Windows 10 and 11 have a useful feature called Delivery Optimization that can help you download updates and apps more efficiently by allowing multiple devices to share the same bandwidth.
However, in some cases, you might want to disable this feature to conserve bandwidth or for other reasons. Disabling Delivery Optimization can be particularly useful if you have limited internet connectivity or when using a metered connection with limited data usage.
Fortunately, disabling Delivery Optimization on Windows is a relatively simple process and can be done by adjusting a few settings in the Windows Update section of the Settings app. It can help you have greater control over internet usage and stop unnecessary bandwidth drain.
So, without further ado, let me show you how to disable Delivery Optimization on Windows.
Table of contents:
- How to disable Delivery Optimization on Windows 10
- How to disable Delivery Optimization on Windows 11
- What is Delivery Optimization?
- Reason for disabling Delivery Optimization
- Conclusion
How to disable Delivery Optimization on Windows 10
You can disable the Delivery Optimization feature from the Windows Update settings in Windows 10 Settings app. Here are the exact steps you should follow.
- Launch the Settings window with “Start + I.”
- Click on the “Update & security” option.
- Select the “Delivery Optimization” tab on the sidebar.
- Turn off the “Allow downloads from other PCs” option.
- With that, the Delivery Optimization is disabled.
Steps with more details:
First, press the Windows key + I keyboard shortcut to open the PC Settings app on Windows 10. This is where you can manage delivery optimization settings.
Go to the “Update & Security → Delivery Optimization” page in the PC Settings app. This page contains all the settings related to Delivery Optimization and its related features, like Activity Monitor.
On the right panel, toggle the switch under “Allow downloads from other PCs” to the OFF position.
That is all. With that, you’ve successfully turned off Delivery Optimization on Windows 10.
How to disable Delivery Optimization on Windows 11
On Windows 11, you can turn off Delivery Optimization from the Advanced Windows Update options. Here’s where to find and how to do it.
- Use “Windows key + I” to launch Settings.
- Select “Windows Update” on the sidebar.
- Click on the “Advanced Options” option.
- Click on “Delivery Optimization” under Additional Options.
- Turn off the “Allow downloads from other PCs” option.
- With that, you’ve disabled Delivery Optimization on Windows 11.
What is Delivery Optimization
Whenever you download updates on your Windows computer, they are downloaded directly from the Microsoft servers. For the most part, the downloads are fast. However, the Windows updates download speed might slow down or stop entirely under certain circumstances, like heavy server load.
To fix it, Microsoft introduced the Delivery Optimization feature on Windows 10 and 11. When enabled, Delivery Optimization will download updates and apps from the internet more efficiently. It allows multiple devices on the same network or the internet to share updates with your computer based on several factors, such as network connectivity, device location, file availability, etc.
Additionally, it also uploads updates from your computer to other PCs on the same network or the internet. You can think of this as a peer-to-peer network.
Delivery Optimization has two modes: “Devices on my local network” and “Devices on the internet and my local network.” The first mode allows only devices on the same network to share updates, while the second mode allows devices on the same network and the internet to share updates.
Delivery Optimization is a simple yet highly helpful feature that can reduce the load on Microsoft’s servers and improve download speeds for you.
Reason for disabling Delivery Optimization
Though the Delivery Optimization feature is quite useful, there are a few potential reasons why you might want to disable Delivery Optimization on Windows. Here are a few of those reasons.
- Data usage concerns: If you have a limited data plan or a metered connection, enabling Delivery Optimization may use some of your internet bandwidth and upload data to other devices on the network, which can result in unexpected data usage charges. In those cases, it is also better to monitor network data usage.
- Privacy concerns: Enabling Delivery Optimization may allow other devices on the network to download updates from your device, which could potentially raise privacy concerns for some users.
- Slow download speeds: In some cases, enabling Delivery Optimization may actually slow down download speeds for updates, especially if there are no other devices on the network with the same updates.
- Network congestion: If you are on a network with many devices, enabling Delivery Optimization could potentially cause network congestion and slow down internet speeds for all devices on the network.
- Compatibility issues: Some users may experience compatibility issues with certain apps or software when Delivery Optimization is enabled. To fix it, you must disable Delivery Optimization.
Disabling Delivery Optimization on Windows — Conclusion
As you can see, whether you are using Windows 10 or 11, disabling Delivery Optimization is a simple process. Once disabled, it can help resolve bandwidth issues, network congestion, or compatibility issues.
However, don’t forget to re-enable or turn on the Delivery Optimization feature in the future to download Windows update more efficiently. After all, why abandon a helpful feature if it works without side effects?
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I hope this simple and easy Windows how-to guide helped you.
If you are stuck or need help, email me, and I will try to help as much as possible.
If you like this article, how to pause automatic updates on Windows 11 and Windows 10.
