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Windows Storage Server 2008 R2 Essentials Privacy Statement

  • Article

Applies To: Windows Storage Server 2008 R2 Essentials

Last updated: November 2010

For the latest version, go to https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=189297. Microsoft® is committed to protecting your privacy, while delivering software that brings you the performance, power, and convenience you desire in your personal computing. This privacy statement explains many of the data collection and use practices of Windows® Storage Server 2008 R2 Essentials. This statement focuses on features that communicate with the Internet. It does not apply to other online or offline Microsoft sites, products or services.

Windows Storage Server 2008 R2 Essentials lets you store and share photos, content, and other files from your personal computers in the same network with your server. By default, Windows Storage Server 2008 R2 Essentials will routinely back up information on your server from each personal computer on your network, as long as the personal computer has the Windows Storage Server 2008 R2 Essentials Connector software installed on it. Computer users on your network will also have the ability to transfer files from their computer to the Windows Storage Server 2008 R2 Essentials server for storage in personal or server folders. Please see the Specific Features section below for more detailed information about the information sent to Microsoft by Windows Storage Server 2008 R2 Essentials.

Collection and Use of Your Information

The information we collect from you will be used by Microsoft and its controlled subsidiaries and affiliates to enable the features you are using and provide the service(s) or carry out the transaction(s) you have requested or authorized. It may also be used to analyze and improve Microsoft products and services.

We may send certain mandatory service communications such as welcome letters, billing reminders, information on technical service issues, and security announcements. Some Microsoft services may send periodic member letters that are considered part of the service. We may occasionally request your feedback, invite you to participate in surveys, or send you promotional mailings to inform you of other products or services available from Microsoft and its affiliates.

In order to offer you a more consistent and personalized experience in your interactions with Microsoft, information collected through one Microsoft service may be combined with information obtained through other Microsoft services. We may also supplement the information we collect with information obtained from other companies. For example, we may use services from other companies that enable us to derive a general geographic area based on your IP address in order to customize certain services to your geographic area.

In order to access certain online services, you will be asked to enter an email address and password, which we refer to as your Windows Live® ID. After you create your Windows Live ID, you can use the same credentials to sign in to many different Microsoft sites and services, as well as those of select Microsoft partners that display the Windows Live ID logo. By signing in to one Microsoft site or service, you may be automatically signed in when you visit other Microsoft sites and services. To learn more about how your credential information is used when you sign in to participating sites, please read the Microsoft Online Privacy Statement at https://privacy.microsoft.com/.

Except as described in this privacy statement, personal information you provide will not be transferred to third parties without your consent. We occasionally hire other companies to provide limited services on our behalf, such as packaging, sending and delivering purchases and other mailings, answering customer questions about products or services, processing event registration, or performing statistical analysis of our services. We will only provide those companies the personal information they need to deliver the service, and they are prohibited from using that information for any other purpose.

Microsoft may access or disclose information about you, including the content of your communications, in order to: (a) comply with the law or respond to lawful requests or legal process; (b) protect the rights or property of Microsoft or our customers, including the enforcement of our agreements or policies governing your use of the services; or (c) act on a good faith belief that such access or disclosure is necessary to protect the personal safety of Microsoft employees, customers, or the public. We may also disclose personal information as part of a corporate transaction such as a merger or sale of assets.

Information that is collected by or sent to Microsoft by Windows Storage Server 2008 R2 Essentials may be stored and processed in the United States or any other country in which Microsoft or its affiliates, subsidiaries, or service providers maintain facilities. Microsoft abides by the safe harbor framework as set forth by the U.S. Department of Commerce regarding the collection, use, and retention of data from the European Union, the European Economic Area, and Switzerland.

Collection and Use of Information About Your Computer

When you use software with Internet-enabled features, information about your computer ("standard computer information") is sent to the websites you visit and online services you use. Microsoft uses standard computer information to provide you Internet-enabled services, to help improve our products and services, and for statistical analysis. Standard computer information typically includes information such as your IP address, operating system version, browser version, and regional and language settings. In some cases, standard computer information may also include hardware ID, which indicates the device manufacturer, device name, and version. If a particular feature or service sends information to Microsoft, standard computer information will be sent as well.

For each Windows Storage Server 2008 R2 Essentials feature, software, or service listed in the Specific Features section, the privacy statement describes what information is collected and how it is used.

