WINDOWS 10NEW PRIVACY SETTINGS

Stop Microsoft Knowing What You Do On Your PC

What you need: Windows 10 Time required: 3 hours

InIssue 525 (see feature, page 58), we revealed the new features in the Windows 10 Spring Creators Update (SCU). Eager to avoid the privacy backlash Facebook is currently facing, Microsoft has ensured its privacy and security settings are

displayed clearly when you first boot into the SCU. We’ll show you how to safely install it, and how to stop Microsoft tracking your location, targeting you with personalised adverts and recording whatever you type or draw on your PC.

STEP 1

The SCU shouldn’t move or delete any files, but it’s a good idea to back up your important files before updating to be on the safe side. To update your PC, open Settings, click ‘Update & Security’, then ‘Check for Updates’. You’ll know your PC is downloading the SCU when you see ‘Feature update to Windows 10, version 1803’ downloading and installing 1 This can take a few hours, but you can continue using your PC in the meantime.

STEP 2

After that’s done, you’ll be prompted to restart your PC to update it. You can restart immediately 1 , schedule a specific restart time 2 or set a reminder to restart later 3 . After the restart, you’ll need to log into your PC using your Microsoft account. You’ll now see eight privacy and security settings that you need to set. These appear in individual screens one at a time and contain detailed information. Previously, these settings appeared all together with minimal info and sliders. You can change any of these settings later at any point (see Step 9).

STEP 3

On the first screen, you need to select whether you want to use voice recognition to control Microsoft’s personal assistant Cortana (and any other apps that use this feature). Each screen has a ‘Learn more’ button that takes you to more detailed information. For example, clicking ‘Learn more’ 1 on this screen tells you that your voice recordings are stored on Microsoft’s servers in the US. Select to use the feature 2 or not 3 , then click Accept 4 .

STEP 4

On the next screen, you need to choose whether Microsoft can access your device’s location. Bear in mind, having this enabled is handy if you often check for directions and weather forecasts. The ‘Learn more’ button 1 explains that Microsoft saves your device’s location to an online server, where it is available to your other apps and services when they need it. Location data is also needed if you want to remotely track down your lost or stolen laptop (see next step). Select Yes 2 or No 3 , then click Accept 4 .

STEP 5

The following screen provides the option to turn on Find My Device. This feature is useful if you often take your laptop with you when you go out. If it’s lost or stolen, you can log into your Microsoft account from another PC, locate it and remotely lock it (we’ll show you how to do this in Step 10). This feature only works if you’ve granted Microsoft access to your device’s location, so if you selected No in Step 4, you’ll need to return to that section 1 , select Yes, then Accept. Now select Yes 2 (or No 3 ), then click Accept 4 .

STEP 6

You now need to select the level of PC diagnostic data you want to send Microsoft. Choosing Full 1 sends Microsoft detailed information about the websites you visit, apps you use, how you use your apps, how you use your device, record of crashes, etc. Alternatively, selecting Basic 2 only sends Microsoft information about your device’s configuration, settings and whether it performs properly. There’s no option to opt out. Make your selection, then click Accept 3 .

STEP 7

The ‘Improve inking and typing recognition’ section lets you choose to give Microsoft access to anything you type on your PC, or draw (if you have a touchscreen). This improves autocomplete suggestions for apps that use it. Click Accept after making your selection. In the next screen, depending on the level of diagnostic data you chose to share with Microsoft (in Step 6), you can opt to see personalised Microsoft content (tips, adverts and recommendations) based on how you use your PC and apps 1 . Selecting No 2 means you’ll still see this content, but it won’t be tailored to you. Click Accept 3 to go to the final screen.

STEP 8

Microsoft generates a unique advertising ID for each Windows user based on how they use their PC. App developers are given this ID data to target users with personalised adverts. Select Yes 1 if you’re happy to have personalised ads. If you select No 2 , you’ll still see the same number of adverts but they won’t be personalised. Click Accept 3 one last time. You’ll now see your Windows 10 desktop.

STEP 9

You’ll notice a new Task View button 1 on your taskbar. Clicking this opens the new Timeline feature. Open Settings to see the new settings interface 2 with smaller buttons. Click ‘Update & Security’ 3 , ‘Check for updates’, wait for any pending updates to install, then click Restart Now (our PC took about 15 minutes to restart). You can check and change any of the privacy settings you’ve selected by clicking Privacy 4 , selecting the relevant option on the left, then clicking the appropriate button or slider.

STEP 10

We’ll now show you how to locate your lost or stolen laptop from another PC. This feature only works if you turned on Location Sharing and Find My Device (in Steps 4 and 5). Go to https:// account.microsoft.com/devices on another PC, then log in using your Microsoft account. You’ll see a list of all the devices linked to that account, and which Windows version they’re running 1 . Click the ‘More actions’ dropdown menu 2 and remove 3 any old devices listed here. Click the ‘Find my device’ link 4 beside your missing device name. You’ll now see its approximate location on a map. Click Lock if you want to do that. ●