reminds me I need to upgrade from Pro to Enterprise.

People suggest Edge because of security, definetly not privacy. If you’re OK with being hacked by professionals (ok, not hacked, MS and the NSA are more like your network admins), it lowers your chances of being hacked by amateurs. It’s called “security” lol.

By the JIT argument has been made outdated, as I understand all Chromium allow disabling it now.

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One thing to consider, if you uninstall Edge, some of your Windows Store apps will not work, especially the streaming apps like Disney and Paramount.

Edge is secure but totally not privacy focused, and it is bloated.

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They are using Edge to connect to their servers. My test was simple. I started streaming apps, like Paramount+ and it started Edge. I killed Edge from task manager and Paramount gone too.

So, Various OTT apps use WebView instead of a Native Implementation. That sucks.

I wanted to create a thread about OneDrive, but it seems like I should direct myself here for Microsoft-related questions.

  1. How do I permanently remove Edge from my computer? Are there any other pre-installed softwares that I should know of to get rid of and alternatives to them? What should I be worried about and not be worried about?

  2. I am moving a lot of my documents and photos from OneDrive to my physical drive. I still haven’t come up to the conclusion on which privacy-oriented service to switch to. With that said, I am also having an argument with another individual who swears on Microsoft OneDrive’s security. Equating it to Tresorit’s security, for example. I am not a privacy veteran. I am quite new to this environment and I don’t know where to find the data or statistics to show him on OneDrive’s privacy/security.

Thanks for reading.