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How to Disable Windows Telemetry on Windows 10 & 11 (Regedit)

Tutorial on how to disable Windows telemetry in Windows 10 and 11 using Regedit registry editor

To disable Windows telemetry on Windows 10 and 11, open Registry Editor and set the AllowTelemetry DWORD value to 0 at HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\DataCollection, then create the same DWORD at HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\DataCollection and set it to 0 as well. Restart your PC and Windows will be locked to the Security telemetry level.

Applies to: Windows 10 (22H2) and Windows 11 (23H2, 24H2, 25H2) | Last updated: May 25, 2026

How to Disable Telemetry in Windows 10 & 11 Using Registry Editor

Key Takeaways

  • Telemetry is set by a single DWORD called AllowTelemetry — value 0 locks Windows to the Security level (minimum data collection)
  • You need to set it at two registry paths: the standard policy key under SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\DataCollection and the policy-override key under SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\DataCollection
  • The change is non-destructive — Windows and every installed app keep working exactly the same way, only the background data collection stops
  • Works on every edition of Windows 10 and 11, including Home — the Group Policy method is Pro/Enterprise only, but the registry edit is universal
  • Two reg add one-liners apply both keys in seconds — useful if you set up multiple PCs or want to script the change

Quick Steps

  1. Press Windows + R, type regedit, and press Enter
  2. Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\DataCollection
  3. Double-click AllowTelemetry and set the Value Data to 0 (create the DWORD if it doesn’t exist)
  4. Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\DataCollection
  5. Right-click the empty space, create a new DWORD (32-bit) Value named AllowTelemetry, and set it to 0
  6. Close Registry Editor and restart your PC

What Is Windows Telemetry and Why Disable It?

Windows telemetry is the background data that Microsoft collects from your PC and sends back to their servers. The payload includes hardware configuration, app usage, driver versions, crash reports, and general system behaviour. Microsoft uses it to improve Windows, but the exact contents are not transparent to the user, which is why a lot of people prefer to keep it dialled down.

Back when I was running my computer repair business, clients regularly asked me to set up their new PC as privately as possible. Disabling telemetry was always one of the first items on that list. It doesn’t break anything in Windows — every app keeps working the same way — it just stops the background data collection from running.

Windows uses four telemetry levels: Security (0), Basic (1), Enhanced (2), and Full (3). Most installs default to Basic or higher. Setting AllowTelemetry to 0 in the registry pins Windows to the Security level, which is the minimum amount of diagnostic data the OS will send.

Note: On Windows 10/11 Home and Pro, the Security level (0) is technically reserved for Enterprise/Education editions, so Windows treats 0 on consumer editions as “Basic”. The policy key still works — it’s just the floor that differs by edition. Either way, this is the lowest the OS will go.

How to Disable Windows Telemetry With Registry Editor

Step 1: Open Registry Editor

Press Windows + R to open the Run dialog. Type regedit and press Enter. Click Yes on the User Account Control prompt to open Registry Editor with administrator rights.

Step 2: Modify AllowTelemetry at the First Path

Paste the following path into the Registry Editor address bar at the top of the window and press Enter:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\DataCollection

Double-click the AllowTelemetry entry in the right pane, set the Value Data to 0, and click OK. If the entry doesn’t exist, right-click the empty space, choose New > DWORD (32-bit) Value, name it AllowTelemetry, then set it to 0.

Step 3: Create the DWORD at the Second Path

Now navigate to the policy-override path:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\DataCollection

Right-click anywhere in the empty space on the right side and select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value. Name it AllowTelemetry, press Enter, double-click it, and set the Value Data to 0. If the DataCollection key itself doesn’t exist, right-click the Windows folder in the left pane, choose New > Key, and name it DataCollection before adding the DWORD inside it.

Step 4: Restart Your PC

Close Registry Editor and restart Windows. After the reboot, both telemetry keys are in effect and Windows will collect only the minimum diagnostic data going forward.

