Windows 10 has been negatively criticized in terms of privacy due to the collection of diagnostic and telemetric data that Microsoft says to use to improve the same operating system at a functional and security level, feature that can be limited but not disabled, if not using special third-party applications.
Criticism aside, in reality with the diagnostic and telemetry are not collected sensitive and personal information of users, and if this should happen by mistake, however the data in question being collected anonymously, are not (or rather, not should) be traceable to the specific user.
A further proof of this, in Windows 10 April 2018 Update (v.1803), Microsoft has introduced the possibility to see the diagnostic data collected by it on the computer in question, through the “Diagnostic Data Viewer“, and to delete them completely. Let’s see how to proceed.
1. Go to Start> Settings> Privacy> Feedback and diagnostics locate the “Diagnostic data viewer” section, set the switch to “Activated“, and click the “Diagnostic data viewer” button which, only the first time, will open the Microsoft Store to download the official Microsoft application to your computer, diagnostic data Viewer, which will see the diagnostic data collected about your computer.
2. So after installing the Diagnostic Data Viewer, click the “Diagnostic Data Display” button to open the viewer and thus view all the data collected by Microsoft for and on the device in question.
As you will notice, the data collected in the Diagnostic Data Viewer are divided into different categories:
- History of explorations
- Device configuration and connectivity
- Pen input, typing and voice commands
- Performance of products and services
- Use of products and services
- Inventory and software installation
- Incorrect category
If you do not select any category, all events in each category will be shown in the immediately adjacent column. For each event the date and time of acquisition is indicated. By selecting an event, in the adjacent column, you can see the related diagnostic data collected by Microsoft in this regard. If necessary, the data can be exported to a .csv file by clicking the “Export data” button.
If you want to delete the diagnostic data collected, simply go back to Settings> Privacy> Feedback and diagnostics.
Find the “Delete diagnostic data” section and click on the “Delete” button to send the cancellation request.
This will lead to the deactivation of the “Diagnostic Data Display“, which will have to be activated again in case you want to manage the most recent diagnostic data collected by Microsoft from the device in question, after the cancellation of the previous ones.