Data collection summary for Windows
Published: October 2024
Important
The information in this article applies to Windows 11 and Windows 10 version 1903 and later.
Windows is a personalized computing environment that enables you to seamlessly roam and access services, preferences, and content across your computing devices from phones to tablets to the Surface Hub. Rather than residing as a static software program on your device, key components of Windows are cloud-based, and both cloud and local elements of Windows are updated regularly, providing you with the latest improvements and features.
Overview
Microsoft is dedicated to being transparent with our customers and giving them control over their data. As part of this work, we’re moving our major products and services to a model where personal data we collect from customers as they use their devices will be classified as either Required or Optional. This will make it easier for our customers to find information about the data we collect and how we use it, and to make informed choices about their privacy.
This article provides an overview of the types of data that are Required and Optional, the specific categories of personal data that are collected by Windows, and how our customers can change their privacy settings to customize the data they share with Microsoft.
Required data
Data in the Required category is necessary to keep our products up to date, secure, and working as expected. Required data includes things like the type and version of a customer’s device so we can provide connectivity to our cloud services and security patches to keep our experiences safe and secure, and diagnostic data that helps us detect significant feature failures.
In some cases, a customer can control whether required data is collected by deciding whether to use the product features or services that depend on that required data. For example, if a customer enables Find My Device to locate their lost device, we collect the data required to enable the customer to locate their device when needed.
Required diagnostic data
Required diagnostic data is minimum data necessary to help keep the Windows operating system and integrated apps and services secure, up to date and performing as expected. Examples include information about the version of the operating system, apps and drivers installed on the device, whether updates were successfully installed, and details about your device and its settings that could impact keeping the device secure, up to date, and performing as expected.
Required diagnostic data helps us detect, diagnose and fix problems more quickly so the impact to users or organizations is reduced. For more details on diagnostic data collected by Windows and how it is used, refer to Diagnostics, feedback, and privacy in Windows. For specific details on the data collected as part of required diagnostic data, refer to Required Windows diagnostic events and fields.
Required diagnostic data for Windows is limited to the following data categories:
| Data Category | Description | Examples |
| Device connectivity and configuration data | This type of Required diagnostic data includes details about the device, its configuration, and connectivity capabilities. |
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| Product and service performance data | This type of Required diagnostic data includes details about device or service health and performance. |
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| Software setup and inventory data | This type of Required diagnostic data includes software installation and update information on the device. |
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Required service data
Windows also includes connected experiences to enable additional capabilities. For more information see Windows Essential services and connected experiences (for Consumer customers) or Windows Essential services and connected experiences (for Enterprise administrators).
As you use a connected experience, data is sent to and processed by Microsoft to provide you that connected experience. This data is crucial because this information enables us to deliver these cloud-based connected experiences. We refer to this data as required service data.
Required service data can include information related to the operation of the connected experience that is needed to keep the underlying service secure, up to date, and performing as expected.
The connected experiences you choose to use in Windows will impact what required service data is sent to us. When you use a connected experience, depending on your region, you may be provided with a consent or prominent notice allowing Windows data to be synced with your Microsoft account. For example, features like Find My Device and Windows backup will send and process the necessary Required service data, enabling you to locate or restore your device when needed. Required service data can also include information needed by a connected experience to perform its task, such as configuration information about Windows.
Required service data is also collected and sent to Microsoft for essential services. Essential services are services in the product that connect to Microsoft to keep the product secure, up to date, performing as expected or are integral to how the product works. For example, the licensing service that confirms that you’re properly licensed to use Windows. For more information, see Windows Essential services and connected experiences (for Consumer customers) and Windows Essential services and connected experiences (for Enterprise customers).
Note – Consumer users can’t turn off essential services. Enterprise admin controls exist for some essential services.
Optional data
Data in the Optional category is not essential to the product or connected experiences, and you can control the collection of optional data independently from choosing to use specific product features or connected experiences. Examples of optional data include data we collect about your inking and typing input, to be able to provide more accurate and consistent results. It may also include additional diagnostic logs or crash dumps that allow us to more deeply understand issues that are occurring on your device. We think there are compelling reasons for you to share this optional data, because it makes it easier for us to troubleshoot issues and creates the opportunity for new or improved experiences, but we want you to understand what’s happening and have the opportunity to make this choice for yourself. For more details on optional diagnostic data collected by Windows and how it is used, refer to Diagnostics, feedback, and privacy in Windows.
When you choose to send Optional diagnostic data, it includes more detailed information than what is collected with Required diagnostic data as described above. Required diagnostic data will always be included if you choose to send Optional diagnostic data. Optional diagnostic data in Windows includes the following data categories, but for more details and examples, refer to Windows Optional diagnostic data details:
| Data Category | Description | Examples |
| Browsing history data | This type of Optional diagnostic data includes details about web browsing in the Microsoft browsers. |
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| Device connectivity and configuration data | This type of Optional diagnostic data includes details about the device, its configuration, and connectivity capabilities. |
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| Inking, typing, and speech utterance data | This type of Optional diagnostic data includes details about the voice, inking, and typing input features on the device. |
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| Product and service performance data | This type of Optional diagnostic data includes details about device or service health and performance. |
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| Product and service usage data | This type of Optional diagnostic data includes details about the usage of the device, operating system, applications, and services. |
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| Software setup and inventory data | This type of Optional diagnostic data includes software installation and update information on the device. |
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Privacy information and settings
Microsoft provides a Diagnostic Data viewer to enable you to see what diagnostic data is being collected while you use Windows, for both Required and Optional diagnostic data.
Enterprise administrators can control whether required or optional diagnostic data is sent to Microsoft. They can also control what connected experiences and many of the essential services that are available to their users. Learn more about the various options available to administrators to manage privacy settings in their organizations:
Microsoft also offers consumers choices on how their data is being collected. Click on the links below to learn more about the data that Microsoft collects and the controls available to users: