Microsoft Details Websites and Apps Connecting to Windows 10 from Clean Installs

Microsoft has fielded plenty of criticisms for its privacy practices on Windows 10. The company has made numerous changes to give customers more control. However, many still say the platform takes too much user data without properly informing users.

Of course, Windows 10 is a big platform with numerous connections that are intertwined beneath the surface. For example, when you first clean install the platform, what apps, services, and websites are already connected to Windows by default?

Well Microsoft has this week answered the question. The company has published a blog detailing which services link to Windows directly after a clean install.

For the most part, the platform is generally free from bloatware. Actually, that should be changed to free from bloatware that is not Microsoft’s own. Yes, the company puts many (read all) of its services linked into Windows 10 by default.

That’s hardly anything new as all software companies do this, so data endpoints for Microsoft services make up the majority of the list. Microsoft has taken this list from Windows 10 1709 and above, which means any version from the Fall Creators Update onwards.

Users can derive the list by performing a clean install and leaving the PC on idle in default settings. Luckily, you don’t really need to do that as Microsoft has provided the list for us (below). Still, if you don’t trust the company, create the list yourself through the following method:

• Set up the latest version of Windows 10 on a test virtual machine using the default settings.
• Leave the devices running idle for a week (that is, a user is not interacting with the system/device).
• Use globally accepted network protocol analyzer/capturing tools and log all background egress traffic.
• Compile reports on traffic going to public IP addresses.
• The test virtual machine was logged in using a local account and was not joined to a domain or Azure Active Directory.

Endpoint List

Apps

The following endpoint is used to download updates to the Weather app Live Tile. If you turn off traffic to this endpoint, no Live Tiles will be updated.

The following endpoint is used for OneNote Live Tile. To turn off traffic for this endpoint, either uninstall OneNote or disable the Microsoft Store. If you disable the Microsoft store, other Store apps cannot be installed or updated. Additionally, the Microsoft Store won’t be able to revoke malicious Store apps and users will still be able to open them.

The following endpoints are used for Twitter updates. To turn off traffic for these endpoints, either uninstall Twitter or disable the Microsoft Store. If you disable the Microsoft store, other Store apps cannot be installed or updated. Additionally, the Microsoft Store won’t be able to revoke malicious Store apps and users will still be able to open them.

The following endpoint is used for Facebook updates. To turn off traffic for this endpoint, either uninstall Facebook or disable the Microsoft Store. If you disable the Microsoft store, other Store apps cannot be installed or updated. Additionally, the Microsoft Store won’t be able to revoke malicious Store apps and users will still be able to open them.

The following endpoint is used by the Photos app to download configuration files, and to connect to the Office 365 portal’s shared infrastructure, including Office Online. To turn off traffic for this endpoint, either uninstall the Photos app or disable the Microsoft Store. If you disable the Microsoft store, other Store apps cannot be installed or updated. Additionally, the Microsoft Store won’t be able to revoke malicious Store apps and users will still be able to open them.

The following endpoint is used for Candy Crush Saga updates. To turn off traffic for this endpoint, either uninstall Candy Crush Saga or disable the Microsoft Store. If you disable the Microsoft store, other Store apps cannot be installed or updated. Additionally, the Microsoft Store won’t be able to revoke malicious Store apps and users will still be able to open them.

The following endpoint is used for by the Microsoft Wallet app. To turn off traffic for this endpoint, either uninstall the Wallet app or disable the Microsoft Store. If you disable the Microsoft store, other Store apps cannot be installed or updated. Additionally, the Microsoft Store won’t be able to revoke malicious Store apps and users will still be able to open them.

The following endpoint is used by the Groove Music app for update HTTP handler status. If you turn off traffic for this endpoint, apps for websites won’t work and customers who visit websites (such as mediaredirect.microsoft.com) that are registered with their associated app (such as Groove Music) will stay at the website and won’t be able to directly launch the app.

Cortana and Search

The following endpoint is used to get images that are used for Microsoft Store suggestions. If you turn off traffic for this endpoint, you will block images that are used for Microsoft Store suggestions.

The following endpoint is used to update Cortana greetings, tips, and Live Tiles. If you turn off traffic for this endpoint, you will block updates to Cortana greetings, tips, and Live Tiles.

The following endpoint is used to configure parameters, such as how often the Live Tile is updated. It’s also used to activate experiments. If you turn off traffic for this endpoint, parameters would not be updated and the device would no longer participate in experiments.

The following endpoint is used by Cortana to report diagnostic and diagnostic data information. If you turn off traffic for this endpoint, Microsoft won’t be aware of issues with Cortana and won’t be able to fix them.

