Microsoft SpyNet is a service connected to Microsoft’s security products Windows Defender and Microsoft Security Essentials. The service collects information from users of the two products and makes the findings available to all other users of Microsoft SpyNet.
Windows Defender has been integrated into Windows 7 by Microsoft. The program is automatically running after installation of the operating system. A basic Microsoft SpyNet membership is set as the default relationship to Spynet. Users can configure the option to send data to Microsoft during Windows 7 installation in the “Help protect your computer and improve Windows automatically” screen. The default option is to use recommended settings which will enable Microsoft SpyNet. The other two options provided are to only install important updates or to make the operating system ask later again.
A basic membership will send basic information to Microsoft including malicious software that has been detected, where that software came from and actions that have been applied by the user or by the program automatically.
Personal information might be send (such as form data) and Microsoft stated that they would not use the information to identify the user.
At least some Windows 7 users might want to change their membership level to avoid that reports are send to Microsoft.
This can be done directly in Windows Defender. The easiest way to start the program is to type [defender] in the search programs and files box of the start menu which should display the Windows Defender entry. The program can then be started either with the mouse or by pressing the return key on the computer keyboard.
Microsoft SpyNet can then be disabled by going to Tools > Microsoft SpyNet. This opens the following screen:
The default setting is “join with a basic membership”. Selecting “I don’t want to join Microsoft SpyNet at this time” instead will disable Microsoft SpyNet on the computer system so that no information are transferred to Microsoft.
Users who have Microsoft Security Essentials installed on the other hand need to disable Microsoft SpyNet in the Windows Registry where they need to locate the Registry key Hkey_LocaL_Machine\Software\Microsoft\Microsoft Antimalware\SpyNet\.
The Registry parameter SpyNetReporting needs to be set to 0 to disable the reporting to Microsoft.
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I have Microsoft Security Essentials installed, and somehow it asks me for the right permissions if I want to change the value to 0. When I do this (full control) I get an access denied error? Anyone have experienced this?
You need to change the permissions then by selecting Edit > Permissions from the menubar after selecting the SpyNet key and enable full access and go to advanced, there the Owner tab and select Adminstrators and click on Ok. That should do it.
I don’t use MS Security Essentials, and I disabled Windows Defender in Services. Am I still sending information to MS?
JasRay I doubt that you are since SpyNet is linked to Security Essentials and Windows Defender.
Is interesting how spying on someone computer can be reworded to sound positive. Would you allow it if it read:
“Do you want to automatically send information to Microsoft about your computer activities? Do you also allow Microsoft to share that information with whomever Microsoft wants to without notifying you first?”
This is NOT enabled by default (see the third option in the above screenshot?) if you deselected participation in microsoft’s CEIP when you installed the system. That means you had a choice whether or not to allow Microsoft the information it needs to make better products.
I’m kinda getting sick of conspiracy theorists assuming that everything Microsoft gets sent from your computer is somehow finding out who you are, what you do and how sick your porn fetishes are – the basic idea is that 99.9999% of people are so unimportant and generic that it would do Microsoft no good regardless. They just want to make their product better ( as in, why did x user remove x file with x hash but y user didn’t)
The difference, however, is that Microsoft actually give you a choice. Other antivirus and antispyware products send infection detections and file hashes, along with an unknown set of other information perhaps like product key back to the manufacturer, usually when you check for virus updates. Where do you think Symantec et al get their worldwide infection figures from?
I cannot remember to have had that choice. Is that related to the “Help protect your computer and improve Windows automatically” screen during Windows 7 installation?
Yes, it asks specifically if you want to enter the Customer Experience Improvement Program. If you select no, any Microsoft software you install will default to not sending any, as they all use the same mechanism for sending data to reduce network load.
I’d just like to add some proof here: http://img687.imageshack.us/img687/8002/win7ceip.png
This is from a fresh install of Windows 7 Enterprise (Which doesn’t ask during set-up, and just automatically sets it to No by default). Other versions give you the opportunity to opt-in, if you decline or skip the question it is set to “No”, and does not enable CEIP for any Microsoft software.
Alan that is displayed during the installation of Windows 7?
That’s the correct image, but I have to point out that the people who simply click “reccomended” aren’t likely to be looking on a site like this for anything – their web activity is more email and Facebook than windows 7 tips and tricks.
If you notice, the “Reccomended” option tells you it enables the CEIP > “Help Microsoft improve Windows”. By enabling CEIP in Windows, it enables it for all microsoft software.
Better than that, it even tells you right at the bottom what selecting the option does.
I see. So the majority of users who have installed Windows 7 will likely have overlooked that just like I did ;)
The point I am making is that, it’s not like Microsoft is out to collect as much data about you as they can, they give you the option (and mention TWICE during the OOBE what it does). The article you posted here makes it seem like Microsoft is on some kind of vendetta to data mine, when in reality they are just trying to make their products better.
I understand that. It was not my implication to make this a “Microsoft is evil” article. I merely wanted to inform my readers that SpyNet is (likely) active on their computer system. It is still there choice whether to leave it that way or to deactivate it. I will update the article right now to reflect that better.
I’ve put in every place not to participate in SpyNet during install and installing MSE. Still in the registry it was on (1). How about that MS giving me any opportunities?
Alan Burns – you seem to think that “trying to make products better” and behaviour not in the users’ interest is mutually exclusive. I don’t think so.
:) Why is everyone afraid of Microsoft? Isn’t Google scarier?
Micro$oft AND G00g00 are both evil…basically all large corporations are!
ooh “large corporations”, oh noooeess
Hop you know that by disabling Spynet in the registry you will also disable your Automatic virus & Spy-ware definition updates.
Microsoft Security Essentials also makes you turn on Windows Automatic Updates as well or it won’t update definitions.
So its no good for all you pirate losers out there running hacked versions of Winblows 7