Security of Your Information

Microsoft is committed to helping protect the security of your information. We use a variety of security technologies and procedures to help protect your information from unauthorized access, use, or disclosure. For example, we store the information you provide on computer systems with limited access, which are located in controlled facilities.

Changes to This Privacy Statement

We will occasionally update this privacy statement to reflect changes in our products, services, and customer feedback. When we post changes, we will revise the "last updated" date at the top of this statement. If there are material changes to this statement or in how Microsoft will use your personal information, we will notify you either by posting a notice of such changes prior to implementing the change or by directly sending you a notification. We encourage you to periodically review this statement to be informed of how Microsoft is protecting your information.

For More Information

Microsoft welcomes your comments regarding this privacy statement. If you have questions about this statement or believe that we have not adhered to it, please contact us by email at wsspriv@microsoft.com or by postal mail at:

Windows Storage Server Essentials Privacy Microsoft Corporation One Microsoft Way Redmond, Washington 98052 USA

Specific Features

The remainder of this statement will address the following specific features of Windows Storage Server 2008 R2 Essentials.

Activation

What This Feature Does: Microsoft asks that you activate Windows Storage Server 2008 R2 Essentials so that we may verify that your installation is done with a genuine Microsoft product. When you activate Windows Storage Server 2008 R2 Essentials, you are not required to send any contact information to Microsoft, such as your name or email address.

Information Collected, Processed, or Transmitted: During activation, product key information is sent to Microsoft, such as:

  • The Microsoft product code, which is a five-digit code that identifies the product you are activating.

  • A channel ID or site code, which identifies where you obtained the product. For example, it identifies whether the product was sold at retail, is an evaluation copy, is subject to a volume licensing program, was pre-installed by the computer manufacturer, and so on.

  • The date of installation.

  • Information that helps confirm that the product key information has not been altered.

Activation also sends to Microsoft a number generated from the computer's hardware configuration. The number does not represent any personal information or information about the software. It cannot be used to determine the make or model of the computer, and it cannot be calculated to determine any additional information about your computer. Along with standard computer information, some additional language settings are collected.

Use of Information: Microsoft uses the information to confirm that you have a licensed copy of the software, and then it is aggregated for statistical analysis. Microsoft does not use the information to identify you or contact you.

Choice/Control: Activation is mandatory and must be completed within a predefined grace period. If you choose not to activate the software, you may not use the software after the grace period expires. After the grace period expires, you will start receiving warnings on your server. If the software is not correctly licensed, you will not be able to activate it.

Important Information: Windows Storage Server 2008 R2 Essentials can detect and tolerate changes to your computer configuration. Minor upgrades will not require re-activation. If you completely overhaul your computer, you may be required to activate Windows Storage Server 2008 R2 Essentials again.

For more details on what information is collected and how it is used, see the Microsoft Windows Activation Privacy Statement at https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=193010

Launchpad

What This Feature Does: The Windows Storage Server 2008 R2 Essentials “Launchpad” is a client-side application to give client-side access to the core set of server features, including client backup, remote access to your network, and easy access to centralized data: all on a secure network. The Launchpad is also built for the administrators of these networks, providing real-time notifications and status of their network and access to the management Dashboard. It is also built for extensibility, enabling third parties who want to extend the Windows Storage Server 2008 R2 Essentials system with add-ins to do so.

Information Collected, Processed, or Transmitted: No personal data is collected or sent to Microsoft. The user name and password is not cached on the client, but sent to the server through the network.

Choice/Control: Users sign into the Dashboard using the user name and password of the Windows Storage Server 2008 R2 Essentials user.

Connector Software and Computer Backup

What This Feature Does: Connector software joins a client computer to the Windows Storage Server 2008 R2 Essentials network. It also installs and activates core and common Windows Storage Server 2008 R2 Essentials components, such as automatic client backup, health monitoring, and the Launchpad. .NET Framework 4.0 is installed if not present. It also enables Remote Desktop on client computers running Windows Professional, Enterprise, and Ultimate.

After you install the Windows Storage Server 2008 R2 Essentials Connector software on a computer on your network and configure the feature, Windows Storage Server 2008 R2 Essentials will automatically back up folders on the computer to the server.

Information Collected, Processed, or Transmitted: Folders on the client computer will be backed up to the Windows Storage Server 2008 R2 Essentials server, including data files, system files, and applications. Temporary files such as the system cache and the temp files will not be backed up.

