Privacy Shield lets users turn off Microsoft data collection and more from easy-to-use wizard
PASADENA, CA, February 25, 2016 – Newly released System Mechanic® 15.5 is a critical update from iolo technologies that addresses several new privacy issues many users of Windows® 10 are confronting as Microsoft aggressively ramps up its personal data collection and sharing services.
Because these services now default to ON, go largely undetected, and are difficult to disable, iolo engineers created a suite of features in System Mechanic 15.5 that enable users to deactivate them easily from one convenient wizard.
The new features, bundled together in Privacy Shield™, are designed to take back much of the privacy control Windows users may have inadvertently forfeited by installing Windows 10.
To help stem the tide of involuntary collection and sharing of user personal information, Privacy Shield allows users to disable Windows 10 services that can share your Wi-Fi network connections with your contacts as well as collect information regarding your browsing habits, program usage, and more. Privacy Shield includes:
Disable Microsoft Data Collection and Telemetry Services
- One click turns off services that automatically record many user habits and actions, including memory snapshots, program usage, system configuration, network connection, and more.
- Before Privacy Shield, these services could not be fully disabled without modifying the registry if users followed the default Windows 10 installation process.
Disable Wi-Fi Sense Service
- When users allow network sharing, this service stores their encrypted Wi-Fi passwords on a Microsoft server and then shares them with all Outlook, Skype, and Facebook contacts. Disable this service with one click from within the wizard.
Disable SmartScreen Service
- One click also disables this service that collects data on browsing history and sends this information to Microsoft.
Additional enhancements in Version 15.5:
Startup Manager
This feature is now compatible with the newest Windows 10 apps for up-to-date startup configuration.
Issues Reporting
The system analysis results page has been simplified and made easier to navigate for an improved user experience.
System Mechanic Pro
The drive-wiping software DriveScrubber has been updated to include a Linux-based/USB-supported data removal client that handles the latest hard drives (HDDs only). This new USB option is available for all versions of Windows from Vista and above, while a DOS-based/CD-supported data removal client is available for Windows XP.
About System Mechanic
System Mechanic® is the only performance solution that first deploys a series of complex automated maintenance actions to help keep your PC stable and clutter-free, and then goes to work using proprietary technology to precision-tune dozens of Internet, processor, memory, and hard drive settings in real time for maximum system speed and performance.
System Mechanic operates whenever your PC is idle, removing junk files, registry fragments, and other unwanted clutter that confuses and slows down Windows. A group of real-time features next scales back unimportant, processor-hogging apps, unlocks trapped RAM and idle processor cores for programs when they need it, and improves a whole cache of under-performing network settings for the smoothest streaming, gaming, or browsing available with your broadband connection.
System Mechanic has been used by more than 45 million people to keep over 80 million computers in optimal condition since 1998. It is consistently ranked as the best-selling software in its category within the U.S., Canada, UK, France, and Benelux countries by NPD and similar sources. System Mechanic is the five-time winner of the PC Magazine Editors’ Choice Award for best PC optimization solution.
About iolo technologies
iolo technologies, LLC, develops patented technology and award-winning software that repairs, optimizes, and protects Windows computers, going beyond PC health to unleash speed from components and settings deep within the operating system. With a global sales presence in 33 countries and products in 11 languages, tens of millions of people have used iolo’s products for their PC optimization, security, and data recovery needs for nearly two decades.
Founded in 1998 and headquartered in Pasadena, California, iolo is a wholly owned subsidiary of Phoenix Technologies Ltd. For more information, please visit www.iolo.com.
