Windows 10 is silently using your PC’s Internet bandwidth to update strangers’ systems

How to stop Windows 10 from using your PC’s bandwidth to update other Windows 10 users’ systems

Windows 10, Microsoft’s new operating system that was released on July 29 supposedly has a Windows Update Delivery Optimisation (WUDO) feature that is turned on by default for all editions of Windows 10. This functionality automatically uses host computers and the internet bandwidth within to send updates to other machines.

Microsoft describes WUDO in an online FAQ as “Windows Update Delivery Optimization lets you get Windows updates and Windows Store apps from sources in addition to Microsoft. This can help you get updates and apps more quickly if you have a limited or unreliable Internet connection. And if you own more than one PC, it can reduce the amount of Internet bandwidth needed to keep all of your PCs up-to-date.”

It seems that WUDO feature utilizes a sufficiently great portion of the upload internet bandwidth to share Windows 10 updates to other computers. Hence, to conserve bandwidth, the feature should be manually turned off.

One of the more fascinating changes in Windows is the new Peer-To-Peer (P2P) delivery update mechanism. This helps you save you a ton of wasted download bandwidth. You can download a Windows update once using the P2P option, then use that machine to transfer the update to all the PCs on your local network.

Ironically, the default settings of the P2P option enables sharing your system with other computers over the Internet and not just to the ones on your network. Windows 10’s P2P sharing consumes your upload bandwidth and reduces the speed of your network connection.

Here’s how you can disable P2P updates in Windows 10:

  • Step 1: Go to the Start Menu and select Settings. Then click Updates & Security.
  • Step 2: Ensure that Windows Update is selected in the left-hand navigation pane and then click Advanced Options in the main pane.
  • Step 3: Click on Choose how updates are delivered and use the toggle to turn Delivery Optimization off.

How to stop Windows 10 from using your PC's bandwidth to update other Windows 10 users' systems

These simple and easy steps will you help to prevent your machine from being used as a torrent server in distributing Windows 10 updates. Further, this also stops your machine from receiving updates from other users. This would mean that you will have to deal with slower Microsoft servers, as they keep getting millions of download requests.

To ensure that you keep receiving updates at a faster rate, enable this toggle before downloading any new updates rolled out by Microsoft.

Kavita Iyer
Kavita Iyerhttps://www.techworm.net
An individual, optimist, homemaker, foodie, a die hard cricket fan and most importantly one who believes in Being Human!!!

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