Forum Discussion

Harolder's avatar
Harolder
Brass Contributor
Mar 12, 2026

How much privacy could you get on a Windows 10 PC?

I switched to Linux Mint and it was too much for me because I don't have time to learn all these commands, I work as a video editor and I own a Davinci Resolve Studio license but it took me 5 hours to get it to work on Linux (they officially support Rocky Linux distro, not Mint).

Eventually I found a guy who made some script to make it work, so if this guy dies and Davinci Resolve gets an update, I'll be unemployed.

I heard a lot about Linux being "so customizable" but actually turned out to be way less customizable than windows. Yes I spent most of my time taking commands from chatgpt and pasting the errors I get back to chatgpt. I really underestimated how the system works.

I'm back on windows now, I'm having really hard time accepting this but I really need windows to put food on the table (I know I can dual boot but then what's the point). I use mullvad VPN, Firefox, DuckDuckGo search engine, O&O app buster, simplewall and ShutUp. I use protonmail for emails and I completely nuked OneDrive from my pc and using a local account.

Is there more that I can do? I'm becoming really obsessed with privacy to the point that it's annoying me, I was even looking how to become my own ISP lol. I removed 9 years of my photos from google photos and saved them on an external drive.

2 Replies

  • Charlie34000's avatar
    Charlie34000
    MCT
    Mar 14, 2026

    Hi,

    You’ve already implemented most of the meaningful privacy measures available on Windows.

    If you move to Windows 11, it’s worth knowing that the OS includes more built‑in privacy controls than Windows 10, so you’re not losing anything by upgrading — quite the opposite.

     

    At this point, the biggest improvements usually come from understanding what Windows actually collects and what it doesn’t, rather than adding more tools or restrictions.

     

    A few points that may help:

    • Windows 11 allows you to disable or limit most telemetry directly from Settings, without relying on third‑party tools. 
    • Using Firefox, Mullvad, DuckDuckGo and a local account already covers the main privacy vectors for daily use.
    • Removing cloud services you don’t want (OneDrive, Google Photos) is also a valid choice.
    • Tools designed for Windows 10 (O&O, ShutUp10, etc.) may not be necessary on Windows 11 and can sometimes interfere with normal system behavior.

     

    If you feel you’re becoming “obsessed” with privacy, it may help to focus on what is realistically achievable: no mainstream OS can offer absolute anonymity, but you can reach a balanced level of privacy without making your system harder to use or maintain.

     

    If you want to share what specific concerns you still have, we can help clarify what’s possible on Windows 11 and what may not be necessary.