Spydish: quickly check Windows 10 Group Policy privacy settings
Spydish is a tiny program for Windows 10 by the developer of Debotnet and SharpApp designed to provide a quick overview of important Group Policy privacy settings.
The privacy tool has been released as a beta by its developer. Interested users may download the latest version of the application from the developer's GitHub project site. It is a 35 Kilobyte zip archive that you need to unpack once it has been downloaded to the local system. You may run it from any location without installation. Note that it requires administrative privileges.
Tip: check out our overview of Windows 10 privacy tools here.
Spydish
The main idea behind Spydish is simple: check if privacy related policies are set on the Windows 10 system it is run on. The program displays a list of privacy related policies in a sidebar on the left. You may select all or some of the policies for checking, and hit the analyze button to check the status of each selected policies.
Policies are grouped, and each group can be selected individually in the sidebar. A quick check of the supported policies confirms that major privacy policies are supported by the application; this includes support for policies such as "Enable Telemetry", "Block automatic installation of apps", "Disable Bing in Windows Search", or "Disable Windows Defender".
A click or tap on the analyze button checks each policy and returns its setting. Spydish color codes results and displays a status for each policies, e.g. not configured or configured, as well.
The application supports two additional features: revert policies and apply policies.
Revert policies changes the status of all selected policies to the default status (which usually is not configured". Apply policies on the other hand enables the selected policies when selected. Both options are quite useful.
Administrators may use the application to get a quick rundown of privacy settings on a Windows 10 machine. Additionally, it is useful to restore policies to defaults or to enable certain private policies on a device. The latter may be of special interest on Home systems of Windows 10 as the Group Policy is not available on these systems (but policies may still be set using the Registry). The app may provide a quicker way of doing so.
Compatibility information is not provided on the developer site or on GitHub. The program displays 1903 in the interface (on a Windows 10 version 1909 system). Since it is beta, it is advised to create backups before you use the program to make changes to the system.
Now You: do you use privacy tools? if so which, and why? (via Deskmodder)
Does it come back after every “moment” update?
Yeah right.. Like this is going to stop defender from running =) This is comedy gold right here.
no ‘about the author’ paragraph?
For permanent disable defender is if removed complete from system no just change permission folder.
Just this is joke.
simpler, load Autoruns (SysInternals)
– filter “Defender”
– untag all entries
– reboot
nothing has changed since my 1st modification years ago
I wouldn’t disable Defender imho, it has too many hidden roots inside Windows itself. One time I tried to uninstall it using brute force scripts and then the Onedrive feature stopped working definitely. A reinstallation was needed and since those times I prefer to maintain Defender untouched. It’s a better method to install another antivirus and it will disable Defender in a safer and easier mode (e.g., Avast is the best in this way, and also Panda Cloud Free is good too).
U are just * [Editor: removed] thats the problem ;p first of all u shall always debloat windows u shall have max 65 services with your drivers for pc and windows own servs. You didnt know what that script did
You can not stop defender from running in background or remove it without some penalty. All you can do is to limit telemetry.
@borts,
It’s probably Smartscreen which is preventing WD from being disabled. Get rid of that and the problem should be solved: https://thegeekpage.com/disable-windows-defender-smartscreen/#How_to_disable_the_Windows_Defender_SmartScreen_via_Local_Group_Policy_Editor
Remove Windows and go for Linux.
Linux sucks dude. Besides it’s not comparable to Windows, these OSes are in different classes entirely.
I use Linux as my daily driver. It’s far more stable than Windows. When’s the last time you used Linux, 2010?
@basingstoke
You’re right, dude. Bro, linux is just a bunch of code that starts before the OS, dude. Brobrodude, that shit ain’t even got emojis, dudebrodudeman! Dudebro, it’s no way near as cool as Windows with its hardcoded abilities to make money off the user, bro. Yo brodude man, you’re the coolest dude ever man, bro. Dude.
Lol what? Windows 7 doesn’t come with any Emojis
Download Autoruns and remove the checkmark from Windows Defender. It doesn’t remove it, but it will never run. https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/autoruns
Just use “Defender Control”:
https://www.sordum.org/9480/defender-control-v2-1/comment-page-1/#comments
Per this video,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLIjr7FyxZ8
it also works on Windows 11 too…
Win Defender, is completly the most succesful free-built in antivirus of Microsoft. Really nice product. Saved my ass a lot of times. Has updated malware database, completly strong defence
from whatever smart screen disables. Or if you want better and more upgrated (paid) program,
you can go further. But defender is always on your side.
Why would one disable Windows (or Microsoft) Defender in the first place?. I consider this to be playing with fire big time. Everybody knows that if one is using another A-V, Defender will be disabled on its own and won’t be in one’s way.
Why would I want to disable Windows Defender in the first place? It’s a great anti virus in my opinion. Been using it since Windows 8 and and never had a problem or a virus. Why mess with a good thing, if it ain’t broke don’t fix it.
How a ridiculous article!
I am thoroughly stunned.
Why Should You Disable First-Party Windows Defender?
I can only think that it is “malice or perversely intention (want you to buy a third-party AV where you can expect a back margin)” to guide invalidation without showing the premise.
No sane company will use third-party closed source programs (such as AV).
As I thought, “Ghacks Technology News” seems to be coming to downfall.