Your PC is uploading Windows updates to strangers. Here's how to stop it

Published May 15, 2026, 8:45 AM EDT Rich Hein is a veteran technology journalist with more than two decades covering developer, consumer and enterprise topics. Rich's career has been dedicated to service journalism, connecting readers to content that informs and delights. Previously, Rich was vice president and editor-in-chief for Simpler Media Group, director of audience development for IDG and editor/writer for sites like CIO.com, ComputerWorld, CodeGuru and other tech-centric publications. He's received numerous accolades, including the IDG Summit and Azbee awards and has been covered by Medium for his work in audience development. When not at his desk, Rich lives in Daytona Beach with his wife and three dogs. He enjoys playing guitar, surfing and staying abreast of the latest in tech. I don't think Microsoft is doing anything evil here. Windows isn't uploading my personal files, and this isn't some sketchy background process pretending to be useful. It's a real Windows feature called Delivery Optimization, and the idea is simple enough: your PC can help distribute Windows updates and Microsoft Store app updates to other PCs so everyone gets them faster. But that doesn't mean I love it. This is still my internet connection, my data, and my upload bandwidth. If Windows wants to use my PC to help update other machines, especially ones outside my home network, I'd rather make that choice myself. Microsoft may see it as a smarter way to distribute updates, but I see it as one more Windows setting that deserves a closer look. Why Microsoft uses your PC to help distribute updates It works a little like a Microsoft-controlled torrent Credit: Lucas Gouveia / Hannah Stryker / How-To Geek To be fair to Microsoft, there is a practical reason this exists. Windows updates are huge, and Microsoft has to deliver them to millions of PCs. Delivery Optimization lets Windows get pieces of those updates from more than one place, including Microsoft's servers, PCs on your local network, and, depending on your settings, other PCs on the internet. In that sense, it works a little like a Microsoft-controlled torrent for Windows updates. Your PC can download pieces of an update from other PCs, and it can also upload pieces it already has. That sounds worse than it is because Windows isn't sharing your documents, photos, or personal files. It's limited to Windows updates and Microsoft Store app content, and Windows still verifies what it downloads before installing it. I can see why Microsoft uses it. It can make updates faster, reduce repeated downloads, and help households with multiple PCs avoid pulling the same giant update from the internet over and over again. I'm fine with my own PCs helping each other. I just don't love the idea of my upload bandwidth helping devices outside my home unless I specifically choose that. Why I turn it off, and why you may want to do it too Your upload bandwidth still belongs to you I don't turn this off because I think Delivery Optimization is dangerous. I turn it off because I don't want Windows making that decision for me. My internet connection is not unlimited in every meaningful way, even if my plan technically doesn't have a data cap. Upload bandwidth is usually much more limited than download bandwidth, and it's the part of the connection I notice most when I'm on a video call, uploading files, streaming from my Plex server, or trying to keep everything in the house running smoothly. That's why this setting bothers me more than the feature itself. I'm fine with Windows using Microsoft's servers. I'm even fine with my own PCs sharing update files with each other on my local network. What I don't like is Windows assuming that my PC should help distribute updates to devices outside my home. Maybe that tradeoff makes sense for some people, but I'd rather make the choice myself. For me, turning it off is less about paranoia and more about control. How to turn off Delivery Optimization in Windows 11 You can disable it completely or keep it limited to your home network You don't need to dig through the Registry or install another tool to stop this. Microsoft puts the setting right inside Windows Update, though it's buried just deep enough that most people will never notice it. Open Settings, go to Windows Update > Advanced options > Delivery Optimization, and look for Allow downloads from other PCs. If you want to shut the feature down completely, turn that switch off. Windows will still get updates and Microsoft Store app updates from Microsoft, but your PC won't download from or upload to other PCs. Microsoft confirms that turning this off doesn't stop normal Windows updates. If you have more than one Windows PC at home, I think the better compromise is to leave Delivery Optimization on but set it to Devices on my local network. That keeps the useful part of the feature without letting your PC share update files with devices outside your home. One PC can still help update your laptop, desktop, or family computer, but you're not donating upload bandwidth to random PCs on the internet. For me, that's the line: my own network is fine, the broader internet is not. You can also set upload limits instead If you don't want to turn Delivery Optimization off completely, Windows also lets you limit how much bandwidth it can use. Upload bandwidth is the part of your connection used when your PC sends data out, which matters for video calls, cloud backups, remote Plex streaming, file uploads, and anything else that depends on your PC pushing data instead of receiving it. Since many home internet plans have much lower upload speeds than download speeds, this is the part you're more likely to notice when something is using it in the background. My upload speed is usually less than 30mbps, for example. To adjust it, go to Settings > Windows Update > Advanced options > Delivery Optimization > Advanced options. From there, you can set upload limits for sharing updates with other PCs on the internet, including a monthly upload cap. I still prefer turning off internet sharing or limiting Delivery Optimization to my local network, but if you want the feature on without giving Windows free rein, these controls are worth checking. Windows works better when you check the defaults Delivery Optimization is a good example of why I don't trust every Windows default just because it sounds useful. Some defaults are genuinely convenient, but they're still built around Microsoft's idea of what works best for most people, not necessarily what works best for my home network. That's why I check this setting on any new PC I set up. Whether you turn Delivery Optimization off, keep it local, or add upload limits, the important thing is that you're the one deciding how your connection gets used. Windows 11 Pro $29.99 $199 Save $169.01 Get Windows 11 Pro and elevate your PC experience while it's available at a huge 88% discount.