5 ms·

I just tried this, and wasn't able to reproduce freezing (I blocked both domains on my network's resolver). nslookup replies "Non-existent domain" for both (alt

I just tried this, and wasn't able to reproduce freezing (I blocked both domains on my network's resolver). nslookup replies "Non-existent domain" for both (although the first one didn't exist before I blocked it, but blocked it anyway). My "Diagnostic Data" is set to "Basic" in the normal Settings UI. I'm on the "2004" release of Windows 10. Anything I have to do to experience this? What kind of applications/apps are causing the freeze?

LinuxBender 6y ago
Clear the DNS cache on your windows machines and home router first perhaps. Block it, then reboot after clearing cache. They may have even further consolidated these endpoints into something else. I went through this exercise last year after network debugging a family members game that was hanging, only to find Akamai was down in my area for the activity endpoint. It is a never-ending arms race of whack-a-mole. Another thing you can do is clear cache on your windows machine and router, then reboot and watch DNS requests as you launch applications. If they merged activity into a common endpoint, you should still see the requests.
- Someone1234 6y ago
  Done and done. Still, haven't experienced freezing. "activity.windows.com" was previously cached at the network resolver (before block/cache clear), but hasn't re-appeared and there's nothing obvious that replaces it during app or application launch. The machine has been both cleared and rebooked just for good measure (as it could be cached inside the telemetry service itself).
  - LinuxBender 6y ago
    No idea then. They have been moving things around and in likelihood may have merged the activity endpoint into another endpoint. You may have to watch DNS activity as you launch applications. I've helped a handful of gamers debug this one but I do not have a windows 10 machine to test with. I'm sure engineers at MS are watching this thread and will adapt again. Or maybe someone at MS can use a throw-away account here to say what changes they have made recently.
    - bantunes 6y ago
      I smell FUD.
      - 300bps 6y ago
        Not to sound reddity but his username may support that.
        LinuxBender 6y ago
        That would imply I am not telling the truth? I have helped multiple people debug the activity logging to Akamai and each time we just disabled it in the registry and their problems went away. Is this still a problem? Maybe not. I don't work at Microsoft, so I have no way to know what they have changed. I do know that people with Pro and Home editions can not simply disable these things. We disabled it enterprise wide at work using GPO, but that is on the enterprise version.
  - Firehawke 6y ago
    Essentially same here; I've been Pi-Hole blocking telemetry for well over a year across three Windows 10 machines and haven't seen any freezes of the variety being described.
    - LinuxBender 6y ago
      Blocking telemetry does not cause problems. It's only if you have not disabled the activity history and block the activity endpoint. It looks like they moved it away from activity.windows.com but I would need someone else here to clear cache on everything, launch apps and watch DNS to see where it moved.
      - mcspiff 6y ago
        You might have just explained some mysterious freezing I’ve been having. Usually a slow, gradual lock up and the first sign is chrome struggling with cache...
- haecceity 6y ago
  Can you share the notes you took while debugging? What was being sent, which dll or exe was doing it?

LinuxBender 6y ago

Clear the DNS cache on your windows machines and home router first perhaps. Block it, then reboot after clearing cache. They may have even further consolidated these endpoints into something else. I went through this exercise last year after network debugging a family members game that was hanging, only to find Akamai was down in my area for the activity endpoint. It is a never-ending arms race of whack-a-mole. Another thing you can do is clear cache on your windows machine and router, then reboot and watch DNS requests as you launch applications. If they merged activity into a common endpoint, you should still see the requests.

Someone1234 6y ago
Done and done. Still, haven't experienced freezing. "activity.windows.com" was previously cached at the network resolver (before block/cache clear), but hasn't re-appeared and there's nothing obvious that replaces it during app or application launch. The machine has been both cleared and rebooked just for good measure (as it could be cached inside the telemetry service itself).
- LinuxBender 6y ago
  No idea then. They have been moving things around and in likelihood may have merged the activity endpoint into another endpoint. You may have to watch DNS activity as you launch applications. I've helped a handful of gamers debug this one but I do not have a windows 10 machine to test with. I'm sure engineers at MS are watching this thread and will adapt again. Or maybe someone at MS can use a throw-away account here to say what changes they have made recently.
  - bantunes 6y ago
    I smell FUD.
    - 300bps 6y ago
      Not to sound reddity but his username may support that.
      - LinuxBender 6y ago
        That would imply I am not telling the truth? I have helped multiple people debug the activity logging to Akamai and each time we just disabled it in the registry and their problems went away. Is this still a problem? Maybe not. I don't work at Microsoft, so I have no way to know what they have changed. I do know that people with Pro and Home editions can not simply disable these things. We disabled it enterprise wide at work using GPO, but that is on the enterprise version.
- Firehawke 6y ago
  Essentially same here; I've been Pi-Hole blocking telemetry for well over a year across three Windows 10 machines and haven't seen any freezes of the variety being described.
  - LinuxBender 6y ago
    Blocking telemetry does not cause problems. It's only if you have not disabled the activity history and block the activity endpoint. It looks like they moved it away from activity.windows.com but I would need someone else here to clear cache on everything, launch apps and watch DNS to see where it moved.
    - mcspiff 6y ago
      You might have just explained some mysterious freezing I’ve been having. Usually a slow, gradual lock up and the first sign is chrome struggling with cache...
haecceity 6y ago
Can you share the notes you took while debugging? What was being sent, which dll or exe was doing it?