WPD (Windows Privacy Dashboard; DotNET)

[Midas]

WPD (i.e., Windows Privacy Dashboard; https://getwpd.com/) is a DotNET (v4.0) system utility that claims portability (untested!) and is compatible from Windows 7 upwards.

WPD, a tweaker that contains all main settings in one place! You can customize Group Policy, Services and Tasks responsible for data collection and transmission as you like. And furthermore, if you want, you can block a bunch of Microsoft's IP’s to which data is sent. WPD is free, totally portable, has a nice user-friendly interface and doesn't contain any advertisement or malicious code.

Download WPD latest release (currently v1.1.475) from https://getwpd.com/get/latest.zip.

[bitcoin]

now at v1.3.23 - (Oct 29th 2019)

looks useful - is the only reason its not added is that it requires Dot NET?

[webfork]

While I personally prioritize programs that aren't dotNET, there's no policy against them. I am a bit leery that this program is actually portable just because it seems to (based on the limited documentation) have firewall functionality, something that usually involves registry writes.

I'd also like to see more documentation, screenshots, and a license.

[Midas]

I'd also like to see more [...] screenshots...

Granted!

[webfork]

I'd also like to see more [...] screenshots...

Granted!

Much better, thanks

now at v1.3.23 - (Oct 9th 2019)

Thanks for the update notice

[webfork]

Just a note that this program was updated back in July to v.1.3.1577 (https://wpd.app/changelog/). It's currently my windows privacy tool of choice and I'll try to get it into the database sometime soon.

You could use the following to quickly jump between various standard privacy settings:

-default - normal settings
-recommended - standard privacy that's less likely to interfere with your controls
-privacyAll - full privacy

Because Microsoft updates often re-enable telemetry services, it might make sense to run one of the above either regularly or at boot-up.

[I am Baas]

The app calls home.

[webfork]

WPD has been added to the database. Please vote: https://www.portablefreeware.com/index.php?id=3029

[TP109]

Noticing this for first time. Looks interesting.

GHacks review of WPD (10/2018) here:
https://www.ghacks.net/2018/10/10/wpd-p ... s-updated/

[webfork]

The app calls home.

I was keen to get a program in the database that turns off junk for Win 10 the way XP-antispy used to do, but if I'd see that post sooner, I'd probably have kept looking.

I looked around for some kind of functionality to turn off update checking without success.

[vevy]

I was keen to get a program in the database that turns off junk for Win 10

You could try this:
https://github.com/DavidXanatos/priv10

[Midas]

I looked around for some kind of functionality to turn off update checking without success.

Block it via firewall/hosts, maybe...

[webfork]

I looked around for some kind of functionality to turn off update checking without success.

Block it via firewall/hosts, maybe...

Yeah -- Simplewall does a great job of blocking-by-default but I've struggled with it blocking my Discord client. Maybe we recommend Firewall App Blocker?

I was keen to get a program in the database that turns off junk for Win 10

You could try this:
https://github.com/DavidXanatos/priv10

Part of the reason all these privacy-invading features are present in Android and Windows 10 is because people don't want to bother with turning them off. I'm trying to find a program that's simple, easy, and clear about changes made. WPD does fairly well there.

I do like that priv10 is open source, but looks like it has a non-standard, non-commercial license. Still, better than most similar tools I've researched.

[vevy]

I do like that priv10 is open source, but looks like it has a non-standard, non-commercial license.

I see you have developed a sharp eye for licenses on GitHub!

[webfork]

I see you have developed a sharp eye for licenses on GitHub!

To be clear, I haven't checked wither this project has a standard license for non-commercial use, but software licenses are an exceedingly complex topic and people do themselves no favors when they make something open but with caveats.

One of the frequent complaints by the Free Software Foundation used to be (I have no idea if this is still the case) that "open source" is needlessly vague. Is it all the source or some of the source? Can I use it for anything? Do a I need a secret decoder ring to figure out what the developer was thinking? Also, the sharp edge of the DMCA wasn't that someone published how the internals of something worked, but whether or not you used it to undermine their (usually poorly implemented DRM) protection scheme.

Projects with standard licenses have (in my experience) remarkable staying power. They may not be the best or the fastest tool, but they tend to also follow other standards as well, while being reliable and transparent.