Client computer setup logs will be copied to the Connector software logs directory on the same client computer. These logs may contain information about the applications and the hardware installed on the client computer.

None of this information is sent to Microsoft.

Use of Information: The contents of backed up folders are visible to all Windows Storage Server 2008 R2 Essentials administrators. The backup can be used to restore lost or corrupted files or entire volumes.

Choice/Control:

Connector software: Users can run the Connector software from client computers from https:// servername/connect/. Backups will automatically occur once the Connector software has been configured.

Computer backup: All computers are configured by default for backup when the Connector software is installed and configured. Default configuration includes all available NTFS volumes on each computer system. Server administrators can view and change what is being backed up from each computer connected to the server. Backup happens automatically if Connector software is installed and configured on the computer. The server administrator can disable automatic backup for any computer connected to Windows Storage Server 2008 R2 Essentials using the Computers and Backup tab on the Dashboard. Local users on a client computer can start manual backup of their computer using the Launchpad.

To start a manual backup, open the Launchpad, click Backup, open backup properties, and then click Start Backup. Administrators can perform a single file restore or a full computer restore of a backed up client computer.

Customer Experience Improvement Program

What This Feature Does: The Customer Experience Improvement Program ("CEIP") collects basic information from server and Connector software installed on your client-side personal computer. It collects information about your hardware configuration and how you use our software and services to identify trends and usage patterns. CEIP also collects the type and number of errors you encounter, software and hardware performance, and the speed of services. We will not collect your name, address, or other contact information.

Information Collected, Processed, or Transmitted: CEIP reports generally consist of information about your Windows Storage Server 2008 R2 Essentials server and the computers connected to it on your network, including:

  • Configuration, such as which version of Windows the server is running, the storage capacity of your server, whether a monitor is connected to your server, how many clients the server is backing up, how many user accounts are on the server, and the status of server media streaming. Configuration information about the client computers connected to your Windows Storage Server 2008 R2 Essentials server is included in reports as well, such as which versions of Windows the client computers are running.

  • Performance and reliability, such as the number of milliseconds spent backing up the client computers to the server and whether backups have succeeded.

  • Program use, such as whether certain features have been used, the number of server folders, and the number of files backed up from the client computers.

CEIP also generates a globally unique identifier (GUID) that is stored on your computer and sent with CEIP reports to uniquely identify your computer. The GUID is a randomly generated number that does not contain personal information. When CEIP reports are sent to Microsoft, standard computer information is also sent.

Use of Information: We use this information to improve the quality, reliability, and performance of Microsoft software and services.

Choice/Control: Windows Storage Server 2008 R2 Essentials has two different CEIPs: one for server and one for Connector software.

  • Server CEIP. This CEIP is an optional feature and can be enabled during the server administrator’s setup and configuration of your server. You are not required to enable it. Your server administrator can enable or disable the Server CEIP at any time after setup is completed by locating the Storage Server 2008 R2 Essentials Server Settings page and clearing the CEIP check box. Please note that server CEIP data will continue to be collected unless the check box on the Server Settings page of the Dashboard is cleared. To enable CEIP:

    • Choose Recommended Settings on the Server Settings page during server setup. Choosing this option will opt in Windows Storage Server 2008 R2 Essentials to the Server CEIP.

    • Select the CEIP check box to enable CEIP. To disable it, clear the CEIP check box. Please note that server CEIP data will continue to be collected unless the check box on the Dashboard Server settings page is cleared.

  • Connector software CEIP. This CEIP is also an optional feature and can be enabled during Connector software installation. You can change Connector software CEIP configuration at any time using the Launchpad. In order to change the Connector software CEIP configuration, sign into Launchpad and click Settings on the upper right of the Launchpad. Select the CEIP check box to enable CEIP. To disable it, clear the CEIP check box.

    Important Information: For additional, general information about CEIP, see https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=193007.

Dashboard

What This Feature Does: Windows Storage Server 2008 R2 Essentials provides the user with a management Dashboard that allows them to manage their server system.

Information Collected, Processed, or Transmitted: No personal information is collected or sent to Microsoft.

Choice/Control: The server administration can sign into the Dashboard using the server administrator password that is configured during server setup.

