- Privacy
Settings > Privacy & security > App permissions
For every item in the list, select Off
Windows has absolutely no business mediating what the apps that you install and run on your computer can or cannot access. So for all these items:
- Location
- Camera
- Microphone
- Voice activation
- Notifications
- Account info
- Contacts
- Calendar
- Phone calls
- Call history
- Tasks
- Messaging
- Radios
- Other devices
- App diagnostics
- Automatic file downloads
- Documents
- Downloads folder
- Music library
- Pictures
- Videos
- File system
- Screenshot borders
- Screenshots and screen recordins
- Text and image generation
- Passkeys
Set them all to Off. Contrary to what it might seem, turning these all off will not adversely affect the functioning of your computer nor the software you use in any way.
Imagine you start seeing some creepy Indian guy hanging around your house with binoculars. You ask him what he’s doing and he says “I’m your new privacy provider!”. That’s exactly what this shit is. Fuck Microsoft for putting this shit in Windows. They’re obviously continuing on their longstanding path of investing substantially in domination and control (a trend started by Bill Gates, rest in piss), rather than delivering a solid operating system.
2. Windows Start: disable Store results in Start searches
Again, the scabs at Microsoft are investing heavily in how to impinge upon you and shove ads in your face when using the Start menu. Completely disable Store results from showing up when you search for an app in Start:
Settings > System > System components > Microsoft Store >
· Background component permissions > Let this system component run in the background: Never
· Terminate: Terminate
· Reset: Reset
2. Windows Start: disable new Start “features” from version 25H2
Install scoop or WinGetUI and use either to install vivetool. You don’t need the GUI version.
In an elevated command prompt run:
vivetool /disable /id:57048231,47205210,56328729,48433719
Here is what these are:
| ID | Purpose |
| 47205210 | updated/new Start Menu design in Windows 11 |
| 57048231 | hidden experimental Windows 11 25H2 feature targeting the revamped Start menu layout engine |
| 56328729 | new taskbar battery icon and percentage display |
| 48433719 | hidden feature flag, often associated with prerequisites for new taskbar animations, taskbar autohide changes, or specific Start Menu changes |
3. Indexing – Disable everything except Start Menu
Control Panel > Indexing options > Modify
In the lower pane, select every item except Start Menu to display the selected location in the upper pane, and deselect it. The only item that should remain is Start Menu.
I simply DO NOT TRUST Microsoft to index anything on my computer. Despite what they may claim, I do not trust them to not upload information about files on my computer to their servers. So fuck them.
4. Back up your customized Start pinned items and folders
With the latest Windows 25H2 Start “features” comes the possibility for all your custom pinned Start items and folders to be lost. This has happened to me and other users multiple times. Regularly save your Start entries:
Export-StartLayout -Path "C:\Backup\StartLayou.json"
5. Install Winaero Tweaker
Set the following items:
- Windows 11:
Disable Copilot
Disable Recommendations in Start - Behavior:
Ads and Unwanted Apps: disable all
Disable App Lookup in Store (Note: this has no effect on the Start issue above)
Disable User Folder Backup to OneDrive
Error Reporting: disable - Desktop and Taskbar:
Disable Web Search - Microsoft Edge:
Disable Annoyances and Bloat: disable all
Disable Updates (let UniGetUI handle Edge updates instead) - Privacy:
Disable Telemetry - Settings and Control Panel:
Disable Online & Video Tips in Settings
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