Fix Windows 10/11 Update Download Slow or Stuck: Delivery Optimization + Bandwidth Limits
Difficulty: Intermediate | Time Required: 15 minutesWindows Update downloads can become painfully slow (stuck at 0%, crawling for hours, or repeatedly “Downloading…” with no progress). In many cases, the culprit isn’t Windows Update itself—it’s Delivery Optimization settings, bandwidth limits, or background network rules that unintentionally throttle downloads.
This guide walks you through tuning Delivery Optimization and bandwidth settings in Windows 10 and Windows 11, so updates download at a reasonable speed without saturating your entire connection.
Prerequisites
- Administrator access on the PC
- A stable internet connection (Wi‑Fi or Ethernet)
- Windows 10 (Settings layout varies by version, especially 1909/20H2 vs 21H2/22H2) or Windows 11 (21H2/22H2/23H2/24H2)
- Optional but helpful: know whether your connection is metered (common on hotspots)
Note: Delivery Optimization affects Windows Update downloads and Microsoft Store content. These changes can speed up updates but may increase network usage while updates are downloading.
Step-by-step: Fix slow or stuck Windows Update downloads
1) Confirm Windows Update is actually waiting on a download
- Open Settings:
- Windows 11: Start > Settings
- Windows 10: Start > Settings
- Go to:
- Windows 11: Windows Update
- Windows 10: Update & Security > Windows Update
- Check the status:
- If you see Downloading… with no movement for 10+ minutes, or stuck at 0%, continue below.
Tip: If the update is stuck on “Installing” rather than “Downloading,” this tutorial may still help a bit, but the main fixes are different (servicing stack, component store, etc..
2) Make sure your connection isn’t set as “Metered”
Metered connections can heavily restrict update downloading.- Open Settings
- Go to:
- Windows 11: Network & internet > Wi‑Fi (or Ethernet) > select your network
- Windows 10: Network & Internet > Wi‑Fi (or Ethernet) > select your network
- Find Metered connection and set it to Off
Warning: If you’re on a data-capped plan, turning metered off may use significant data during updates.
3) Open Delivery Optimization settings
Delivery Optimization controls how Windows downloads updates (from Microsoft and sometimes from other PCs).- Open Settings
- Navigate to:
- Windows 11: Windows Update > Advanced options > Delivery Optimization
- Windows 10: Update & Security > Delivery Optimization
4) Decide whether to allow downloads from other PCs (P2P)
This setting can either help or hurt depending on your network and ISP.- In Delivery Optimization, find Allow downloads from other PCs
- Choose one:
- Off (recommended for troubleshooting): forces downloads directly from Microsoft servers
- On: can speed up downloads if you have multiple PCs or good peer availability
- PCs on my local network (safer, often useful in homes/offices with multiple machines)
- PCs on my local network and PCs on the Internet (can help speed, but may increase upload usage)
Recommendation: If your updates are stuck/slow, start with Off to remove variables. You can re-enable later.
5) Remove hidden throttles: set bandwidth limits to “unlimited” (or realistic)
Bandwidth limits are the most common reason downloads crawl.- In Delivery Optimization, select Advanced options
- Under Download settings, look for options such as:
- Limit how much bandwidth is used for downloading updates in the background
- Limit how much bandwidth is used for downloading updates in the foreground
- Do one of the following:
- Best for troubleshooting: uncheck/disable the limits (if available), or set the sliders to 100%
- Best for everyday use: set a reasonable percentage (e.g., 50–90% foreground, 20–50% background)
Note (Windows 10 vs 11): Wording and layout differs, but both include foreground/background download controls in Delivery Optimization’s advanced settings on most builds.
6) Check upload limits (they can indirectly affect performance)
If Delivery Optimization is allowed to upload to other PCs, Windows may reserve bandwidth and resources.- Still in Delivery Optimization > Advanced options
- Look for Upload settings, such as:
- Limit how much bandwidth is used for uploading updates to other PCs
- Monthly upload limit
- For troubleshooting:
- Set upload bandwidth limit low (or disable peer downloads entirely as in Step 4)
- Consider setting a Monthly upload limit (e.g., 5–20 GB) to prevent surprise usage
Tip: If you have slower upload speeds (common on many cable/DSL connections), peer uploading can reduce overall responsiveness.
7) Temporarily force Windows Update to “Foreground”
Foreground downloads typically use the less-restrictive limit.- Go back to Windows Update
- Click Download / Download & install (or Resume) and keep the Settings window open for a few minutes
- Avoid heavy downloads in other apps while testing
Tip: On some systems, foreground activity (you actively initiating/resuming downloads) can help Windows allocate more bandwidth to Windows Update.
8) Restart Delivery Optimization and Update services (quick refresh)
If the download is “stuck,” services may need a kick.- Press Win + R, type
services.msc, press Enter - Find and restart these services (right-click > Restart):
- Delivery Optimization (DoSvc)
- Windows Update (wuauserv)
- Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS)
- Return to Windows Update and try again
Warning: Don’t stop random services you don’t recognize. Stick to the three listed above.
9) (Optional) Reset Windows Update download cache if it’s still stuck
If settings are correct but downloads won’t move, the update cache may be corrupted.- Open Terminal/Command Prompt as Administrator
- Windows 11: right-click Start > Terminal (Admin)
- Windows 10: right-click Start > Windows PowerShell (Admin) or Command Prompt (Admin)
- Run these commands:
Code:
net stop wuauserv
net stop bits
net stop dosvc
ren %windir%\SoftwareDistribution SoftwareDistribution.old
net start dosvc
net start bits
net start wuauserv- Go back to Windows Update and click Check for updates
Note: This forces Windows to rebuild the download database and re-fetch update files. The first check afterward can take a bit longer.
Tips and troubleshooting notes
- Use Ethernet if possible. Wi‑Fi interference often looks like “stuck downloads.”
- Pause/Resume trick: In Windows Update, try Pause updates (pause), wait 10 seconds, then Resume.
- VPN/Proxy impact: VPNs can slow or block Delivery Optimization. Temporarily disconnect and test.
- Third-party “internet optimizer” tools: Some tweak TCP or QoS settings and can hurt update performance. If you’ve used one, consider reverting.
- Router QoS / bandwidth control: If your router has QoS enabled, it may deprioritize Windows Update traffic. Test briefly with QoS off (if you know what you’re doing).
- Check Disk Space: Low free space can stall downloads/unpacking. Aim for at least 15–20 GB free on the system drive for feature updates.
Conclusion
By reviewing Delivery Optimization, removing overly strict bandwidth limits, and restarting update-related services, you can usually fix Windows 10/11 updates that download slowly or appear stuck. These changes help Windows Update use your available connection more effectively while giving you control over how much bandwidth is consumed.Key Takeaways:
- Delivery Optimization and its Advanced bandwidth limits are common causes of slow/stuck update downloads.
- Turning off metered connection and testing with downloads from other PCs disabled removes major throttles.
- Restarting DoSvc/BITS/Windows Update (and optionally resetting
SoftwareDistribution) often clears stuck downloads.
This tutorial was generated to help WindowsForum.com users get the most out of their Windows experience.