Certificates

The following endpoint is used by the Automatic Root Certificates Update component to automatically check the list of trusted authorities on Windows Update to see if an update is available. It is possible to turn off traffic to this endpoint, but that is not recommended because when root certificates are updated over time, applications and websites may stop working because they did not receive an updated root certificate the application uses.

The following endpoints are used to download certificates that are publicly known to be fraudulent. These settings are critical for both Windows security and the overall security of the Internet. We do not recommend blocking this endpoint. If traffic to this endpoint is turned off, Windows no longer automatically downloads certificates known to be fraudulent, which increases the attack vector on the device.

Device authentication

The following endpoint is used to authenticate a device. If you turn off traffic for this endpoint, the device will not be authenticated.

Device metadata

The following endpoint is used to retrieve device metadata. If you turn off traffic for this endpoint, metadata will not be updated for the device.

Diagnostic Data

The following endpoint is used by the Connected User Experiences and Telemetry component and connects to the Microsoft Data Management service. If you turn off traffic for this endpoint, diagnostic and usage information, which helps Microsoft find and fix problems and improve our products and services, will not be sent back to Microsoft.

The following endpoint is used by the Connected User Experiences and Telemetry component and connects to the Microsoft Data Management service. If you turn off traffic for this endpoint, diagnostic and usage information, which helps Microsoft find and fix problems and improve our products and services, will not be sent back to Microsoft.

The following endpoints are used by Windows Error Reporting. To turn off traffic for these endpoints, enable the following Group Policy: Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Error Reporting > Disable Windows Error Reporting. This means error reporting information will not be sent back to Microsoft.

Font streaming

The following endpoints are used to download fonts on demand. If you turn off traffic for these endpoints, you will not be able to download fonts on demand.

Licensing

The following endpoint is used for online activation and some app licensing. To turn off traffic for this endpoint, disable the Windows License Manager Service. This will also block online activation and app licensing may not work.

Location

The following endpoint is used for location data. If you turn off traffic for this endpoint, apps cannot use location data.

Maps

The following endpoint is used to check for updates to maps that have been downloaded for offline use. If you turn off traffic for this endpoint, offline maps will not be updated.

Microsoft account

The following endpoints are used for Microsoft accounts to sign in. If you turn off traffic for these endpoints, users cannot sign in with Microsoft accounts.

Microsoft Store

The following endpoint is used for the Windows Push Notification Services (WNS). WNS enables third-party developers to send toast, tile, badge, and raw updates from their own cloud service. This provides a mechanism to deliver new updates to your users in a power-efficient and dependable way. If you turn off traffic for this endpoint, push notifications will no longer work, including MDM device management, mail synchronization, settings synchronization.

The following endpoint is used to revoke licenses for malicious apps in the Microsoft Store. To turn off traffic for this endpoint, either uninstall the app or disable the Microsoft Store. If you disable the Microsoft store, other Microsoft Store apps cannot be installed or updated. Additionally, the Microsoft Store won’t be able to revoke malicious apps and users will still be able to open them.

The following endpoints are used to download image files that are called when applications run (Microsoft Store or Inbox MSN Apps). If you turn off traffic for these endpoints, the image files won’t be downloaded, and apps cannot be installed or updated from the Microsoft Store. Additionally, the Microsoft Store won’t be able to revoke malicious apps and users will still be able to open them.

The following endpoints are used to communicate with Microsoft Store. If you turn off traffic for these endpoints, apps cannot be installed or updated from the Microsoft Store. Additionally, the Microsoft Store won’t be able to revoke malicious apps and users will still be able to open them.

Network Connection Status Indicator (NCSI)

Network Connection Status Indicator (NCSI) detects Internet connectivity and corporate network connectivity status. NCSI sends a DNS request and HTTP query to this endpoint to determine if the device can communicate with the Internet. If you turn off traffic for this endpoint, NCSI won’t be able to determine if the device is connected to the Internet and the network status tray icon will show a warning.

Office

The following endpoints are used to connect to the Office 365 portal’s shared infrastructure, including Office Online. For more info, see Office 365 URLs and IP address ranges. You can turn this off by removing all Microsoft Office apps and the Mail and Calendar apps. If you turn off traffic for these endpoints, users won’t be able to save documents to the cloud or see their recently used documents.

The following endpoint is used to connect to the Office 365 portal’s shared infrastructure, including Office Online. For more info, see Office 365 URLs and IP address ranges. You can turn this off by removing all Microsoft Office apps and the Mail and Calendar apps. If you turn off traffic for these endpoints, users won’t be able to save documents to the cloud or see their recently used documents.

The following endpoint is OfficeHub traffic used to get the metadata of Office apps. To turn off traffic for this endpoint, either uninstall the app or disable the Microsoft Store. If you disable the Microsoft store, other Microsoft Store apps cannot be installed or updated. Additionally, the Microsoft Store won’t be able to revoke malicious apps and users will still be able to open them.

