Turning Off Connected User Experiences and Telemetry in Windows (Without Losing Your Mind)
If you’re like me, there comes a point where you get sick of Windows constantly sending data back to Microsoft about what you’re up to. It’s not a conspiracy theory — sometimes that ongoing background chatter can slow things down, especially on older devices. Disk spins up, CPU jumps — all that noise. So, I decided to see how to turn it off, and honestly, it’s not the simplest process, but definitely doable. Here’s what worked for me, although your experience might vary depending on your Windows version and device setup.
Why bother turning off Telemetry? Isn’t it just for improving Windows?
This feature, called Connected User Experiences and Telemetry, runs quietly in the background. Its main task is to send diagnostic data about your device’s usage and performance to Microsoft. The idea is to help improve Windows — which makes sense — but you might be surprised at how much data it transmits and how it can sometimes hog system resources. On my older ASUS laptop, for example, I noticed the disk activity would spike randomly, and switching this off made a noticeable difference.
Some prefer to disable it for privacy reasons, but more often it’s to reduce unnecessary background activity and free up resources. If your PC feels sluggish or you’re troubleshooting performance issues, testing disabling this service can be worthwhile. Just keep in mind that turning it off might make diagnosis harder later because diagnostic data won’t be sent back.
Getting into the services — how I found and turned it off
This part initially threw me a bit because Windows doesn’t make the service easy to spot. You can’t just toggle a simple switch. The way to do it is through the Services app. You can quickly access it by pressing Win + R, typing services.msc, and hitting Enter. This opens a list of services — some may look familiar, others less so. It took me a moment to find Connected User Experiences and Telemetry, especially on my Windows 10 machine where it’s tucked in among many others.
Note that in different versions of Windows, it might be called differently — like Diagnostics Tracking Service or dmwappushservice. Usually, though, it’s known as “Connected User Experiences and Telemetry.” Browse through the list or use the Ctrl + F shortcut in the Services window to search for it if necessary.
Disabling the service — how I did it step-by-step
Once you locate it, right-click and select Properties. In the Properties window, find the Startup type dropdown. It’s often set to Automatic (Delayed Start) or Manual. Change this to Disabled. Then, click the Stop button if the service is currently running. Be aware that sometimes Windows re-enables it during updates or reboots, so you might need to repeat this process a few times. Keep an eye on it to make sure it stays disabled after restart.
After that, click Apply and OK. Restart your PC. Once back in Windows, double-check in the Services list that it remains disabled. If it’s still off, you’re set. If not, just do it again. Some device manufacturers or Windows setups lock these settings or might reset them via firmware updates, especially if they rely heavily on telemetry for support.
Possible hiccup — updates might re-enable telemetry
This was a bit frustrating — Windows updates can sometimes re-enable telemetry or reset the service back to default. It’s not guaranteed, but it happens often enough that you might need to repeat the process every now and then. More advanced options include editing group policies (gpedit.msc) or tweaking the registry (HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Embedded\Telemetry), but those methods are riskier if you’re not comfortable tinkering. If you’re confident, they can provide a more permanent fix, but I found disabling the service alone did the trick for me.
Quick tip: always back up your system or set a restore point before making changes. If something goes sideways, it’s easy to revert. To re-enable, just set the service to Automatic and click Start.
Final thoughts — is it worth the hassle?
In my experience, turning this off definitely made a positive difference. No more random disk activity, and my PC feels a bit more responsive. Sure, it involves extra steps, and some folks prefer to leave telemetry enabled for Microsoft’s update and troubleshooting systems. But if you want to tighten up your privacy and free up some resources, this isn’t too complicated — just remember that Windows updates might sometimes undo your changes, so it’s worth checking back now and then.
If diving into services or registry edits feels daunting, start by simply stopping and disabling it through the Services app. That’s the safest way to begin. For those wanting a more thorough approach, look into group policy settings or firewall rules to block telemetry traffic.
Hopefully, this helps someone avoid countless hours of troubleshooting — it took me longer than it should’ve, honestly. Good luck!