How to Completely Block Windows 11 & 10 Telemetry with simplewall

Windows 11 constantly communicates with remote telemetry servers, diagnostic data loggers, advertising ID beacons, and background cloud services. While Windows privacy settings let you toggle basic options, deep diagnostic data and Cortana tracking often ignore simple UI switches.

Fortunately, simplewall configures the native Windows Filtering Platform (WFP) to drop telemetry packets at the kernel level before they ever leave your network interface card.

Why Kernel-Level WFP Blocking Beats HOSTS Files

Many users try blocking telemetry by modifying their `C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts` file. However, modern Windows versions hardcode certain system components to bypass the HOSTS file entirely, querying DNS servers directly via DNS-over-HTTPS or fallback IPs.

Because simplewall operates directly within the WFP packet filtering pipeline, it intercepts outbound socket calls regardless of whether an application tries to bypass local DNS resolvers or HOSTS files.

Step 1: Download and Run simplewall

First, grab the latest stable build from our download page. You can choose between the Windows setup installer or the portable version. Extract and launch `simplewall.exe` with Administrator rights (required to manage WFP filters).

Step 2: Access the Internal Blocklist Engine

simplewall maintains built-in, regularly updated blocklist rules derived from community research and privacy analysts.

1. Click on the Rules tab or press F2.
2. Locate the Internal rules section in the rules tree.
3. Find the Windows Spyware / Telemetry rule category.

Step 3: Enable Telemetry and Spyware Rules

Check the boxes for:

• Block Windows Telemetry: Drops outbound connections to Microsoft diagnostic servers, telemetry endpoints (e.g., v10.events.data.microsoft.com, telecommand.telemetry.microsoft.com).
• Block Cortana / Search: Prevents Start Menu searches from transmitting local keystrokes to Bing.
• Block Error Reporting: Drops automated crash logs containing memory snapshots.

Step 4: Enable Filtering & Test

Click the Enable filtering button on the main toolbar. Your network status will transition to "Filtering enabled (Whitelist mode)" or your chosen configuration.

To learn more about configuring your filtering mode, read our detailed guide on simplewall Whitelist vs Blacklist Mode. If any essential service has trouble connecting, see our simplewall Troubleshooting Walkthrough.