How to fix Windows 11 computer running slow due to Windows Update delivery optimisation consuming bandwidth and resources

Summary

This guide helps you troubleshoot and resolve: How to fix Windows 11 computer running slow due to Windows Update delivery optimisation consuming bandwidth and resources. Follow the steps below to fix the issue.

Common Causes

Windows Update Delivery Optimisation (WUDO) is a feature in Windows 10 and 11 that lets your computer download and share Windows updates with other PCs over the internet. While it can speed up updates across a network, it often runs in the background, consuming significant bandwidth, disk space, and CPU resources. This can leave your computer feeling sluggish, especially on small business networks or metered connections. The steps below will help you diagnose whether WUDO is the culprit and show you how to disable it.

Step 1: Confirm Delivery Optimisation Is the Cause

Before changing settings, check whether Delivery Optimisation is actively consuming resources:

1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
2. Click the Processes tab and sort by Network, Disk, or CPU.
3. Look for processes such as DoSvc or DeliveryOptimisation using a high percentage of resources.
4. Open Settings > Windows Update > Advanced options > Delivery Optimisation and review the Download history to see how much data has been uploaded to other PCs.

Step 2: Disable Delivery Optimisation

1. Click Start > Settings (or press Win + I).
2. Go to Windows Update.
3. Click Advanced options.
4. Select Delivery Optimisation.
5. Toggle Allow downloads from other PCs to Off.

Once disabled, your computer will only download updates directly from Microsoft servers and will no longer upload update data to other PCs.

Step 3: Clear the Delivery Optimisation Cache

Disabling the feature stops future sharing, but cached files may still occupy disk space:

1. Open Settings > Windows Update > Advanced options > Delivery Optimisation.
2. Scroll down to the Activity monitor section.
3. Click Clear download history or use the cleanup option to remove cached files.

Step 4: Stop the Delivery Optimisation Service (Advanced)

For users who want to ensure the service cannot restart automatically:

1. Press Win + R, type services.msc, and press Enter.
2. Scroll down to Delivery Optimisation (or DoSvc).
3. Right-click it and select Properties.
4. Change the Startup type to Disabled.
5. Under Service status, click Stop.
6. Click Apply, then OK.

Step 5: Restart and Verify

1. Restart your computer.
2. Open Task Manager and confirm that DoSvc is no longer consuming resources.
3. Run Windows Update to ensure updates still download successfully.

Troubleshooting

Settings Option Is Greyed Out

If the Allow downloads from other PCs toggle is greyed out, your device may be managed by an organisation or your network administrator may have set a Group Policy. In this case, contact your IT administrator for assistance.

Updates Fail to Download After Disabling

This is uncommon but can happen if the cache was cleared mid-download. Run the Windows Update troubleshooter:

1. Go to Settings > System > Troubleshoot > Other troubleshooters.
2. Find Windows Update and click Run.
3. Restart your computer when prompted.

Performance Issues Persist

If your computer is still slow after disabling Delivery Optimisation, the issue may be elsewhere. Review our related guides:

• Computer running slow
• Browser not loading pages
• Applications freezing or crashing
• Blue screen of death (BSOD) - restart steps

Still Having Issues?