Domain Join

What This Feature Does: Windows Storage Server 2008 R2 Essentials supports joining an existing Windows domain. It also provides authorization of domain users to the Windows Storage Server 2008 R2 Essentials server. When an administrator joins the server to a domain, the server will retrieve the first 25 users out of the existing Active Directory. The administrator can select a specific group from which to recover user accounts.

Information Collected, Processed, or Transmitted: No personal information is collected.

Choice/Control: The administrator can leave the domain using Dashboard Server Settings.

Health Alerts

What This Feature Does: Windows Storage Server 2008 R2 Essentials can help detect when your server or client computers are in poor health and alert you accordingly. An alert notification will describe the condition, include troubleshooting steps, and may include a repair function.

Information Collected, Processed, or Transmitted: Windows Storage Server 2008 R2 Essentials generates notifications when an alert condition is detected. The alert is sent to the Windows Storage Server 2008 R2 Essentials administrator over your local network and contains the following information: alert title, date/time generated, affected computer, description of the problem, and documented steps to resolve the problem. These are preserved on the system. If the administrator enables alert emails, the alerts will also be sent to recipients specified by the server administrator on the Dashboard Alerts Settings page. These settings do not contain any Personally Identifiable Information (PII).

Use of Information: Information is used to notify the local user of the computer that a problem has been detected and the administrators that problems have been detected across the network. None of the above information is sent to Microsoft.

Choice/Control: Users can disable notifications locally. Administrators can opt to disable alert notifications, only show local alerts, or show all network alerts. Alert presentation on the server cannot be disabled. Administrators can configure the server to send email alerts for specific alerts. The alert email is disabled by default. The administrator can enable alert emails using the Dashboard Health Alert settings. When alert emails are enabled, by default, the server sends email for the server health alerts to the recipients provided by the server administrator.

HomeGroup

What This Feature Does: A HomeGroup allows you to easily link computers running Windows 7 and Windows Storage Server 2008 R2 Essentials on your network so that you can share pictures, documents, and other content. You can help protect your HomeGroup with a password, and you can choose what you want to share.

Information Collected, Processed, or Transmitted: In a HomeGroup, files such as personal photos, content, and documents are shared by default. Information such as user names is also shared with all users and computers within the HomeGroup.

Use of Information: The information collected allows computers in your HomeGroup to understand who to share content with and how to present it. No information is sent to Microsoft.

Choice and Control: You have the ability to add or remove computers from your HomeGroup and decide what is shared with other HomeGroup members. Your HomeGroup is protected with a password that you can change at any time. You can create a HomeGroup and manage its settings from Dashboard > Server Settings > HomeGroup Settings page.

If your server is joined to a domain, you can only join an existing HomeGroup and change or view the HomeGroup password whenever the server is connected to a private network. The sharing settings cannot be changed on a domain-joined server.

Windows Internet Explorer Enhanced Security Configuration

What This Feature Does: Windows Internet Explorer® Enhanced Security Configuration is a feature of Windows Server® 2008 that is enabled by default. It configures your server and Windows Internet Explorer to help protect against potential attacks that can occur through web content and application scripts. As a result, some websites may not display or perform as expected. To provide a more streamlined user experience when installing and using some Microsoft products and services, such as Microsoft Office Live, Windows Storage Server 2008 R2 Essentials may modify your server's trusted sites list in Windows Internet Explorer.

Choice and Control:

To remove these websites in Windows Internet Explorer

  1. Go to the Tools menu.

  2. Select Internet Options.

  3. On the Security tab, select Trusted Sites and then click the Sites button.

  4. Highlight a website and then click the Remove button.

Media Streaming

What This Feature Does: Media Streaming lets you share files in your library with other users on your network and to browse the files that are in libraries that other users on your network are sharing. Before you turn on sharing, you may wish to verify that your network is secure. For information about securing your network, see Windows Help and Support. No information is sent to Microsoft.

Choice/Control: Media Streaming is turned on by default using the Windows Media Player 12 (WMP 12) Recommended Settings. Recommended settings include gathering media information (such as album art) online, automatically obtaining media usage rights when needed. Please see WMP 12 Privacy Statement at https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=202448.

After server setup is complete, the media content in Storage Server 2008 R2 Essentials default server folders can be streamed using networked media devices supported by Windows 7, Media Center Extenders, and computers in your network and outside your network using Remote Web Access or using a third-party media player add in.

