Privacy @lemmy.ml happeningtofry99158 @lemmy.world 3d ago

Could Windows and installed apps upload all my personal files?

Dear all

I have deleted Onedrive and disabled File system access in Privacy.

I would like to know, which other ways that my personal files could be uploaded in a non-malicious non-hacker way?
Just by using Windows, Microsoft could upload all my personal files to themselves if they would?
Does every installed App / software have full access to my whole drive? How can I found out, how much access it has?

Thank you for your interest and reply

Best regards

Yes, every application has access to everything. The only exception are those weird apps that use the universal framework or whatever that thing is called, those need to ask for permissions. But most of the apps on your PC have full access to everything.

And Windows does collect and upload a lot of personal information and they could easily upload everything on your system. The same of course applies for the apps as well, they have access to everything except privileged folders (those usually don’t contain your personal data, but system files).

15 comments

Yes. Copilot and Recall will send your information to them.
- what about other program?
  
  There are an infinite number of programs that could do this. Will they? Probably not.
  
  Best thing is to install a trustworthy personal firewall, and block all outbound network access for all processes, and then enable as needed. This won’t stop Windows itself, but it will give you a heads-up if something else is trying to send data somewhere and you can make an informed choice at the time.
  
  Those are the only ones I'm certain of. I run Linux so I don't have to be spied on by my OS.
Yes, Windows fails to include a libre software license text file. We do not control it, anti-libre software.
Yes, in theory any program, including Windows itself, could upload data to the Internet if not blocked.

Windows can be restricted by a network firewall. Programs can be restricted by filesystem permissions and the OS firewall, and not running them as admin.

But is this happening? Unlikely, unless you have malware. You can inspect your traffic.
- Programs can be restricted by filesystem permissions and the OS firewall, and not running them as admin
  
  can you explain how to do this?
  
  steam games for example are nearly impossible to run without admin, can I restrict filesystem permissions for these software?
  
  As for restricting access to files you could run them under a separate user account. User A shouldn't have access to User B's home folder. Although if its something that would need granted admin access I think it would have access to other users files again.
I wonder this as well. I don't use windows but others in my house do and are connected to a NAS..
@Rikudou_Sage@lemmy.world

this is absolutely horrorstruck

is there a way to prevent this?

for instance is there a way to run steam on windows without giving it access to any of access it shouldn't have?
- Buddy, given your relatively basic questions and how you're posting to every single fucking vaguely relared community, I would highly suggest you do some studying on just... basic computer concepts and how to use them. Not sure what resources are out there anymore, but maybe some basic "these are the parts of a computer, these are programs and how they work" stuff from the 90s. They used to do middle school classes on how to properly use google and other seaech engines to find trustworthy information for citing in research papers. I seriously suggest you start there.
  
  Then, after you understand the basics maybe you start trying to understand how all of that works in regards to security and the concept of trust in the software you install and run.
  
  Spoiler alert: Computers are not designed with any sort of "zero trust" architecture like you seem to be shocked that they don't have. Things are not sandboxed, segmented, or otherwise prevented from accessing other stuff as a general rule.
  
  This is why one of the bare minimum basics is "don't run anything you don't trust".
  
  thank you you seem to understand very much about windows and computer. May I ask
  
  How to run something you don't trust without performance lost?
  
  How to restrict software permission with open source software?
  
  If you don't want to type please provide videos and articles you read before that address my question
  
  I'm keen to read
  
  Thank you

15 comments