Disable Windows 11 Telemetry & Data Collection

Windows 11 collects telemetry data constantly, sending usage patterns, crash reports, and system information to Microsoft servers. While Microsoft argues this improves the OS, many users prefer to disable these services for privacy and minimal performance gains. This guide walks you through disabling Windows 11 telemetry safely.

Why Disable Windows 11 Telemetry?

Telemetry services consume system resources, generate network traffic, and transmit user data—even during idle periods. Disabling these services:

• Reduces privacy intrusion — Stop sending behavioral data to Microsoft
• Frees system resources — Disable background processes consuming CPU and RAM
• Cuts network overhead — Eliminate telemetry upload traffic
• Improves battery life — Lower background activity on laptops

Method 1: Disable Telemetry via Group Policy (Pro/Enterprise Only)

Windows 11 Home doesn’t include Group Policy Editor, but Pro and Enterprise editions do.

Steps:

1. Press Win + R, type gpedit.msc, and press Enter
2. Navigate to: Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Data Collection and Preview Builds
3. Double-click “Allow Diagnostic Data”
4. Select “Diagnostic data off” (most restrictive)
5. Click Apply and OK
6. Restart your computer

This setting disables the DiagTrack and dmwappushservice services completely.

Method 2: Disable Telemetry Services Manually

Works on all Windows 11 editions.

Disable DiagTrack Service

1. Press Win + R, type services.msc, and press Enter
2. Find “DiagTrack” (Connected User Experiences and Telemetry)
3. Right-click, select Properties
4. Set Startup type to Disabled
5. Click Stop to disable immediately
6. Click Apply and OK

Disable dmwappushservice

1. In Services, locate “dmwappushservice”
2. Repeat the steps above: set to Disabled and Stop

Disable Connected User Experiences Service

1. Find “DiagTrack” (another telemetry service)
2. Set Startup type to Disabled
3. Click Stop

Method 3: Disable Telemetry Tasks via Task Scheduler

Telemetry tasks are scheduled to run at regular intervals. Disable them here:

1. Press Win + R, type taskschd.msc, and press Enter
2. Navigate to: Task Scheduler Library > Microsoft > Windows > Application Experience
3. Right-click “Microsoft Compatibility Appraiser” → Disable
4. Go back and select: Task Scheduler Library > Microsoft > Windows > Autochk
5. Disable “Proxy”
6. Navigate to: Task Scheduler Library > Microsoft > Windows > Customer Experience Improvement Program
7. Disable all tasks in this folder
8. Go to: Task Scheduler Library > Microsoft > Windows > Defrag
9. Disable “ScheduledDefrag”
10. Navigate to: Task Scheduler Library > Microsoft > Windows > Disk Diagnostics
11. Disable all tasks

Disabling these prevents scheduled telemetry uploads and diagnostic collection.

Method 4: Disable Settings-Based Telemetry

1. Open Settings (Win + I)
2. Go to Privacy & Security
3. Select General and toggle off:
   • Tailored experiences
   • Ads personalization
   • Suggested content
4. Select Diagnostics & device data
5. Choose Required diagnostic data (minimum level)
6. Toggle off Optional diagnostic data
7. Toggle off Inking & typing improvement
8. Toggle off Tailored experiences
9. Toggle off Improve inking and typing
10. Go to Activity history
11. Uncheck “Store my activity history on this device”

Method 5: Disable Cortana and Web Search

1. Open Settings → Privacy & Security
2. Select Search permissions
3. Toggle off Cloud search history
4. Toggle off Show search suggestions
5. Go to Cortana
6. Toggle off Cortana entirely if not needed

Using Registry Editor (Advanced)

For granular control, edit the registry:

1. Press Win + R, type regedit, and press Enter
2. Navigate to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\DataCollection
3. If the path doesn’t exist, create it by right-clicking → New > Key
4. Right-click in the empty space → New > DWORD (32-bit) Value
5. Name it: AllowDiagnosticData
6. Set the value to 0 (completely disabled)
7. Restart Windows

Using PowerShell (Fastest Method)

Open PowerShell as Administrator and run:

# Disable telemetry services
Stop-Service -Name "DiagTrack" -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
Stop-Service -Name "dmwappushservice" -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
Set-Service -Name "DiagTrack" -StartupType Disabled
Set-Service -Name "dmwappushservice" -StartupType Disabled

# Disable scheduled tasks
Disable-ScheduledTask -TaskName "Microsoft\Windows\Application Experience\Microsoft Compatibility Appraiser" -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
Disable-ScheduledTask -TaskName "Microsoft\Windows\Autochk\Proxy" -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
Disable-ScheduledTask -TaskName "Microsoft\Windows\Customer Experience Improvement Program\Consolidator" -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue

Verify Telemetry is Disabled

1. Open Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc)
2. Check the Services tab—DiagTrack and dmwappushservice should show Stopped
3. Open Services (services.msc) and confirm both services show Disabled
4. Monitor Resource Monitor (Ctrl + Shift + Esc → Performance tab) for any residual telemetry traffic

Important Notes

• Disabling telemetry does not break Windows functionality
• Some features like Windows Update and security updates still function normally
• If you use Cortana extensively, keep it enabled or use lightweight alternatives like Alfred or uLauncher
• Backup your registry before making manual changes: Registry → File → Export

Conclusion

Disabling Windows 11 telemetry is straightforward and improves both privacy and performance. Use Group Policy (easiest) or the PowerShell method (fastest) to achieve this. Regularly verify that telemetry services remain disabled, as Windows updates may re-enable them.

Your system will run smoother, consume fewer resources, and your data stays private—all without sacrificing functionality.