Windows 81 And Windows Server 2012 R2 Privacy Statement For Installation Features Key Best Jun 2026

Navigate to: Computer Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> Windows Components

| Installation choice | Privacy impact | |---------------------|----------------| | Microsoft account | Syncs data; sends telemetry with identifiable user ID | | Local account | No cloud sync; telemetry anonymized | Turning Off Windows Error Reporting (WER) Volume licensing

Launch the Local Group Policy Editor ( gpedit.msc ). Navigate down to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Data Collection and Preview Builds . Set your telemetry options to the absolute minimum allowed by your specific enterprise agreement. Turning Off Windows Error Reporting (WER) activate the product

Volume licensing (VL) media often defaults to fewer consumer-oriented telemetry features than retail media. Turning Off Windows Error Reporting (WER) Volume licensing

During installation, features may connect to the internet to check for updates, activate the product, or download driver updates.

This article is for informational purposes only. Always test privacy configurations in a non-production environment first.

Securing your deployment begins long before the operating system boots for the first time. Implementing clean configuration rules ensures that no unvetted telemetry reaches external nodes.