Windows 10 is Microsoft’s operating system that incorporates an antivirus system by default, so its users do not have the need to install a third-party antivirus program. Windows 10’s default antivirus is called: Windows Defender. However, Windows Defender antivirus will automatically send any suspicious file or file detected as dangerous to your computer to Microsoft’s servers.
Related: How to Prevent Windows Defender From Deleting Files | Windows 10
By default, the Windows 10 operating system sends dangerous files detected by Windows Defender to Microsoft servers in order to improve user security. The excuse for sending suspicious files to Microsoft’s servers is pretty straightforward: learn from threats so you can improve Windows Defender and include those improvements in future updates.
Although Microsoft ensures that when a file is sent by Windows Defender to its servers, no personal data of the owner of the computer is shared, the truth is that this is impossible to know. It is true that when a file that could contain personal information files such as an Excel file; Windows Defender will ask you whether or not you want said file to be uploaded to Microsoft’s servers.
Fortunately, for all users who do not want to share files detected as dangerous, they can disable this feature directly from the Windows Defender antivirus settings built into the Windows 10 operating system by default.
This is precisely what we show you in this post, so if you want to prevent your Windows 10 computer from sending files detected as malicious to Microsoft’s servers through Windows Defender antivirus:
How to disable the sending of dangerous files detected by Windows Defender directly to Microsoft servers.
1. In Windows search, enter the term: Antivirus and Threat Protection.
2. When the antivirus appears in the search results you must click on it.
3. This will open the antivirus program window in which you will have to locate the section: Antivirus settings and protection against threats.
4. Under this section you will have to click on the option: Manage settings .
5. This will take you to a new screen where you will have to deactivate the switch for the option: Automatic sample submission.
6. Once we have deactivated this option, we must confirm our new configuration.
7. And voila, from now on, when Windows Defender antivirus detects potentially dangerous files for our computer, it will never be sent to Microsoft’s servers again.
It should be noted that although automatic file submission is now disabled, you can still submit potentially dangerous files manually to Microsoft’s servers. For this you will have to make use of the option: Send sample manually in the same configuration screen previously shown.
