How to Protect Your Privacy on Windows 7
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10. Remove tracking and data collection updates.
There are several system updates that add tracking and diagnostic capabilities to your PC, some to prepare for an upgrade to Windows 10. If you don’t have automatic updates enabled, you can refuse or remove these specific updates:
- KB3015249 — Adds telemetry capabilities
- KB3021917 — Prepares for upgrade to Windows 10
- KB3022345 — Installs diagnostic tracking service
- KB3035583 — Prepares for upgrade to Windows 10
- KB3044374 — Prepares for upgrade to Windows 10
- KB3050267 — Prepares for upgrade to Windows 10
- KB3068708 — Introduces the Diagnostics and Telemetry tracking service
- KB3075249 — Adds telemetry points to the User Account Control
- KB3080149 — Updates the Diagnostics and Telemetry tracking service
How: Control Panel > Programs > Programs and Features > Installed Updates > [right click to remove]
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12. Install a privacy-focused browser like DuckDuckGo.
DuckDuckGo’s Private browser has built-in tracker network blocking, smarter encryption, and, of course, private search, all designed to operate seamlessly together while you search and browse the web.
How: Get the extension for popular browsers from https://duckduckgo.com/app
Congratulations! You’ve just taken a big step to increasing privacy and protecting the data on your Windows 7 system. You might also be interested in our privacy tips for Windows 10.
Note: After 10 years, security updates and technical support for Windows 7 ended on January 14, 2020.