Activation is required to verify the legitimacy of the software license. While often discussed in the context of piracy, it is a privacy-relevant process.
: For compatible devices, Windows 8.1 automatically turns on device encryption when signing in with a Microsoft account, backing up the recovery key to OneDrive . Activation is required to verify the legitimacy of
: This utility scans your hardware configuration during the setup process. It connects to Microsoft Update Web Servers to pull down compatibility drivers and installation packages required for initial setup stabilization. : This utility scans your hardware configuration during
Prevents immediate hardware scanning traffic. was a feature that allowed Microsoft to track
was a feature that allowed Microsoft to track and address errors in the operating system, Windows features, and applications. While vital for troubleshooting, it involves the transmission of potentially sensitive data. This feature is detailed in both the Features and Server Supplements.