Windows 10 security issues and how to fix them

Excerpts from this article originally appeared on http://slate.com written by David Auerbach.

Microsoft has tried to improve on Windows 7 and 8 by improving new functionality including virtual desktops, tablet functionality, and bringing back the start menu that was left out of Windows 8.

Unfortunately, Microsoft has joined the data arms race of other big data specialists Google and Apple. They are now sending lots of data from your pc back to their servers.

One way to protect your privacy is to change the default privacy settings in Windows 10. When installing Windows, it encourages you to use the "Express Install" Settings. With all software installed on your pc's and smart phones, madTECH Computers encourages you to slow down and read what's on the screen.

In this case, slow down and read the settings on screen:

So don't use Express settings and use custom install instead. Once on the custom install screen, turn off all the toggles (switches on screen), for personalisation and location:

On the second screen of toggles (of customise settings pages, there are more settings to turn off:

The first two settings will anonymously send data back to Microsoft, the next two a a bit subtler. They will connect to open networks without your consent. BEst to disable those by default, and while you're at it, try never to connect to public networks, or if you have to, don't use them to transmit sensitive data eg internet banking, transmit passwords etc.

Last, sending error and diagnostic information may seem harmless, but when something goes wrong, that “information” might include tons of sensitive stuff—if you were editing a spreadsheet of your romantic dalliances when your computer crashed, it’ll get uploaded. If you feel like helping out Microsoft, you can leave this enabled, but I turned it off.