Disable Telemetry With Two reg add Commands (Faster)

If you prefer to skip Registry Editor entirely, you can apply both keys in seconds with a pair of reg add commands. Open Command Prompt or PowerShell as Administrator and run both lines:

reg add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\DataCollection" /v AllowTelemetry /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f
reg add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\DataCollection" /v AllowTelemetry /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f

Both keys are created if they don’t exist and overwritten if they do — the /f flag suppresses the confirmation prompt. Restart your PC afterwards for the change to take effect. This is the same syntax I use when scripting a fresh Windows setup for clients or building an unattended install with UnattendedWinstall.

A Faster Way: Use Winhance Instead

If you’d rather not edit the registry manually every time you set up a new PC, I built a free tool called Winhance that handles telemetry, the Advertising ID, feedback sampling, and dozens of other privacy and performance tweaks from one interface. It writes the same registry values this guide covers — you just toggle them on or off and Winhance applies the change.

Winhance also tells you exactly which tweaks are currently applied to your system, so you can audit a PC at a glance instead of opening regedit and checking values manually. It’s the tool I now use on every machine I set up.

Other Privacy Tweaks Worth Doing Alongside This

Disabling telemetry is a solid first step, but it’s not the only background process running on a default Windows install. Windows also runs automatic feedback sampling, which collects similar diagnostic data and sends it to Microsoft — disabling that is the natural follow-up. The Advertising ID is another one I always turn off; it’s a unique identifier Windows uses to serve personalised ads across apps.

If you want to go a step further, consider turning off Activity History, Location Services, and Windows Error Reporting. Each one is a small registry change on its own, but together they meaningfully reduce how much data Windows sends out in the background.

Common Issues & Solutions

Problem: The AllowTelemetry entry doesn’t exist at the first path.
Solution: Create it. Right-click the empty space on the right side of Registry Editor, choose New > DWORD (32-bit) Value, name it AllowTelemetry, and set the Value Data to 0.

Problem: The DataCollection key doesn’t exist at either path.
Solution: Create the key. Right-click the parent folder in the left panel, select New > Key, name it DataCollection, then create the AllowTelemetry DWORD inside it. The reg add one-liners above handle this automatically.

Problem: “Access is denied” when modifying a registry value.
Solution: Confirm you opened Registry Editor as an administrator. If a specific key still refuses to change, right-click it, choose Permissions, and verify your user account has Full Control.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does disabling telemetry break anything in Windows?

No, nothing breaks. Windows and every installed app keep working exactly the same way — you are only stopping the background data collection. I applied this tweak on hundreds of repair-shop PCs over the years and never saw it cause a problem.

Does this work on Windows 10 Home and Windows 11 Home?

Yes. The registry edits in this guide apply to every edition of Windows 10 and 11, including Home. The Group Policy method for disabling telemetry is only available on Pro and Enterprise editions, but the registry path is universal.

Will Windows reset the telemetry settings after an update?

Major Windows feature updates (the once-a-year ones like 24H2) can occasionally reset privacy settings. Cumulative updates almost never touch these keys, but it’s worth re-checking AllowTelemetry after a feature update. Winhance makes this a one-click audit instead of a manual registry check.

Why do I need to set two different registry paths?

The first path (SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\DataCollection) is the standard Windows telemetry key. The second (SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\DataCollection) is the policy-override key, which takes priority over the first when both are present. Setting both to 0 makes sure the change holds regardless of which key Windows checks.

Can I undo this change later?

Yes. Open Registry Editor, change AllowTelemetry back to 1 (Basic) or 3 (Full) at both paths, and restart. You can also delete the DWORD value entirely and Windows will fall back to its default telemetry level. Or you can run the same two reg add commands with /d 1 in place of /d 0.

That’s the full registry method for disabling Windows telemetry on Windows 10 and 11. If you found this useful, the next two privacy tweaks I’d recommend are disabling the Advertising ID and turning off automatic feedback sampling — both follow the same pattern and take a couple of minutes each. And if you’d rather automate the whole privacy and debloat process across a fresh install, Winhance is the tool I built for exactly that.

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