Desktop Analytics
Desktop Analytics (formerly Upgrade Readiness and Upgrade Analytics) is a feature in Microsoft Windows that, according to Microsoft, "collects system, application, and driver data for analysis", identifying potential issues for upgrades.[1] It can collect "detailed computer and application inventory" and "guidance and insights into application and driver compatibility issues, with suggested fixes". Part of it is Appraiser, which "provides an inventory of devices and applications for enrolled devices",[2] as well as a service called DiagTrack that transmits this data (from an ETW log) to Microsoft (it also can do partial updates without a "full sync"). It is part of many Windows 7, Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 updates, as well as Windows 10 itself. It can load a simple kernel driver called nxquery.sys on Windows 7 to read a MSR to determine if the NX bit has been disabled in the BIOS. Enterprises can access this data via Desktop Analytics in Microsoft Azure (by providing a "commercial ID" in the registry).
History[edit]
As well as being included in Windows 10, the original Windows 7, Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 updates (for example, KB2952664 and KB2976978) was also pushed out in 2015 around the time of the GWX (Get Windows 10) campaign. In mid-2016 with the end of this campaign, MS began providing the data to enterprise customers as "Upgrade Analytics" in the OMS portal. This was later renamed "Upgrade Readiness" and "Desktop Analytics".
Criticism[edit]
Besides the privacy issues with sending "detailed computer and application inventory" for example, the CompatTelRunner.exe or DeviceCensus.exe process can consume a lot of CPU time and disk usage. This is partly because Appraiser "scans the standard windows directories such as program files, program files(x86) and program data" for applications.[2]
References[edit]
External links[edit]
- Official documentation on Desktop Analytics
- Related GitHub issue (shows that there are different versions of DiagTrack)
- ConfigScript.ps1 PowerShell script
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