Now that I’ve worked out in testing a reliable way to fully block all Windows 10 spying, I can feel comfortable using it in my environment again.

I’ll publish my full findings later, and firewall guidelines for what to block. And some PowerShell scripts for nuking things that normally could not be.

I’d still not advise most people to use the OS unless you have 10+ years IT experience, know how to use a packet sniffer really well, understand configuring firewalls and how to detect when traffic that should be blocked is not being blocked, and how to otherwise hack, maul, and womanhandle your system.

That’s what? 0.025% of the population?

In other words for nearly everyone, unless you want whoever happens to hack into Microsoft next and/or the NSA, the FBI, and other random law enforcement agencies to have all your data, don’t use Windows 10.

I’m now using a blocker to to block the ad blocker blockers.

What a world.

Do not use this app. It will not help you block spying on Windows 10.

Windows 10’s spy software bypasses the hosts file altogether. Evil, I know. So putting entries into the hosts file to redirect traffic to 127.0.0.1 does absolutely nothing.

You can block Windows 10 spying with a 3rd-party firewall or a firewall on the edge of your network.

I do not recommend a 3rd-party firewall installed on the same machine that you wish to block data exfiltration from as anything with admin access — including the Windows spy software — can then disable it or alter its rules. There is no technical way around this.

If you must use Windows 10, use it with a firewall that it has no direct access to. And if you do not care that your data is being stolen by Windows 10 — well, you are fucking stupid and probably should not use any OS.