Windows privacy tool O&O ShutUp10 is ready for Windows 10 version 2004
O&O ShutUp10 is a long-standing privacy tool for Microsoft's Windows 10 operating system. The initial version of the program was released in 2015, our first review dates back to 2017 and we have updated it in late 2019. The program has received frequent updates to ensure compatibility with newer versions of Microsoft's operating system.
The latest version, O&O ShutUp10 1.8.1412, is now fully compatible with Windows 10 version 2004 and can also be run on previous versions of the operating system.
Tip: check out our overview of privacy tweak tools for Windows 10.
O&O ShutUp10
You can run the portable program right after you have downloaded it to the Windows 10 system. Note that you may run it with regular or elevated rights; the main difference is that you get more options when you run it in administrator mode.
The interface of the program has not changed all that much since the initial version was released by the company.
O&O ShupUp10 displays a long list of tweaks in the interface. Tweaks are grouped and each tweak is listed with a description, its current state, and a recommendation; this may be confusing at first but the main takeaway from the listing is that green toggles mean enabled and red that it is not set.
The top bar lists several nice to have features that make working with the program more enjoyable. You can use the search to find tweaks of interest, e.g. type Clipboard to list any tweak that deals with the Windows Clipboard in one way or another.
Actions shows options to apply certain recommendation levels directly. You could select "apply only recommended settings" to turn on all recommended tweaks without going through the entire listing. While that speeds up the process, it is advised to enable or disable tweaks manually instead as you retain full control over the process and know exactly which tweaks are active on the system.
Similarly, you may apply recommended and somewhat recommended settings, or reset all settings to their factory defaults.
Click on the name of a setting to display a description right underneath it. The description explains what a particular setting does and potential issues or limitations that you may experience when you enable the option.
The latest versions, O&O Software released two in June 2020 and one in May 2020, come with a large number of new tweaks and options. You can check out the changelog for the entire list, but here is a selection of new settings that you may find useful (many apply to the new Microsoft Edge browser):
- Disable tracking in the web
- Disable search and website suggestions
- Disable sending info about websites visited
- Disable personalizing advertising, search, news and other services
- Disable preload of pages for faster browsing and searching
- Disable suggestions in Start
- Disable suggestions in the timeline
- Disable showing suggested content in the Settings app
- Disable text suggestions when typing on the software keyboard
- Disable application access to various device features, e.g. motion, eye tracking, or device location.
Closing Words
O&O ShutUp10 is a handy tool for Windows 10 users who want to make changes to the system configuration in regards to privacy. The program is updated regularly and the number of tweaks that it includes is impressive. It will take some time to go through all tweaks manually, but it is in my opinion better than relying on presets to change lots of settings at once.
Now You: Do you use privacy tools on your devices?
What mental age of reader are you targeting with the first sentence? 10?
Why not write an article on how to *avoid* upgrading from W10 to W11. Analogous to those like me who avoided upgrading from 7 to 10 for as long as possible.
If your paymaster Microsoft permits it, of course.
5. Rufus
6. Ventoy
PS. I hate reading these “SEO optimized” articles.
I used Rufus to create an installer for a 6th gen intel i5 that had MBR. It upgraded using Setup. No issues except for Win 11 always prompting me to replace my local account. Still using Win 10 Pro on all my other PCs to avoid the bullying.
bit pointless to upgrade for the sake of upgrading as you never know when you’ll get locked out because ms might suddenly not provide updates to unsupported systems.
ps…. time travelling?
written. Jan 15, 2023
Updated • Jan 13, 2023
This happens when you schedule a post in WordPress and update it before setting the publication date.
Anyone willing to downgrade to this awful OS must like inflicting themselves with harm.
I have become convinced now that anybody who has no qualms with using Windows 11/10 must fit into one of the following brackets:
1) Too young to remember a time before W10 and W11 (doesn’t know better)
2) Wants to play the latest games on their PC above anything else (or deeply needs some software which already dropped W7 support)
3) Doesn’t know too much about how computers work, worried that they’d be absolutely lost and in trouble without the “”latest security””
4) Microsoft apologist that tries to justify that the latest “features” and “changes” are actually a good thing, that improve Windows
5) Uses their computer to do a bare minimum of like 3 different things, browse web, check emails, etc, so really doesn’t fuss
Obviously that doesn’t cover everyone, there’s also the category that:
6) Actually liked W7 more than 10, and held out as long as possible before switching, begrudgingly uses 10 now
Have I missed any group off this list?
You have missed in this group just about any professional user that uses business software like CAD programs or ERP Programs which are 99% of all professional users from this list.
Linux doesn’t help anyone who is not a linux kid and apple is just a fancy facebook machine.
Microsoft has removed KB5029351 update
only from windows update though
KB5029351 is still available from the ms update catalog site
1. This update is labaled as PREVIEW if it causes issues to unintelligent people, then they shouldn’t have allowed Preview updates ot install.
2. I have installed it in a 11 years old computer, and no problems at all.
3. Making a big drama over a bluescreen for an updated labeled as preview is ridiculous.
This is probably another BS internet drama where people ran programs and scripts that modified the registry until they broke Windows, just for removing stuff that they weren’t even using just for the sake of it.
Maybe people should stop playing geeks and actually either use Windows 10 or Windows 11, but don’t try to modify things just for the sake of it.
Sometimes removing or stopping things (like defender is a perfect example) only need intelligence, not scripts or 3rd party programs that might mess with windows.
Windows 11 was a pointless release, it was just created because some of the Windows team wanted to boost sales with some sort of new and improved Windows 10. Instead, Microsoft cannot support one version well let alone two.
Windows 11 is the worst ugly shame by Microsoft ever. They should release with every new W11 version a complete free version of Starallback inside just to make this sh** OS functionally again.
motherboard maker MSI has recently released a statement regarding the “unsupported processor” blue screen error for their boards using Intel 600/700 series chipsets & to avoid the KB5029351 Win11 update:
https://www.msi.com/news/detail/MSI-On–UNSUPPORTED-PROCESSOR–Error-Message-of-Windows-11-Update-KB5029351-Preview-142215
check out the following recent articles:
Neowin – Microsoft puts little blame on its Windows update after UNSUPPORTED PROCESSOR BSOD bug:
https://www.neowin.net/news/microsoft-puts-little-blame-on-its-windows-update-after-unsupported-processor-bsod-bug/
BleepingComputer – Microsoft blames ‘unsupported processor’ blue screens on OEM vendors:
https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/microsoft/microsoft-blames-unsupported-processor-blue-screens-on-oem-vendors/
While there may be changes or updates to the Windows 10 Store for Business and Education in the future, it is premature to conclude that it will be discontinued based solely on rumors.
My advice, I left win 15 years ago. Now I’m a happy linux user (linuxmint) but there is Centos, Fedora, Ubuntu depending on your needs.
motherboard maker MSI has recently released new BIOS/firmware updates for their Intel 600 & 700 series motherboards to fix the “UNSUPPORTED_PROCESSOR” problem (Sept. 6):
https://www.msi.com/news/detail/Updated-BIOS-fixes-Error-Message–UNSUPPORTED-PROCESSOR–caused-BSOD-on-MSI-s-Intel-700-and-600-Series-Motherboards-142277
I try to disable the Diagnostics Tracking Service (Connected Devices Platform User Services) but it wont let me disable it, any help will be greatly appreciated.
Tank you for your help