Disclaimer; I wrote this code using Vibe; the responsibility is yours. This code aims to disable Windows telemetry tools.

Windows 10 Telemetry Killer

Windows 10 Telemetry Killer is a project designed to effectively disable Windows telemetry in a way that is stable, Windows-aware, and CI-safe.

This project deliberately rejects the “disable everything” mindset. Instead, it follows a clean and sustainable approach that respects Windows internals while prioritizing performance — especially during gaming.

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🎯 Motivation (Why This Exists)

This project was born from a real in-game failure.

During a Battlefield 6 JETT dogfight, Windows telemetry processes caused sudden CPU spikes at the worst possible moment:

• Massive frame-time spikes
• Multi-second system lag
• Lost the dogfight

When milliseconds matter, an operating system running background diagnostics without respecting gameplay is unacceptable.

This project exists to ensure that:

• The CPU prioritizes the game
• Telemetry does not interfere with performance
• Windows remains stable while doing so

This is not about paranoia or placebo tweaks — it is about respecting the player’s hardware and experience.

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🧠 Core Principles

1️⃣ Telemetry ≠ Diagnostic Infrastructure

Not every diagnostic-related service is telemetry.

Examples:

• DiagTrack → Actual telemetry service
• DPS (Diagnostic Policy Service) → Protected system infrastructure

This project does not attempt to disable DPS.

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2️⃣ Startup Type ≠ Runtime State

• DISABLED → Startup configuration
• RUNNING / STOPPED → Current runtime state

Telemetry is effectively disabled when it cannot start, not when it happens to be stopped temporarily.

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3️⃣ CI Reality Is Accepted

On GitHub Actions / Windows CI runners:

• DPS may always appear as RUNNING
• This is expected behavior
• Tests are written to avoid false negatives

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✅ What Is Verified

Registry Policy

HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\DataCollection
AllowTelemetry = 0

This locks telemetry at the policy level.

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Services

Service	Role	Expected Behavior
DiagTrack	Telemetry	DISABLED
DPS	Protected	Explicitly skipped

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🧪 Test Design

Tests are written in Python and require administrator privileges.

They verify:

• Admin execution context
• Telemetry policy enforcement
• Telemetry service configuration
• Respect for Windows protected services

The test suite is:

• CI-safe
• Accurate on real systems
• Resistant to Windows quirks

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🛠️ Manual Telemetry Disable Guide (Gaming-Focused)

This section is for users who want to disable telemetry manually, without running scripts.

Goal

• Prevent telemetry-related CPU spikes during gameplay
• Preserve system and Windows Update stability
• Reduce lag in FPS / dogfight / competitive gaming scenarios

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1️⃣ Registry Policy (Most Critical Step)

Open regedit and navigate to:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\DataCollection

If it does not exist, create it.

Add:

• DWORD (32-bit) → AllowTelemetry
• Value → 0

This disables telemetry at the policy level.

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2️⃣ Disable the Real Telemetry Service (DiagTrack)

Run in Admin CMD or PowerShell:

sc stop DiagTrack
sc config DiagTrack start= disabled

Expected result:

• Service stopped
• Startup type disabled

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3️⃣ Do NOT Touch DPS

DPS (Diagnostic Policy Service):

• Is not telemetry
• Is protected by Windows
• Will restart automatically when needed

Disabling DPS causes:

• System instability
• Network and WMI issues
• Worse overall performance

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4️⃣ Disable Telemetry Scheduled Tasks

Open taskschd.msc and disable:

Microsoft\Windows\Application Experience
  - Microsoft Compatibility Appraiser
  - ProgramDataUpdater

Microsoft\Windows\Customer Experience Improvement Program
  - Consolidator
  - KernelCeipTask
  - UsbCeip

These tasks often trigger CPU and disk usage during gameplay.

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5️⃣ Pre-Game Checklist

Before launching a game:

• Check CPU usage in Task Manager
• Ensure DiagTrack is not running
• Ensure telemetry tasks are disabled

Result:

• Stable frame times
• No random multi-second lag spikes

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6️⃣ What NOT to Do

• “Disable everything” guides
• Random registry hacks
• YouTube tweak videos
• Disabling DPS / WMI / EventLog

These usually cause long-term system breakage.

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🚀 Running Tests

python tests/test_state.py

Successful output:

[INFO] DPS is protected by Windows, skipping state checks
✅ All telemetry checks passed

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❌ What This Project Intentionally Does NOT Do

• Disable protected Windows services
• Break Windows Update
• Use undocumented registry hacks
• Trade stability for placebo performance gains

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👤 Intended Audience

• Gamers
• Power users
• Sysadmins
• Developers running Windows CI

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📌 Summary

Disabling telemetry is not about fighting Windows. It is about locking the right doors and testing the right signals.

This project does exactly that.

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⚠️ Disclaimer

This project is based on real-world experience and technical observation.

Behavior may vary between Windows versions.

Use at your own responsibility.

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⭐ Contributions

Issues and pull requests are welcome.

Issues asking why DPS is not disabled will be closed automatically 😄