To turn off media streaming

  1. In the Dashboard, click the Server settings button.

  2. Go to the Media Streaming settings, turn off Media Streaming, and then click OK.

Online Help

What This Feature Does: You can choose to get help online when you are connected to the Internet, giving you the most up-to-date content available.

Information Collected, Processed, or Transmitted: When you use online help, your request is sent to Microsoft, as well as any rating or feedback you choose to provide about the help topics presented to you on the website. If you type any personal information into the search or feedback boxes, the information will be sent to Microsoft, but will not be used to identify or contact you.

Use of Information: Online help uses the information in your search and in your feedback to return the most relevant results, improve the existing content, and develop new content.

Choice/Control: By default online help is disabled. When you click help the first time you will be prompted with a message dialog to let you know that you will be redirected to an external website through the Internet. You can choose not to open the help website by clicking no. If online help is turned off, results from online help will not be included when you use Help. You may later change your selection by clicking help again and accepting to open online help.

Product Registration

What This Feature Does: Registration of your Windows Storage Server 2008 R2 Essentials software on the Microsoft.com website is optional and can be done at any time.

Information Collected, Processed, or Transmitted: When registering on Microsoft.com, in order to complete the registration process, we will ask you to provide some information about yourself, such as your name, mailing address, and email address. In addition, we will automatically send some information about your computer, such as the computer name, computer manufacturer, and a portion of your product key. The partial product key information is used to identify the computer manufacturer and the channel through which you purchased your computer. The partial product key cannot be used to uniquely identify your computer.

For more information about the privacy of your registration information, including how to update it, read the Microsoft Online Privacy Statement.

Choice/Control: At any time, you can visit the Profile Center on the Microsoft.com website, select Update Profile, and edit any of the personal information in your profile. You will also be able to indicate what kinds of communications you wish to receive from us.

Remote Web Access

What This Feature Does: Remote Web Access allows authorized users to access the contents of your Windows Storage Server 2008 R2 Essentials from virtually anywhere in the world using an Internet connection. Remote Web Access also allows authorized users to connect to the Dashboard or personal computers connected to your Windows Storage Server 2008 R2 Essentials server through your network using Remote Desktop functionality. Windows Storage Server 2008 R2 Essentials Remote Web Access features also allow you to stream your pictures, content, and the videos stored from your server.

Information Collected, Processed, or Transmitted: Connection settings are stored in a Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) file. These settings include domain and connection configuration settings such as color-bit depth. Credentials for these connections, as well as Remote Desktop Proxy credentials, are stored by the credential manager in Windows Storage Server 2008 R2 Essentials. A list of trusted Remote Desktop Services Gateway server names is stored in the registry. This list is stored permanently unless deleted by an administrator, and it is not shared with third parties or other Windows components. None of this information is sent to Microsoft.

Use of Information: Data is collected on your Windows Storage Server 2008 R2 Essentials server so you can connect via Remote Web Access with your desired settings. This information is not sent to Microsoft.

Choice/Control: Remote Web Access is off by default and must be configured by a Windows Storage Server 2008 R2 Essentials administrator before it can be used. Only users on the server that have remote access rights can use Remote Web Access. This is configured by the Windows Storage Server 2008 R2 Essentials administrator. The administrator can view the list of users who have access to Remote Web Access.

To enable Remote Web Access

  1. Open the Dashboard.

  2. Click Server Settings and then click the Remote Web Access tab.

  3. Click Turn On to enable Remote Web Access.

After Remote Web Access is enabled, the same button can be used to disable it. The administrator can view the list of users who have access to Remote Web Access.

Important Information: All data sent over the Internet to enable Remote Web Access or during Remote Web Access is transmitted using a Secure Socket Layer (SSL) connection. Users must be authorized to access the Windows Storage Server 2008 R2 Essentials server remotely, and can only gain access to the client computers on which they have a user account.

Windows Storage Server 2008 R2 Essentials periodically verifies that Remote Web Access is available to receive connections in order to help you identify and resolve problems with your Internet connection. The IP address of your network will be sent to Microsoft and a connectivity diagnostics service hosted by Microsoft will establish a test connection to your Windows Storage Server 2008 R2 Essentials server to verify connectivity only. No additional information is sent to Microsoft. If you enable Remote Web Access, the diagnostic service hosted on the server validates the external IP address of the server every 15 minutes. This occurs if you use the Windows Server Solutions custom domains service or if you partner with a vanity domain name provider. If you wish to opt-out of the diagnostic service, you will need to turn off Remote Web Access as shown above.

