Windows optional diagnostic data: what is sent, and how to turn it off
What Windows optional diagnostic data includes, how to turn it off, and what to do if the switch is greyed out.
Tap a step number as you finish it.
Every Windows 11 PC sends diagnostic data to Microsoft. Some of it is required, and Settings offers no way to stop it.
Part of it is optional, and it covers far more than most people expect, including the websites you browse and, after a crash, parts of what was in your PC's memory.
This guide explains the difference between the two and what optional diagnostic data can include.
It then shows how to turn it off, how to see what your PC has been sending, and what to do if the switch is greyed out.
Version note
Checked on: Windows 11 version and build will be added here once the real screenshots are captured. Settings can move between updates.
Required versus optional diagnostic data
Microsoft splits Windows diagnostic data into two main levels.
Required
Required diagnostic data is the small core set Windows needs to stay secure, current and working as it should. Settings has no switch for it.
Optional
Optional diagnostic data is everything extra, and it is your choice whether to send it. Whenever you send optional data, required data is included as well.
Older names you may see
You may still see older names in other guides. Microsoft used to call required data Basic and optional data Full. An in-between Enhanced level appears only on Windows 10 version 1809 or older and on Windows Server 2016 and 2019.
What required diagnostic data includes
Required data is not a secret either. Microsoft calls it a limited set of details that it considers essential for understanding a device and how it is set up.
Among it is basic device data showing Microsoft what kinds of Windows devices exist and how they are configured. Microsoft says it also helps identify problems that occur on particular hardware or software configurations.
Microsoft publishes the full list of required events and fields for each Windows 11 version. You can read it on Microsoft Learn, or see the events on your own PC with the Diagnostic Data Viewer described below.
Why Microsoft collects diagnostic data
Microsoft lists its purposes for Windows diagnostic data as keeping Windows secure and current, fixing problems, and improving its products.
Required data serves security and updates. Optional data mostly serves troubleshooting and improvements, which is why turning it off has little effect on your own PC.
What optional diagnostic data can include
Microsoft says optional diagnostic data can cover:
- Extra detail about your device, including its settings, capabilities and health.
- The websites you visit.
- How you use the device, which Microsoft also calls usage.
- More detailed error reports.
- A snapshot of memory when Windows or an app crashes, which can accidentally capture pieces of a file you had open.
Microsoft's detailed documentation groups this into categories that include browsing history data and inking, typing and speech data.
Good to know
Microsoft also states that your device is just as secure and operates normally when it sends only required diagnostic data. The extra data mainly helps Microsoft find and fix problems.
The categories Microsoft uses, explained
Microsoft publishes a long technical reference for optional diagnostic data. It sorts the data into categories, each with a statement of how Microsoft uses it. Here is what the main categories mean in plain terms.
Device, connectivity and configuration data
details about your hardware, its settings and how it connects to networks. Microsoft uses this to see which devices and settings people use most.
Product and service usage data
how you use Windows features and apps, such as which ones you open and how often.
Product and service performance data
how well Windows and its apps run, including slowdowns and errors.
Software setup and inventory data
which software is installed and how updates go.
Browsing history data
in Microsoft's words, details of web browsing in its own browsers.
Inking, typing and speech utterance data
samples related to handwriting, typing and speech, used to improve recognition.
Each category in Microsoft's reference lists example fields. It is the most complete public description of what optional data can contain, and it covers Windows 11 versions 22H2 through 25H2.
Diagnostic data on a new PC
The first time you set up a new PC, Windows shows a privacy screen with a switch for diagnostic data. Choosing required data there means optional data is never sent from the start.
Already past setup? That is fine. The Settings switch below changes the same thing at any time.
How to check which level your PC uses
- Open Settings.
- Select Privacy and security.
- Select Diagnostics and feedback.
- Look at Send optional diagnostic data under the Diagnostic data section.
Did these steps work for you?
If the switch is off, your PC sends only required data. If a message says some settings are managed by your organization, a policy controls the level, as explained further down.
How to turn off optional diagnostic data
- Open Settings with the shortcut Win + I.
- Select Privacy and security.
- Select Diagnostics and feedback.
- Expand Diagnostic data, then switch off Send optional diagnostic data.Off
Did these steps work for you?
From that moment, your PC sends only required diagnostic data. No restart is needed.
How to turn it off in Windows 10
- Open Settings.
- Select Privacy.
- Select Diagnostics and feedback.
