How Windows 10 can steal all the bandwidth during updates, and how to change this settings

Windows 10 has introduced many new features for its users. With the new version of Windows, users do not need to download drivers anymore. The reason is that it does everything automatically over the internet. Indeed, as soon as Windows 10 has an internet connection available, it start downloading all it needs to work properly.

Another interesting feature introduced by Windows 10 is the Peer-to-peer P2P file sharing function for updates. Windows 10 automatically shares Windows update files through the Internet and the local Network. Now, this functionality is very useful and it saves time. However, while it doesn’t create any issue in the local Network, it can become disastrous for users using a limited bandwidth internet plan.

Luckily, the user has the possibility to disable this feature or to limit it to only the local Network. Go to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update > Advanced Options. From here, go to “Choose how updates are delivered”. Here you will find the option to “turn off the p2p transfer entirely” or just “limit the p2p transfer to PCs on your local network”.

This new feature is a very smart idea. But on the other side, it can create big bandwidth problems as well as make the computer vulnerable to hacking attempts. A good practice from Microsoft might be to notify users about this new feature, and let them decide if they want to share data or they prefer to turn the functionality off.