Note

The server Remote Web Access domain addresses may be indexed by some search engines.

Note

You are responsible for making sure that your use of Remote Web Access features complies with your broadband provider’s terms of service. You may need to add services from your broadband provider to use Remote Web Access features. For example, you will need certain “ports” to be open to use these features, and some broadband providers block those ports for customers on some service plans. Also, some broadband providers’ terms of service may limit or prohibit setting up and running of “servers” on their networks by some customers on some service plans. Please contact your broadband provider if you have questions about their terms of service.

Server Folders

What This Feature Does: Server folders allow you to store content on the Windows Storage Server 2008 R2 Essentials server. By default, server folders are accessible to other users, computers, and devices on your network. Server folders can also be accessed by Remote Web Access users.

Information Collected, Processed, or Transmitted: The content in server folders is stored on your Windows Storage Server 2008 R2 Essentials server and can be accessed from other computers and devices.

Use of Information: No server folder content is sent to Microsoft.

Choice/Control: The Windows Storage Server 2008 R2 Essentials administrator has read-write access to all content in server folders. The Windows Storage Server 2008 R2 Essentials administrator can grant or revoke a user's access to specific server folders through the Dashboard. The default set of users who have access to a server folder varies by type of server folder. For example, by default, all users on your network have read-write access to server folders and no access to other users' personal server folders.

What This Feature Does: Windows Desktop Search automatically scans all files and folders stored on your Windows Storage Server 2008 R2 Essentials server, and it builds an index of this content. This index can then be searched to find specific files or folders, specific words within files and folders, or specific metadata associated with files and folders.

Information Collected, Processed, or Transmitted: The index of your files and folders stored on your Windows Storage Server 2008 R2 Essentials server can be searched by any Remote Web Access user through Windows Storage Server 2008 R2 Essentials Remote Web Access.

Use of Information: The Windows Desktop Search index is not sent to Microsoft.

Windows Error Reporting

What This Feature Does: The Microsoft Error Reporting Service helps Microsoft and Windows partners diagnose problems in the Storage Server 2008 R2 Essentials software you use, and then provide solutions. Not all problems have solutions, but when solutions are available, they are offered as steps to solve a problem you have reported or as updates to install. To help prevent problems and make software more reliable, some solutions are also included in service packs and future versions of the software.

Information Collected, Processed, or Transmitted: The reporting service collects the information that is useful for diagnosing and solving the problem that has occurred, such as:

  • Where the problem happened in the software or hardware

  • The type or severity of the problem

  • Files that help describe the problem

  • Basic software and hardware information

  • Possible software performance and compatibility problems

These reports might unintentionally contain personal information. For example, a report that contains a snapshot of computer memory might also include your name, part of a document you were working on, or data that you recently submitted to a website. If a report is likely to contain this type of information, Storage Server 2008 R2 Essentials will ask if you want to send this information, even if you have enabled automatic reporting through the Recommended Settings option in setup, or in Control Panel. This gives you the opportunity to review the report before sending it to Microsoft. Reports including files and data might be stored on your computer until you have an opportunity to review and send them, or after they have been sent.

If an error report contains personal information, Microsoft does not use the information to identify you or contact you. In addition, if you enable automatic reporting through the Recommended Settings option in setup or in the Control Panel, the reporting service will send basic information about where problems occur automatically, but these reports will not have the details described above.

The Windows Error Reporting Service generates a GUID that is stored on your computer and sent with error reports to uniquely identify your computer. The GUID is a randomly generated number; it does not contain any personal information and is not used to identify you. We use the GUID to distinguish how widespread the feedback we receive is and how to prioritize it. For example, the GUID allows Microsoft to distinguish between one customer experiencing a problem one hundred times and one hundred customers experiencing the same problem once.

In rare cases, such as problems that are especially difficult to solve, Microsoft may request additional data, including sections of memory (which may include memory shared by any or all applications running at the time the problem occurred), some registry settings, and one or more files from your computer. Your current documents may also be included. When additional data is requested, you can review the data and choose whether or not to send it.

For information about the information collected, processed, or transmitted by Windows Error Reporting, see the Windows Error Reporting Privacy Statement at https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=193008.

