Having high Privacy on our computer is essential for a large number of users. This has been one of the weak points of Windows 10, since, if it has been characterized by something and has always received countless criticisms, it is because of the large amount of data it collects from our computer. To configure all the privacy of our computer to our liking without restrictions, we can use a program like O&O ShutUp10 , which we are going to talk about next.
Although Microsoft has been improving the transparency and control of our privacy in the successive updates that it has been launching since the appearance of Windows 10, the privacy scandals have been happening over time. This has caused users a sudden interest in their privacy and the time they collect about us.
If privacy worries us excessively we can use a program like O&O ShutUp10 with which we can activate and deactivate all kinds of privacy settings in Windows 10, so that we can rest assured that everything we share and what we do not , will depend exclusively on us.
Safe your privacy with O&O ShutUp10
O&O ShutUp10 is a simple program with which we will be able to control the functionalities and aspects of Internet security in Windows. This application is completely free and does not require installation. With it we can block all information that the company collects, as well as updates through P2P, the sharing of our Wi-Fi networks, among more than 50 options to guarantee our privacy .
Main features
- Configure security options.
- Disable Windows Defender.
- Protect our privacy.
- It allows to block the sending of data.
- Control location services.
- Disable Cortana.
- Delete the button to reveal passwords.
- Control Windows updates.
- Block the sending of diagnoses and personal information.
What can we do with O&O ShutUp10
When we run O&O ShutUp10, its main menu appears instantly with all the settings organized by categories. In this way we can make privacy settings for Windows Update, Lock screen, User behavior, Cortana, Miscellaneous, Activity history, Microsoft Edge, Application privacy, Private, Security, Location services, Synchronization of Windows settings , Windows Defender and Microsoft Spynet and Windows Explorer.
Within each category of the “Adjustment” we will find the different functions that we can activate or deactivate . Those that have the button in red are that they are deactivated, while those that are in green are that they are enabled.
If we click on each of the options that we can deactivate or activate, a brief description of each characteristic will appear so that we know what it is for and what we get in case we want to modify its status.
Just to the right of the menu, there is another column called Recommended? In it we can check three tics of different colors.
- Green : means it is a recommended setting.
- Yellow : informs us that it is a recommended Adjustment, but with caution.
- Red : serves to inform us that it is a non-recommended setting.
Before making any changes to activate or deactivate any function, the first thing to do is to back up the entire system, in case something goes wrong, we can go back without problems. At the top we will find four blocks called File, Actions, View and Help.
Archive
From the File tab, we will have the “Import settings” options, from where we can load a .cfg file that we can use to transfer configurations between computers. We also have the option “Export configurations” , with which we can save a .cfg file to save our configuration and load it on another computer.
Actions
If we click on the Actions tab, we will see the different buttons with the symbols of the recommended options. From here we can select “Apply only the recommended settings” , or “Recommended settings and recommended things” , as well as “Apply all settings” . We will also have the option to Undo all changes, as well as create a system-wide restore point.
View
From the View tab we have the option to “Group by category” . If we deactivate it, we will remove the categories from the Adjustment list from the menu, and they will become part of a column within the Adjustments. We also have the “Use blue / gray buttons” option. This simply changes the green and red colors for blue and gray tones.
Download O&O ShutUp10
O&O ShutUp10 is a completely free application that we can download from its website . The downloaded file is barely 1.27 MB and does not need installation as it is a portable program that we can run from our hard drive and transport it on any USB flash drive, external hard drive or memory card. We will only have to run it as Administrator to start using it.
The latest version available is 1.8.1412 , released on June 9, 2020 , making it tremendously recent, showing great support from the developer despite being a free program.
Alternatives to O&O ShutUp10
If privacy in Windows is an obsession for you, we propose a couple of alternatives to O&O ShutUp10 to configure Windows.
WPD
Windows Privacy Dashboard is a program that allows us to recover privacy and block telemetry in Windows. It works through the Windows API and can also be run on the command line, making it possible to create our custom scripts that we want to disable. WPD is a portable and free application that we can download for free from the developer’s page .
BlackBird
It is an application with which we can quickly disable many of the Windows features that may go against our privacy. It works as a script with which you can make any changes automatically. BlackBird is a free tool that we can download from its website .