I originally wasn't going to make this before releasing Windows 7 Updated v5, because I didn't know of these. I was told about an application named
Blackbird and it looked interesting. However it makes some interesting recommendations that break some useful (to me at least) functionality. So I wanted to see what it does and give the user more information on what things do when making these tweaks. Since I've been working on adjacent things to make guides before releasing v5, I figure I might as well also do these too. The registry tweaks are pretty safe compared to services, but I still suggest reading them before blindly applying the file.
This post will go over Registry settings in Windows 7 that you can disable for more performance, privacy, and security. This list is based off of the upcoming Windows 7 Updated v5. (Link here when finished) Windows 8 and 10 have more registry settings to change, lists for those will come soon.
1: Manual
These can't be batch applied. They will need to be manually applied by you. Open the Registry Editor by pressing the windows key, typing regedit, and pressing enter. To change these, you can search for the name, or navigate to the path they are in.
► Show Spoiler
These disable SpyNet telemetry for Windows Defender.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows Defender\SpyNet
SpyNetReporting = 0
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Windows Defender\Spynet
SpyNetReporting = 0
These disable querying or reporting to a Microsoft server for diagnostics. (aka telemetry)
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\ScriptedDiagnosticsProvider\Policy
EnableQueryRemoteServer = 0
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\ScriptedDiagnosticsProvider\Policy
EnableQueryRemoteServer = 0
This could be batch applied, but I opted to make it optional instead as it breaks accessing a SMB NAS.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Lsa\MSV1_0
RestrictReceivingNTLMTraffic = 2
RestrictSendingNTLMTraffic = 2
2: Able to be batch applied (See attached .reg file)
► Show Spoiler
Unless otherwise specified, it's telemetry, an improvement, or self explanitory.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\AppCompatFlags\AIT
AITEnable = 0
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\AppCompatFlags\ClientTelemetry
TaskEnableRun = 0
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\SQMClient\Windows
CEIPEnable = 0
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Policies\Microsoft\SQMClient\Windows
CEIPEnable = 0
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\ScheduledDiagnostics
EnabledExecution = 0
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\WindowsUpdate
IncludeRecommendedUpdates = 0
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\WindowsUpdate\Auto Update
IncludeRecommendedUpdates = 0
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate\AU
NoAutoRebootWithLoggedOnUsers = 1
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate\AU
NoAutoRebootWithLoggedOnUsers = 1
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\DataCollection
AllowTelemetry = 0
DisableEnterpriseAuthProxy = 1
TelemetryProxy = localhost:0
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\DataCollection
AllowTelemetry = 0
DisableEnterpriseAuthProxy = 1
TelemetryProxy = localhost:0
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Error Reporting
MachineID = 0
Disabled = 1
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Error Reporting\Consent
NewUserDefaultConsent = 0
DefaultConsent = 0
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Error Reporting\WMR
Disable = 1
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Error Reporting\WMR
Disable = 1
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\RemovalTools\MpGears
HeartbeatTrackingIndex = 0
SpyNetReportingLocation = 0
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows Defender\Spynet
SpyNetReporting = 0
SpyNetReportingLocation = 0
SubmitSamplesConsent = 2
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Policies\Microsoft\Windows Defender\Spynet
SpyNetReporting = 0
SpyNetReportingLocation = 0
SubmitSamplesConsent = 2
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\MRT
DontReportInfectionInformation = 1
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Policies\Microsoft\MRT
DontReportInfectionInformation = 1
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Remote Assistance
fAllowFullControl = 0
fAllowToGetHelp = 0
These below 4 might affect networking. I'm not sure in what way, but they don't affect a SMB NAS.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\Tcpip\Parameters
UseDomainNameDevolution = 0
IGMPLevel = 0
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\DNSClient
DisableSmartNameResolution = 1
EnableMulticast = 0
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\DNSClient
DisableSmartNameResolution = 1
EnableMulticast = 0
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\LanmanServer\Parameters
SMB1 = 0
The rest of these are all Autologgers, which is another name for telemetry.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\WMI\Autologger\AITEventLog
Start = 0
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\WMI\Autologger\Audio
Start = 0
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\WMI\Autologger\Circular Kernel Context Logger
Start = 0
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\WMI\Autologger\DiagLog
Start = 0
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\WMI\Autologger\Microsoft-Windows-Setup
Start = 0
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\WMI\Autologger\NBSMBLOGGER
Start = 0
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\WMI\Autologger\NtfsLog
Start = 0
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\WMI\Autologger\PEAuthLog
Start = 0
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\WMI\Autologger\PerfPipeUserSession:0
Start = 0
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\WMI\Autologger\PerfPipeUserSession:1
Start = 0
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\WMI\Autologger\PerfPipeUserSession:2
Start = 0
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\WMI\Autologger\PerfPipeUserSession:3
Start = 0
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\WMI\Autologger\RAC_PS
Start = 0
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\WMI\Autologger\RdrLog
Start = 0
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\WMI\Autologger\SQMLogger
Start = 0
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\WMI\Autologger\TCPIPLOGGER
Start = 0
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\WMI\Autologger\UBPM
Start = 0
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\WMI\Autologger\WdiContextLog
Start = 0
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\WMI\Autologger\WFP-IPsec Trace
Start = 0