Use of Information: Microsoft uses information about errors and problems to improve Microsoft products and services as well as third-party software and hardware designed for use with these products and services. Microsoft employees, contractors, vendors, and partners might be provided access to information collected by the reporting service. However, they will use the information only to repair or improve Microsoft products and services and third-party software and hardware designed for use with Microsoft products and services.

Microsoft might share aggregate information about errors and problems. Microsoft uses aggregate information for statistical analysis. Aggregate information does not contain specific information from individual reports, nor does it include any personal or confidential information that might have been collected from a report.

Choice/Control: Windows Error Reporting feature is disabled by default. You can enable Automatic Windows Error Reporting by:

  • Choosing the Recommended Settings in server setup.

    –or–

  • Checking the box on the Dashboard Server Settings page.

The error reports will be sent to Microsoft automatically without prompting you to send the error information. You can disable automatic error reporting at any time by clearing the check box on the Dashboard Server Settings page.

Windows Server Solutions Custom Domains Service

What This Feature Does: The Windows Server Solutions Custom Domains Service enables you to create an Internet domain name you can use to connect remotely to your Windows Storage Server 2008 R2 Essentials server.

Information Collected, Processed, or Transmitted: In order to set up the domain name, you must have a Windows Live ID email address and password. The Internet Domain Name Setup Wizard will prompt you to enter an existing Windows Live ID or create a new one. You can register for a Windows Live ID at the Windows Live ID site. All the registration information that you provide will be stored by the Windows Live ID service in your Windows Live ID profile. To learn more about the Windows Live ID service, the information stored in the Windows Live ID profile, and how Windows Live ID uses and helps to protect your personal information, read the Windows Live ID privacy statement.

When you set up the domain name, your Windows Live ID email address and password will be sent to Microsoft or to the third-party domain name service provider you select. Your computer name, the Internet domain name you choose, and IP address of your network will also be sent to Microsoft or that third-party domain name service provider in order to associate the domain name to your Windows Storage Server 2008 R2 Essentials server. No additional information is sent to Microsoft or the third-party domain name service provider.

Choice/Control: The Custom Domains service is optional; you may choose not to use it. You may end the service at any time by releasing your domain name and disabling Remote Web Access.

You can change and/or release the domain name by selecting Settings in the Dashboard, selecting Remote Web Access, and selecting Change in the Domain Name section. You can disable Remote Web Access by selecting Settings in the Dashboard, selecting Remote Web Access, and selecting Turn Off in the Remote Web Access page.

Important Information: Once your Internet domain name has been created, we will obtain and send to your Windows Storage Server 2008 R2 Essentials server a certificate for the domain name issued by Microsoft or a third-party domain name service provider. This certificate will be stored on your computer by Microsoft Internet Information Services (IIS) for use by Internet clients that engage in SSL communications with your Windows Storage Server 2008 R2 Essentials server.

Windows Server 2008 R2

Important Information: Windows Storage Server 2008 R2 Essentials includes Windows Server 2008 R2 software. For information about controlling the Internet-enabled features in Windows Server, see https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=192670.

Windows Update

What This Feature Does: Windows Update collects basic information about your computer to identify which updates your computer needs and to improve the updating service.

Information Collected, Processed, or Transmitted: For details about what information is collected and how it is used, see the Windows Update Privacy Statement.

Use of Information: For details about what information is collected and how it is used, see the Windows Update Privacy Statement.

Choice/Control: During setup, Windows Storage Server 2008 R2 Essentials performs a one-time, mandatory check with Windows Update to receive the latest important updates for your computer. If updates are found, Windows Storage Server 2008 R2 Essentials automatically downloads and installs them so your computer is up to date the first time that you log on or use it.

During setup, you will also be prompted to choose whether to enable ongoing automatic updates from Windows Update. If you choose either Recommended Settings or the Install Updates Only option on the Windows Storage Server 2008 R2 Essentials settings page during server setup, Windows Update will automatically download and install important and recommended updates.

You can also enable or disable automatic Windows Update at any time.

To enable or disable automatic update

  1. In the Dashboard, click Settings.

  2. In the Windows Update section of the General Settings page, turn Windows Update on or off, and then click OK.

When installing Connector software, you can choose to have updates applied to the Connector software automatically. If you choose to have updates installed automatically, they will be downloaded from your Windows Storage Server 2008 R2 Essentials server. You can choose to download and install Connector software updates manually when you install the Connector software, and you can change your choice by reinstalling the Connector software and selecting Download and install the updates myself during the software setup.