O&O ShutUp10 is one of many utilities out there to help people quickly toggle off some concerning privacy and data options in Windows 10. This one in particular gets my vote because it’s always being updated and is simple to use.
Background Info on O&O ShutUp10
The freeware is developed by O&O Software GmbH, which was first established in 1997. The O&O comes from the two founders, both having names that start with O (Oliver Falkenthal and Olaf Kehrer).
There was quite a stir when Windows 10 first released with its forced automatic updates and lack of privacy control built-in. Shutup10’s initial release was just one month after Windows 10 launched in July 2015, so it’s been around since the beginning and continues to receive updates to react to the privacy and data changes Microsoft makes to its operating system.
How Shutup10 works
To use O&O ShutUp10, it’s really simple. After you download it, just run it. There is no installation needed. Upon opening it for the first time, it will warn you to create a restore point before making any changes to the system.
After that, you can scroll and see the different categories of things you can turn off. For example, if you don’t want anything you type or handwriting data being sent to Microsoft, you can find the option to disable it under Privacy.
There are countless other entries relating to data being sent to Microsoft, such as user activity or what apps you open. If the idea of what you do on your PC being recorded and sent to Microsoft concerns you, then you can at least do something about it by toggling off some of the options in the list.
Too Long, Didn’t Read
At one point, I did read the whole list, but I forgot it after the first time I used it. I’m busy and so are you, so why not just trust the devs and make it a one-click easy option? Well, they have.
There are three kinds of statuses next to each entry on the list if they are recommended to change. Yes, limited, and no. These are part of the scale for if something is safe to turn off or not. If you want to make Windows 10 more private but not risk breaking anything, click the Action button and select “Apply only recommended settings” which will toggle off all the safe options for you at one time.
Shutup10 will ask you to restart to be able to apply all the settings completely.
When I was checking the new Microsoft Edge browser based on Chromium, I was happy to see some of the telemetry options were already disabled because it adopted the privacy options in Windows, which were already locked down thanks to Shutup10.
One thoughtful extra feature
People don’t always have the same kind of vision, so I was pleasantly surprised to find that O&O Shutup10 features an option for those with color vision deficiencies (color blind).
By clicking View>Use blue/gray buttons, it will make the toggleable buttons in the list much easier to discern if they are currently on or off.
Final Thoughts on O&O Shutup10
The Shutup10 tool is extremely useful for anyone running Windows 10. For anyone concerned with privacy or their data, I highly recommend running this tool regularly because some options get turned back on when Microsoft releases system updates.
Link: Download it!
Hmmm
The problem with all of these programs proporting to be protecting end users from the evils of Microsoft’s massive spyware machine contained inside Win10 is painfully simple: If even a single solitary volunerability remains active and able to transmit your data to Microsoft servers, the other 50-150 odd threats fixed by your favorite privacy protection program don’t actually mean a tinkers damn and thus they are essentially worthless…..Bascially Microsoft employees a defense in depth thatto ensure that there is always at least one port spewing out every bit and byte of your data to Microsoft’s offshore servers….And also consider that all the big name “privacy” protection software programs out there including ShutUp10 are verified by Microsoft engineers…….Then again, I have an absolutely beautiful bridge for sale…….
You’re not wrong. However, I do think some users can benefit from having a big list of privacy toggles all in one place. It may not block all telemetry, but it can help slightly.
The best thing to do would be to use Linux distro/macOS, but that is not a realistic option for everyone.