OneDrive

The following endpoint is a redirection service that’s used to automatically update URLs. If you turn off traffic for this endpoint, anything that relies on g.live.com to get updated URL information will no longer work.

The following endpoint is used by OneDrive for Business to download and verify app updates. For more info, see Office 365 URLs and IP address ranges. To turn off traffic for this endpoint, uninstall OneDrive for Business. In this case, your device will not able to get OneDrive for Business app updates.

Settings

The following endpoint is used as a way for apps to dynamically update their configuration. Apps such as System Initiated User Feedback and the Xbox app use it. If you turn off traffic for this endpoint, an app that uses this endpoint may stop working.

The following endpoint is used as a way for apps to dynamically update their configuration. Apps such as System Initiated User Feedback and the Xbox app use it. If you turn off traffic for this endpoint, an app that uses this endpoint may stop working.

The following endpoint is used as a way for apps to dynamically update their configuration. Apps such as Windows Connected User Experiences and Telemetry component and Windows Insider Program use it. If you turn off traffic for this endpoint, an app that uses this endpoint may stop working.

Skype

The following endpoint is used to retrieve Skype configuration values. To turn off traffic for this endpoint, either uninstall the app or disable the Microsoft Store. If you disable the Microsoft store, other Microsoft Store apps cannot be installed or updated. Additionally, the Microsoft Store won’t be able to revoke malicious apps and users will still be able to open them.

Windows Defender

The following endpoint is used for Windows Defender when Cloud-based Protection is enabled. If you turn off traffic for this endpoint, the device will not use Cloud-based Protection.

The following endpoints are used for Windows Defender definition updates. If you turn off traffic for these endpoints, definitions will not be updated.

Windows Spotlight

The following endpoints are used to retrieve Windows Spotlight metadata that describes content, such as references to image locations, as well as suggested apps, Microsoft account notifications, and Windows tips. If you turn off traffic for these endpoints, Windows Spotlight will still try to deliver new lock screen images and updated content but it will fail; suggested apps, Microsoft account notifications, and Windows tips will not be downloaded. For more information, see Windows Spotlight.

Windows Update

The following endpoint is used for Windows Update downloads of apps and OS updates, including HTTP downloads or HTTP downloads blended with peers. If you turn off traffic for this endpoint, Windows Update downloads will not be managed, as critical metadata that is used to make downloads more resilient is blocked. Downloads may be impacted by corruption (resulting in re-downloads of full files). Additionally, downloads of the same update by multiple devices on the same local network will not use peer devices for bandwidth reduction.

The following endpoints are used to download operating system patches and updates. If you turn off traffic for these endpoints, the device will not be able to download updates for the operating system.

The following endpoint is used by the Highwinds Content Delivery Network to perform Windows updates. If you turn off traffic for this endpoint, the device will not perform updates.

The following endpoints are used by the Verizon Content Delivery Network to perform Windows updates. If you turn off traffic for these endpoints, the device will not perform updates.

The following endpoint is used to download apps and Windows Insider Preview builds from the Microsoft Store. Time Limited URL (TLU) is a mechanism for protecting the content. For example, it prevents someone from copying the URL and then getting access to the app that the person has not acquired). If you turn off traffic for this endpoint, the updating functionality on this device is essentially in a disabled state, resulting in user unable to get apps from the Store, get latest version of Windows, and so on.

The following endpoint is used to download apps from the Microsoft Store. It’s used as part of calculating the right ranges for apps. If you turn off traffic for this endpoint, users of the device will not able to get apps from the Microsoft Store.

The following endpoints enable connections to Windows Update, Microsoft Update, and the online services of the Store. If you turn off traffic for these endpoints, the device will not be able to connect to Windows Update and Microsoft Update to help keep the device secure. Also, the device will not be able to acquire and update apps from the Store.

The following endpoint is used for content regulation. If you turn off traffic for this endpoint, the Windows Update Agent will be unable to contact the endpoint and fallback behavior will be used. This may result in content being either incorrectly downloaded or not downloaded at all.

The following endpoints are used to download content. If you turn off traffic for these endpoints, you will block any content from being downloaded.

Microsoft forward link redirection service (FWLink)

The following endpoint is used by the Microsoft forward link redirection service (FWLink) to redirect permanent web links to their actual, sometimes transitory, URL. FWlinks are similar to URL shorteners, just longer.

If you disable this endpoint, Windows Defender won’t be able to update its malware definitions; links from Windows and other Microsoft products to the Web won’t work; and PowerShell updateable Help won’t update. To disable the traffic, instead disable the traffic that’s getting forwarded.