Control Windows Update Delivery Optimization to Reduce Bandwidth (Win10/11)

Control Windows Update Delivery Optimization to Reduce Bandwidth (Win10/11)​

Difficulty: Intermediate | Time Required: 20 minutes

Introduction​

Windows Update Delivery Optimization (DO) helps Microsoft and nearby PCs share update files to reduce overall internet usage and speed up updates on local networks. However, on metered connections, limited upstream bandwidth, or when you want to prioritize other traffic, DO can consume more bandwidth than you'd like. This tutorial shows how to control Delivery Optimization on Windows 10 and Windows 11 so you reduce internet usage while keeping updates manageable.

Prerequisites​

• A Windows 10 (build 1709 or later) or Windows 11 PC.
• Administrator privileges for system-wide changes (required for Group Policy or registry edits).
• Windows 10/11 Pro, Enterprise, or Education if you plan to use Group Policy Editor (gpedit.msc). Home users will use Settings or the Registry approach.
• Allow ~20 minutes to follow steps and verify settings.

Step-by-step instructions​

A. Quick GUI method (recommended for most users)

1. Open Settings.
   • Windows 10: Start > Settings > Update & Security > Delivery Optimization.
   • Windows 11: Start > Settings > Windows Update > Advanced options > Delivery Optimization.
2. Turn off "Allow downloads from other PCs" OR change it to "PCs on my local network" (recommended if you want only LAN sharing and no internet peer-to-peer).
   • Note: Turning this off disables peer-to-peer sharing completely; choose based on your bandwidth needs.
3. Click Advanced options (link on the Delivery Optimization page).
4. Under "Download settings":
   • Enable “Limit how much bandwidth is used for downloading updates in the background” and set a percentage (e.g., 10–20%) to cap background update downloads.
   • Optionally enable “Limit how much bandwidth is used for downloading updates in the foreground” for interactive downloads.
5. Under "Upload settings":
   • Turn on “Limit how much bandwidth is used for uploading updates to other PCs on the Internet” and set a monthly upload limit (GB) or set a percentage limit. If you have a small upload allowance, set this to 0% or a low value so your upload isn’t consumed by sharing.
6. Close Settings. Monitor impact using the Delivery Optimization activity page (Settings > Windows Update > Delivery Optimization > Activity monitor), Task Manager, or your router’s traffic meter.

B. Use a metered connection to restrict large downloads

1. Open Settings > Network & internet.
2. Select the network (Wi‑Fi or Ethernet adapter) you're using.
3. Toggle “Set as metered connection” to On.
   • Note: Windows treats metered networks conservatively: it defers some updates and limits background data. This is a quick way to restrict update downloads on networks where bandwidth is charged or limited.

C. Group Policy method (Windows Pro/Enterprise/Education)

1. Press Windows+R, type gpedit.msc, and press Enter.
2. Navigate to: Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Delivery Optimization.
3. Configure policies to control behavior:
   • “Download Mode” — set how DO finds and uses sources. (Choose options so DO doesn’t use internet peers if you prefer local-only sharing.)
   • “Maximum Cache Age” / “Maximum Cache Size” — limits DO cache.
   • “Maximum bandwidth for downloading in the background” and “Maximum bandwidth for uploading” (if present) — set percentage or absolute limits.
4. After changing policies, run Command Prompt as admin and run gpupdate /force to apply them immediately.
   • Tip: Read the policy descriptions in gpedit before changing; they include recommended values and behavior.

D. Registry method (advanced / Home users)

1. Open regedit as Administrator.
2. Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\DeliveryOptimization\Settings
3. Create or modify values per Microsoft documentation (example: keys controlling download mode and limits). Be careful—incorrect registry edits can affect system behavior.
4. Reboot or restart the Delivery Optimization service for changes to take effect.
   • Warning: Only perform registry changes if you’re comfortable and have a system backup or restore point.

Tips, warnings, and troubleshooting​

• Tip: If you primarily want to protect upload bandwidth (so other PCs don’t pull from your PC), set upload limits to a low percentage or disable internet-based peer sharing. Local LAN sharing (“PCs on my local network”) is generally safe and helpful if you have several devices on the same home network.
• Tip: Use Settings > Update & Security > Delivery Optimization > Activity monitor (or Windows Update > Delivery Optimization activity on Windows 11) to see how much data Windows has downloaded and uploaded via DO.
• Warning: Disabling Delivery Optimization completely may increase internet bandwidth use for environments with multiple Windows PCs, because each device will fetch updates independently from Microsoft’s servers.
• Troubleshooting: If updates seem stuck after changing settings:
  1. Restart the PC.
  2. Check Windows Update > View update history for failures.
  3. Run Windows Update Troubleshooter (Settings > Update & Security > Troubleshoot).
• Driver/network issues: If bandwidth caps don’t seem to apply, update your network driver and check if third-party VPNs or proxy settings are interfering. VPNs can change how Windows detects local network peers.
• Router-level QoS: If you need strict bandwidth priorities, set Quality of Service (QoS) rules on your router to throttle update traffic by device or service port (advanced).
• Home users: If you don’t have gpedit.msc, use the Settings GUI or the metered connection approach—these are safer and supported for Home editions.

Windows version notes​

• The GUI Delivery Optimization controls (including limits for background/foreground and upload) are available in Windows 10 starting around build 1709 and in Windows 11. If you’re on an older Windows 10 build, consider updating to get the improved controls.
• Group Policy templates for Delivery Optimization are available in Pro/Enterprise/Education editions. Home users will not have gpedit.msc by default.

Conclusion​

By adjusting Delivery Optimization settings you can significantly reduce unwanted bandwidth usage without completely disabling Windows Update. Use the GUI to quickly limit download and upload percentages, set peer choices to local-only, or enable metered connections for specific networks. For organizations or advanced users, Group Policy gives finer control. These changes help preserve internet data caps, keep upload bandwidth free for other tasks, and still let your devices stay up to date.
Key Takeaways:

• Control DO via Settings (Windows 10/11) to limit background/foreground download and upload bandwidth.
• Use “PCs on my local network” to allow LAN sharing while preventing internet peer uploads.
• Mark networks as metered to force conservative update behavior on limited connections.
• Pro/Enterprise users can use Group Policy for additional, granular controls.
• Monitor activity and adjust settings based on observed usage.

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This tutorial was generated to help WindowsForum.com users get the most out of their Windows experience.