- Choose Required diagnostic data.
Did these steps work for you?
On Windows 10
The page shows the two levels as choices instead of a single switch. Picking required diagnostic data has the same effect as turning off optional data in Windows 11.
Related switches on the same page
The Diagnostics and feedback page has a few other switches worth checking while you are there.
Tailored experiences
Tailored experiences allows Microsoft to shape its tips and suggestions around your diagnostic data. Turn it off if you do not want that.
Improve inking and typing
Improve inking and typing controls whether data about your handwriting and typing is sent to help improve recognition. Microsoft's privacy statement describes this as your choice.
Feedback frequency
Feedback frequency controls how often Windows asks you for feedback. It is about interruptions, not data.
See exactly what Windows sends: the Diagnostic Data Viewer
Turning off optional data changes what happens from now on. To see what your PC is actually sending, Microsoft offers the Diagnostic Data Viewer, a free app that groups your data into simple categories.
How to use it
- Open Settings.
- Select Privacy and security, then Diagnostics and feedback.
- Turn on data viewing.On
- Select the option to open the Diagnostic Data Viewer and download it.
- Open the app by searching for Diagnostic Data Viewer from the Start menu.
Did these steps work for you?
Inside the app, each entry is a diagnostic event. You can search and filter the list to see which kinds of events your PC has recorded.
There is one catch. Microsoft warns that while data viewing is on, Windows keeps a copy of your diagnostic data. When you have finished looking, turn data viewing off again.
If the viewer shows nothing
The Diagnostic Data Viewer only shows events recorded after you turn on data viewing. If the list is empty, leave data viewing on, use your PC for a while, then open the viewer again.
If you cannot turn on data viewing, check whether a policy manages your diagnostic settings, as explained further down.
Delete what was already sent
On most recent builds, the Diagnostics and feedback page also has a Delete diagnostic data option. Using it sends Microsoft a request to erase the diagnostic data gathered from your PC.
How to delete it
- Open Settings.
- Select Privacy and security, then Diagnostics and feedback.
- Open the Delete diagnostic data section.
- Select Delete.
Did these steps work for you?
Use it after turning off optional data if you want a clean start. Deleting past data does not change your current setting, so turn off optional data first.
What changes when you turn optional data off
Optional diagnostic data stops: browsing details from Microsoft browsers, detailed usage, enhanced error reports and crash memory are no longer sent.
Required diagnostic data continues: the limited device and configuration data that keeps Windows secure and up to date is still sent.
Your updates continue: Microsoft states your PC stays just as secure and operates normally with required data only.
Microsoft Edge follows: Edge uses your Windows setting, so its optional diagnostic data stops too.
It also controls Microsoft Edge
One switch, two products
On Windows 10 and Windows 11, Microsoft Edge does not have its own switch for optional diagnostic data. Microsoft's Edge support page explains that Edge follows your Windows diagnostic data setting.
One switch, two products
Turning off optional diagnostic data in Windows therefore covers Edge as well.
Home and Pro: what is different
Every edition has the same switch in Settings, so the steps above work on Windows 11 Home and Pro alike.
The difference is control. Pro, Enterprise and Education include Group Policy, which can lock the setting. Home does not, so Home users rely on the Settings switch.
For Windows Pro: set it with Group Policy
If you use Windows 11 Pro, Enterprise or Education, Group Policy can lock the setting so it stays put. Group Policy Editor is not included in Windows 11 Home, so Home users should use the Settings app.
- Search for Edit group policy from the Start menu and open it.
- Go to Computer Configuration, then Administrative Templates, then Windows Components, then Data Collection and Preview Builds.
- Double-click Allow diagnostic data.
- Select Enabled, then choose to send only required diagnostic data.
- Select OK.
Did these steps work for you?
On Windows 10
On version 1809 or older, and on Windows Server 2019, Microsoft names this policy Allow telemetry.
Once the policy is set, the switch in Settings is greyed out. That is expected. Set the policy back to Not configured if you later want to control it from Settings again.
The registry and device management equivalents
Microsoft documents a registry value for organizations: a REG_DWORD named AllowTelemetry under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\DataCollection. Its value sets the diagnostic data level.
Organizations that manage PCs remotely use the matching device management policy, which Microsoft lists as System/AllowTelemetry.
Home users do not need either one. The Settings switch does the same job safely, and a wrong registry value can lock settings in ways that are hard to trace later.
