Viral Windows 11 Tracking Rumor Debunked: What's Really Happening

A viral rumor claimed that Microsoft's Windows 11 was secretly adding a tracking service to desktop PCs, sparking concerns about data collection and PC performance. The post, which garnered over 110,000 views, accused Microsoft of adding a new background service called 'Windows Health and Optimized Experiences' that allegedly sends data to the company every 15 minutes.

However, further investigation revealed that this service was actually added in May 2025 as part of Windows 11's diagnostics stack, with the goal of capturing performance-diagnostic data when the system detects sluggish behavior. This data is only sent to Microsoft if the user chooses to file a feedback report under the 'Desktop > System Sluggishness' category.

Microsoft's Scott Hanselman confirmed that the service is not laptop-specific and falls under Windows' diagnostics stack, similar to tools like Windows Performance Counters. He also clarified that the service works off Windows performance counters instead of resource-heavy methods like screen recording.