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Windows 11 sends Microsoft Required diagnostic data in ordinary consumer configurations; switching off Optional diagnostic data does not stop that baseline or separate data needed for certain Windows services. Optional data can add app-usage details, Microsoft-browser history and search terms, and crash information that may contain pieces of a file or web page held in memory.
Required and Optional diagnostic data are different layers
Microsoft describes Required diagnostic data as information about a device, its settings and capabilities, and whether it is working properly. It says this baseline supports security, updates, compatibility, troubleshooting, accessibility, reliability, performance, privacy, and energy-efficiency work. Required is not a zero-data setting: it remains in normal Windows 11 consumer configurations.
Optional diagnostic data adds detail that Microsoft says helps improve Windows and related products. The scope can include device and configuration details, product and service usage and performance, software setup and inventory, Microsoft-browser browsing history, and inking, typing, and speech data. When Tailored experiences is enabled, Microsoft says diagnostic data may also be used for personalized tips, ads, and recommendations.
| Choice | What Microsoft documents | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| Required | Baseline device, settings, capabilities, and health information; common diagnostic headers can include OS version and build, locale, event time, a unique device ID, and device class. | Continues in ordinary consumer configurations. Microsoft says the Microsoft Account identifier is not collected from devices configured for Basic/Required diagnostic data. |
| Optional | Additional device and health details, app activity and performance, software inventory, Microsoft-browser history and search terms, enhanced crash reporting, and inking, typing, and speech categories. | Can reveal more about how the device and apps are used, and may include parts of content present in memory during a crash. |
The category names describe types of information, not a fixed file of data sent from every PC. Collection varies with Windows version, edition, enabled experiences, sampling, and region. Microsoft does not publish a single aggregate byte count or universal event total for all Windows 11 telemetry.
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What Optional data can reveal
App and device activity
Microsoft lists examples such as which programs are launched, how long they run, and how quickly they respond. Optional data can also include product and service performance information, setup and inventory details, and device or configuration data.
Browsing, typing, and speech
The documented Optional categories include browsing history and search terms for Microsoft browsers, plus inking, typing, and speech utterance data. These are categories Microsoft says may be collected; they do not mean every Windows user has the same data collected in the same way.
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Crash memory and user content
Enhanced crash reporting may include a device’s memory state when an app or the system crashes. Microsoft warns that this can unintentionally include portions of a file being used or a web page that was open. That is a possible exposure from crash data, not a claim that every crash report contains a readable copy of a user’s files.
Turning off Optional data does not turn off every data flow
Windows required service data is separate from Required and Optional diagnostic data. It supports essential Windows services and connected experiences that a user enables, such as Find My Device or Windows backup. Microsoft states that the diagnostic-data privacy setting does not change this service-data flow; the connected experiences enabled and used affect its volume. Most required service data is ephemeral and typically discarded within 48 hours, according to Microsoft Learn’s 2025 documentation.
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Accordingly, there is no documented consumer setting in the material here that disables all telemetry and service data. You can reduce Optional diagnostic data, but Required diagnostic data and applicable required service data remain distinct.
How to disable Optional diagnostic data in Settings
- Open Settings.
- Select Privacy & security > Diagnostics & feedback.
- Turn off Send optional diagnostic data.
- Review Tailored experiences separately if you do not want diagnostic data used for personalized tips, ads, and recommendations.
- Use Diagnostic data viewer on that page to inspect diagnostic events available through the viewer.
During Windows setup, the system also presents choices for Optional diagnostic data and Tailored experiences; newer versions include an Improve inking & typing choice. Setup choices and the in-Windows controls are separate points at which to review privacy preferences.
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Controls for managed PCs and the legacy Enhanced tier
Organizations can manage diagnostic-data settings through Group Policy or mobile device management (MDM). Microsoft’s documented policy values are 0 for diagnostic data off, 1 for Required, 2 for the legacy Enhanced tier, and 3 for Optional. The off value is available only on specified Enterprise, Education, and Server editions; it is not the ordinary consumer control. Although value 2 appears in the policy scheme, the Enhanced diagnostic-data tier itself is unavailable on Windows 11. Administrators can also limit crash-dump and diagnostic-log collection.
Windows 11 and Edge in the European Economic Area
On Windows 11 version 23H2 and later devices in the European Economic Area, Edge diagnostic data has been collected separately from Windows diagnostic data since March 6, 2024. This is a region- and version-specific treatment; it does not change the distinction between Windows Required and Optional diagnostic data described above.
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- Cool Comfort: Enjoy a stable surface with our lap desk's dual bolster cushion, designed for comfort and airflow, keeping your lap cool during extended use.
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