Precautions to activate MS Office 2013 & maintain privac
July 12th, 2022
I value my privacy eg don’t use cloud, keep my data on my machines, don’t use Skype, don’t give phone number to companies. I use Gmail but delete emails asap so not on someone else’s server for long.
R there any precautions adviseable when activating with KMSpico please? I’m thinking create MS a/c only if necessary but don’t use for email or chat or anything other than Office, & I’ve seen posts not to use MS update (Office 2013 only I presume, still use for Win 7 installed when brought computer). I use Outlook 2010 at moment to download from 4 existing webmail a/cs on the computer I’m thinking of upgrading to 2013.
Any ideas please?
Here are a few tips on windows 8, that will help protect your privacy:
1) Use a local account as oppose to singing in to Hotmail. (Go to settings -> change pc settings -> users -> select “change to local account”
2) If you need to sign in order to use that app, create a fake email account.
3) Go to PC settings, select “search” and change the option to off “let windows save search”
4) Go to “Privacy” and turn off the following: – let app use my location
– let app use my name and account picture
– Help improve windows store by sending URL of the web content I use.
5) Go to “sync setting” and turn off “sync pc settings”
Also do not use KMSpico, it is not that great when it comes to windows activation. I recommend you use “Windows Toolkit 2.4.3″. It has both windows 8 and office 2013 activation option. Choose option ” EZ-Activator” to activate your OS. I also suggest you use a strong anti-virus software to keep PC safe. I recommend you try Bitdefender 2013.
As above, I suggest you consider setting up a dummy account with Fastmail.fm.
With regards to Office 2012, consider downloading a “portable” version and install the portable version in “C” drive with a shortcut to your desktop – then when you double click the Office icon, the portable version starts up without any way of connecting to the internet and advising anyone of where your PC is.
Go to Google, type in: portable office 2012 (or 2013) and follow the links until you find a suitable app which works for you, which you can download for free.
I use 50% plus, portables on my PC because portables take up less hard drive space and the software is encapsulated within the portable structure, which makes it infallible – at least, so far.
Here are a few tips on windows 8, that will help protect your privacy:
1) Use a local account as oppose to singing in to Hotmail. (Go to settings -> change pc settings -> users -> select "change to local account"
.........
3) Go to PC settings, select "search" and change the option to off "let windows save search"
4) Go to "Privacy" and turn off the following: -.............
Thanks for all this info. But I forgot to say I’m using Win 7 x64. I can’t find PC Settings there. My User Account shown as Local when I go to Control Panel > User accounts > Configure advanced User Profiles Properties.
Searching Help in Win7 for privacy seems to relate to Internet Explorer only, or is that the options I need to change in Win 7? I’m not sure my location shown matters, as web pages showing my location always show a major city hundreds of kilometres away, not an exact location. As for name, I only ever use 1st name on computer, except for banking type sites, or letters typed for snail mail eg in Word. I use Kaspersky, & their Safe Money webpage that interposes itself between bank website & my computer.
I’m not doing anything criminal, just like to keep my business to myself, & occassionally use rather than pay to use some software.
Here are a few tips on windows 8, that will help protect your privacy:
1) Use a local account as oppose to singing in to Hotmail. (Go to settings -> change pc settings -> users -> select "change to local account"
.........
3) Go to PC settings, select "search" and change the option to off "let windows save search"
4) Go to "Privacy" and turn off the following: -.............
Thanks for all this info. But I forgot to say I'm using Win 7 x64. I can't find PC Settings there. My User Account shown as Local when I go to Control Panel > User accounts > Configure advanced User Profiles Properties.
Searching Help in Win7 for privacy seems to relate to Internet Explorer only, or is that the options I need to change in Win 7? I'm not sure my location shown matters, as web pages showing my location always show a major city hundreds of kilometres away, not an exact location. As for name, I only ever use 1st name on computer, except for banking type sites, or letters typed for snail mail eg in Word. I use Kaspersky, & their Safe Money webpage that interposes itself between bank website & my computer.
I'm not doing anything criminal, just like to keep my business to myself, & occassionally use rather than pay to use some software.
Ignore all that i said, it was for windows 8 users only LOL!
Ok the best way to keep your privacy is to run your OS on a virtual environment. The easiest method for you proably to use a LiveCD such as Tails:
https://tails.boum.org/
Simply burn the .iso, and it will boot from the CD. So it will not run from your HD, and it does not leave any traces. For more details read its info page:
https://tails.boum.org/about/index.en.html
Thanks besek_gutts & for replying. I’m out of my depth here, so where to go from here?
1) Weak privacy if programs installed & run by Windows direct on C drive. I don’t want to b paranoid, but trying to stop MS & Google in particular knowing much about me. So can use LiveCD to access internet (whole set of programs to learn to use) & only save what I want on C drive, or use portable programs in own folder on C drive but not installed in Windows registry. Googling Office 2013 portable brings up a lot of junk sites, or torrents which I don’t use as I thought unsecure. Search of this forum had no results for Office portable. Going portable would mean download quite a few portable programs of what I already have, some big downloads, many not converted to portable? Easier to upgrade to Win8 & use above privacy settings, or MS still take what info they want without u knowing if using any Win OS? What do u think?
2) I’m happy with what I have for email if u both think private enough. I only mentioned email as MS say need MS ID to use Office 2013 [sorry I wrote 2012 in 1st post]. With Microsoft Toolbox, I don’t need MS ID if I don’t use cloud, or still needed for program settings & activation?
I’ve had free web mail account for years with a little known provider in US, has great spam filters, no ads, all info on my computers not their server for long. My main email accounts r with my ISP, who I pay & in same State as me, & could sue if breach of privacy. I also have a Google & Yahoo ID, just using email – surname & date of birth bit wrong when I signed up! I use Outlook for Gmail not log into their webmail page, & notice it leaves sent messages on Gmail server, so I have to log into Gmail every so often to delete all on their server. Gmail Inbox is deleted by Outlook when it downloads to my computer. Yahoo rarely used, accessed by webpage not Outlook.
FastMail.fm now few $s / yr (loose privacy when paying?), or use myopera.com for free they say. Do u think I should change say Google & Yahoo to FastMail.fm for privacy reasons? Sorry for all the questions, this is a bit above my level of computer literacy. My impression is MS r after the servers etc allowing their software to b used for free, wouldn’t spend much time on tracking down an individual only using 1 program for free. I’m trying not to have to put a lot of time into protecting my privacy, & don’t require the ultimate in privacy as I’m not into anything illegal.