Disabling Windows Compatability Telemetry

I saw the deleted content in my inbox. If one defines malware as:

(1) Having no useful purpose

(2) Installed without permission

(3) Causes performance issues with the computer

then it is malware. If malicious intent is required, then it is admittedly not. However, Microsoft's so-called software professionals need to foresee the consequences of what they send out, because this software did indeed cause trouble until I finally got rid of it.

This suggestion didn't help me at all as I keep on getting the message The update KB 2976978 is not installed on this computer everytime I try uninstalling it manually from the command line using WUSA. Is it possible that CompatTelRunner.exe is part of another update?

I'm running Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit.

Good for you Bill!!! CompatTelRunner.exe also happens to be an unwanted process that Windows Update itself had installed on my Windows 7 machine without my explicit permission and so I can totally understand your frustration regarding this issue. According to other websites that I've read in regards to CompatTelRunner.exe, this process is part of Windows itself and collects information to look Windows 10-compatible software, but it's this information collection scheme every single week of Microsoft's that really has me worried.

To fully remove CompatTelRunner.exe, just follow this weblink.

This question is directed to Microsoft: If we uninstall CompatTelRunner.exe through the Add/Remove Programs control panel applet, then why does Windows Update keep on installing CompatTelRunner.exe under new KB numbers and executing every week? I don't want or even need this process running on my computer since all that it does is slow everything down to a crawl when it runs and continuously access about 90% of my hard drive for about 20 minutes or so forcing me to shut it down through the Task Manager.

I did this:

You can disable the scheduled tasks that starts CompatTelTunner.exe by looking in the Task Scheduler.

Computer Management – System Tools – Task Schedule Library – Microsoft – Windows – Application Experience

or

Start - Run - taskschd.msc

Name: Microsoft Compatibility Appraiser

Location: \Microsoft\Windows\Application Experience

Collects program telemetry information if opted-in to the Microsoft Customer Experience Improvement Program.

Right click on “Microsoft Compatibility Appraiser” and select “Disable” By default, it is set to start if there is ANY network connection.

Thank you so much for your suggestion! I just did this, and saw my disk usage drop from 44% to 0% instantly. I would definitely recommend anyone else having this problem to try this solution.

Does anybody know how to stop the Windows Compatability Telemetry (CompatTelRunner.exe) from starting? It causes extremely high disk usage which results in large performance issues.

best solution:

go to task manager, locate Windows Compatability Telemetry, right click and select open file location. once found (CompatTelRunner.exe), go to properties >> security >> advanced permission settings and click on change owner.

change the owner to your administrator account and click apply.

go back to permissions and click edit permissions. select admin group/user and check full control box and select apply. after, deny all permissions to other user groups (system, trusted installer, all application packages and all restricted applications) and click apply. this will prevent the system files and applications from reading, executing or editing the app. you can also delete it bur this wont stop system repair or update from re-installing it. therefore, keeping it with denied permissions for non admin user & system will prevent system from re-installing it again as this will require your permission.

Alternatively, you can also disable the task in task manager, but this doesn't always work. so doing both will ensure double protection. 

hope this helps