A subsection of the broader Customer Experience Improvement Program (CEIP). It aggregates telemetry on setup speed, feature failures, and hardware bottlenecks.
: Activation happens automatically during setup. It sends a unique hardware identifier and product key to Microsoft to verify that the software is genuine and not used on more computers than allowed by the license. Installation Improvement Program
Activation associates your product key with a unique hardware hash of your computer. A subsection of the broader Customer Experience Improvement
The statement identifies several specific features that users can control during or immediately after installation: Privacy Impact / Data Collected
Analyzes performance patterns to minimize legacy installation bottlenecks. It sends a unique hardware identifier and product
The privacy statement for the installation features of outlines how Microsoft handles data collection during the initial setup and activation of the operating system. While the Full Privacy Statement covers broader usage, the "installation features" section specifically focuses on the information transmitted to verify software legitimacy and optimize the setup process. Data Collection During Activation
: In enterprise environments, data transmission to external Microsoft clearinghouses can be stopped completely by using local activation vectors, such as Key Management Service (KMS) or Active Directory-Based Activation. 3. Deployment Keys and Licensing Frameworks The privacy statement for the installation features of
Microsoft uses this aggregated, anonymized data to improve the reliability and efficiency of future Windows installations. It is generally off by default, allowing users to opt-in. 3. Activation Features
Error Reporting: If the installation fails, a "minidump" or error log may be sent to Microsoft to help diagnose the issue. This log contains technical details about the system state at the time of the crash. Managing Privacy During Setup
The is a core Microsoft document that governs data collection and user choices during operating system setup. When installing these legacy platforms, specific background features transmit diagnostic metadata, hardware information, and software telemetry to Microsoft.
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Device Metadata] "PreventDeviceMetadataFromNetwork"=dword:00000001