How to use Windows 10's new diagnostic desktop viewer

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With Windows 10 Redstone 4, Microsoft has made it easier to review how much information it collects from you with a new data diagnostic viewer app.

The importance of the diagnostic data viewer is related to the way conspiracy theories tend to spring up around Windows 10 and its various telemetry and data collection over time.
Users will be pleased to know that you can now see exactly what data Microsoft collects from you, and assuage your fears about being spied on or not.

“We value your privacy. Our commitment is to be fully transparent on the diagnostic data collected from your Windows devices and provide you with increased control over that data.” wrote Microsoft’s Dona Sarkar, “The Diagnostic Data Viewer is a Windows app that lets you review the diagnostic data your device is sending to Microsoft, grouping the info into simple categories based on how it’s used by Microsoft.”

Here’s how you can turn on the new data diagnostic viewer.

  1. Open the Settings app and navigate to Privacy > Diagnostics and Feedback
  2. Under Diagnostic Data viewer, switch the toggle on. It’s off by default since it uses up to a bit of drive space.
    You’ll be prompted to download the Diagnostic Data Viewer App from the Microsoft  Store 
  3. Once this is done, you’ll now have access to your diagnostic data collected by Microsoft.

Microsoft also made an extra change for non-Admin users in Windows 10. Now users can change the level of data they give up, by selecting either basic of full settings. The key thing is that this can now be done, without permission of the PC admin.

Here’s how.

  1. Open the Settings app and navigate to Privacy > Diagnostics and Feedback
  2. Under Diagnostic Data, select either basic of full to manage how much data account sends to Microsoft.

More about the topics: Windows 10 Privacy, Windows 10 Redstone 4, Windows 10 Spring Creators Update

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