[Windows 10, 8, 7, XP etc.] Privacydroid:
Yes you can make windows completely 100% private as if it was linux.

Ofcourse privacy doesn’t fix zero day security exploits, this guide is about privacy not security.

For a first impression of what a truely optimized windows system looks like check the screenshots below.

Make a backup of your data is always the first thing to do.

➤ 1 Download the official windows iso from microsofts website (The iso NOT the mediacreationtool !!)

If you can’t download the iso install the useragentswitcher browser extension and switch to linux (microsoft's website detects your operatingsystem and doesn't let you download the iso if you are on windows...)

https://microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10ISO

User-Agent Switcher and Manager – Get this Extension for 🦊 Firefox (en-US)

➤ 2 Download rufus and use it to create a bootable usb drive with the windows iso file you just downloaded

Rufus - Create bootable USB drives the easy way

➤ 3 Use the bootable usb drive to Install windows 10 pro offline

You will have to boot into BIOS mode and change the primary boot device to the usb drive

➤ 4 Use https://privacy.sexy 10 to generate a script that will rip the guts of microsoft out of windows

Use either one of the predefined settings (standard, strict, all) or create your own script via the options.

Be careful when creating your own script, you can break functionality like windows search, to keep functionality only standard and strict are recommended.

➤ 5 Install Device Drivers

If you have an nvidia GPU use NVCleanstall for an installation that will remove MOST of the

integrated driver spyware https://techpowerup.com/download/techpowerup-nvcleanstall/

Install your CPU chipset but DO NOT install intel management engine or AMT vPRO, these are known backdoors so governments can potentialy remotely access your pc.

Intel Desktop Chipsets - Latest Motherboard Desktop and PC Chipsets

https://amd.com/en/support

➤ 6 Install Netframework Offline

Many programs require old netframework version to work, you don't need windows update for that.

To install offline without using windowsupdate you need a copy of the windows iso you previously

downloaded.

Mount the windows iso

Open powershell as administrator

Use this command to install netframework:

Dism /online /enable-feature /featurename:NetFX3 /All /Source:X:\sources\sxs /LimitAccess

Replace Source:X: with whatever the location of your mounted iso is, for example Source:

To find out where your iso is mounted, open the windows explorer, rightklick on the mounted iso and select open file location.

➤ 7 Install Visual Studio Redistributables

Latest supported Visual C++ Redistributable downloads | Microsoft Learn

➤ 8 Install Librewolf WebBrowser (no extensions required, ublockorigin is already preinstalled)

Installation – LibreWolf

Searchengines:

https://search.brave.com

https://searx.work/ Luxembourg (LU)

https://searx.fmac.xyz/ Switzerland (CH)

https://searx.tuxcloud.net/ Czechia (CZ)

https://searx.prvcy.eu/ Finland (FI)

Duckduckgo cannot be trusted anymore since they had a tracking agreement with microsoft.

Don't use startpage search engine or waterfox browser, both have been acquired by an adversting company called System1.

Librewolf is a modified version of firefox for increased privacy and security, while google chrome and microsoft edge collect your entire browsing history and every website you visited.

PS: Opera Browser is now owned by china, delete that if you haven't already.

➤ 9 Use ShutUp10 to modify windows privacy settings

Recommended: Klick on “actions” select “activate all privacy settings”, then manually uncheck what

you need.

Examples: microphone, camera, bluetooth, notifications.

O&O ShutUp10++ – Free antispy tool for Windows 10 and 11

➤ 10 Go Online for the first time, instantly install Portmaster from https://safing.io

Select Quad9 as your DNS server, they are non-profit, unlike most other providers like your internetservicepovider (ISP) are commerical and spy on everything you do on the internet.

Configure portmaster to block all connections by default and only allow what you need. (must have for privacy)

Unlock the systemdnsclient in portmaster otherwise you cannot connect to the internet. (all other windows services can be fully blocked)

Now klick on systemdnsclient and block connections that you don't trust, for example:

go.microsoft.com

ctldl.windowsupdate.com

services.gfe.nvidia.com (block this if using an nvidia GPU, even if you use nvcleanstall)

There should not be many connections to block if you used https://privacy.sexy 10 to cleanup windows.

➤ 11 Install a trusthworthy VPN, for example ProtonVPN or Mullvad (They have a free plan and are based in switzerland)

If you are currently using one of these, nordvpn, expressvpn, surfshark, you're making a big mistake. These providers are known to share your data with advertising companys and law enforcement.

They also use google trackers and analytics, source:

why not to use nordvpn

why not to use surfshark

why not to use expressvpn

why protonvpn is probably much better

Free VPN download for your device | Proton VPN

Obviously as you will do almost all of these steps offline you will have to downloaded all the software beforehand and copy it to an offline drive which you can access without any internet connection.

A usbdrive would be enough.

Software that is generally recommended and you should use because https://privacy.sexy 10 will delete all preinstalled garbage apps.

https://7-zip.org/ (compression software)

https://notepad-plus-plus.org/ 2 (windows notepad on steroids)

Official download of VLC media player, the best Open Source player - VideoLAN (video and photo viewer)

If you wish to delete certain parts of windows or take ownership of them which by default your administratoraccount has no access to, use NSudo which is an extremely powerfull windows admin-tool that lets you take full control over windows.

https://github.com/M2TeamArchived/NSudo/releases/download/6.2/NSudo_6.2.1812.31_All_Binary.zip

Examples of what you should delete with nsudo: (No deleting those won’t break anything, renaming also works)

smartscreen.exe

upfc.exe

Compatibility Telement.exe

CompPkgSrv.exe

mobsync.exe

GameBarPresenceWriter.exe

microsoftedge

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