What about disabling the telemetry service?
Some guides tell you to stop Windows services to block diagnostic data completely. According to Microsoft, a component called Connected User Experiences and Telemetry handles diagnostic events and logs.
Stopping system components can have side effects that are hard to predict, and required data helps keep Windows secure and up to date. For most people, turning off optional data in Settings is the right balance.
If the setting is greyed out or will not stay off
Managed by work or school
If you cannot change the switch, your PC is probably managed by an organization, such as your employer or school. When an organization sets diagnostic data with a policy, the switch in Settings is locked.
On a personal PC
If you are using a personal PC and the setting keeps changing back, check whether a management or tweaking tool applies its own policies. Check the setting again after Windows updates.
Windows Insider
If you take part in the Windows Insider program, check the program's current requirements before you change this setting, because preview builds rely on detailed feedback.
Can you turn diagnostic data off completely?
Short answer: not from Settings
Not from the Settings app. Microsoft's documentation for organizations describes a separate level called Diagnostic data off, which was previously named Security.
Short answer: not from Settings
It is set through organizational configuration rather than the Settings app, so most home users can only choose between required and optional data.
Myths about diagnostic data
Myth: turning off optional data stops all data collection. Required data keeps flowing, since Microsoft relies on it for security and updates.
Myth: turning it off stops Windows updates. Microsoft states that a device sending only required data stays just as secure and operates normally.
Myth: you need registry tweaks or scripts. The Settings switch is enough for home users, and policies are only needed when an organization wants to lock the setting.
Myth: Microsoft Edge needs a separate switch. Edge simply follows the Windows diagnostic data setting on Windows 10 and 11.
Myth: you cannot see what is sent. The Diagnostic Data Viewer shows the events your PC records, once you turn on data viewing.
Diagnostic data is not the same as your other privacy settings
Turning off optional diagnostic data does not change other privacy settings in Windows. The advertising ID, activity history, location and app permissions each have their own switches.
Our guide to Windows 11 privacy settings covers all of them, and our guide to the Windows advertising ID explains that setting in detail.
Activity history is a separate record from diagnostic data. Our guide to Windows 11 activity history explains what it stores and how to clear it.
Should you send optional diagnostic data?
For most people, no. Microsoft itself says your PC stays just as secure and works normally without it, and optional data can include sensitive details such as browsing activity and crash memory.
Leaving it on can make sense in a few cases. If you test preview builds of Windows, Microsoft relies on detailed data to fix the problems you report.
If you are working with Microsoft support on a specific problem, sending extra data for a while can help. Otherwise, turn it off and leave required data to keep Windows secure and up to date.
A quick checklist
Frequently asked questions
Does turning off optional diagnostic data stop Windows updates?
No. Microsoft states that your device remains just as secure and operates normally when it sends only required diagnostic data.
Is required diagnostic data enough for Microsoft to fix problems on my PC?
Microsoft says the extra optional data makes it easier to find and fix problems. Required data still lets Windows stay secure and up to date.
Does optional diagnostic data include my files?
Not deliberately. Crash data can hold a memory snapshot, which Microsoft says might accidentally contain fragments of an open file.
Do I need to change this for every user account?
Diagnostic data settings apply to the device. If you are not sure, check the Diagnostics and feedback page while signed in to each account.
Does the Diagnostic Data Viewer send anything extra to Microsoft?
The viewer shows data your PC is already sending. Turning on data viewing does make Windows keep a local copy until you turn it off.
Should I stop the telemetry service to be safe?
Not for privacy at home. Turning off optional data in Settings covers the sensitive extras, while required data keeps security and updates working.
Is telemetry the same as diagnostic data?
Yes, in everyday use. Microsoft now uses the term diagnostic data, but older policies and guides still use telemetry, such as the Allow telemetry policy on older Windows 10 versions.
Will turning it off make my PC faster?
Microsoft does not describe a performance difference. The change is about what information leaves your PC, not about speed.
Can I turn optional data back on later?
Yes. Turn the switch back on at any time. Nothing is lost by turning it off first.
Does turning it off affect Windows Insider builds?
Preview builds rely on detailed feedback. Check the Insider program's current requirements before changing this setting on a preview build.
Does this setting delete data linked to my Microsoft account?
No. It controls device diagnostic data. Data linked to your Microsoft account is managed separately in your account's privacy dashboard.
From circuittimes.com/security/windows-optional-diagnostic-data/
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