Windows 10 uses internet connection to deliver updates to others

Windows 10 has a feature called Windows Update Delivery Optimization. This uses the internet connection to deliver updates to other Windows 10 users. The feature is on by default, but can be turned off.

With that, Microsoft seems to be rolling out its Windows updates with a kind of peer-to-peer system, The Next Web discovered. Incidentally, Windows Update Delivery Optimization is also described on Microsoft’s support pages. The description shows that Windows updates are downloaded from someone else’s PC, but that the connection can also be used to send Windows updates that have already been installed to others. It should ensure that updates reach Windows 10 users faster, according to Microsoft.

On the Home and Pro versions of Windows 10, Windows Update Delivery Optimization is enabled by default, which means that bandwidth may be unknowingly used by the operating system to send software to others. It is, however, possible to disable the function, or to restrict it to only computers in the local network. On the Enterprise and Education versions of Windows 10, the setting is set to “local network only” by default.

According to Microsoft, no bandwidth is used on connections that have a data limit, such as a 3g connection. Over WiFi, bandwidth is used by the p2p function; users must manually indicate if they are on a metered Wi-Fi connection; this can be done via the WiFi settings. If you want to turn off Windows Update Delivery Optimization completely, go to advanced settings under Windows Update and then click the option to determine how Windows updates are downloaded.

Windows 10 has been rolling out for free to Windows 7 or Windows 8.x users since Wednesday. It may take a while before the software is available to everyone, but it is possible to force the update with a tool.