Stop Windows Delivery Optimization From Using Your Upload Speed

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19 hours ago

Windows Delivery Optimization DoSvc upload sharing stop now policy lock and keep updates checklist

Windows Delivery Optimization can use your upload speed to help move Microsoft updates and Store app content to other PCs. The Windows service behind it is DoSvc, short for Delivery Optimization Service.

Microsoft describes Delivery Optimization as a downloader that can get update and app files from Microsoft, from PCs on your local network, or from PCs on the internet depending on settings. It can also send update and app chunks from your PC to other PCs. That may make sense in a business with many Windows machines. On a home connection, a capped connection, a gaming connection, or a small office upload pipe, it can feel like Microsoft is borrowing your bandwidth.

One important correction: this is not supposed to upload your personal documents, photos, passwords, or browser files. The issue is simpler and still annoying: your upload speed can be spent helping distribute Microsoft update and app content unless you turn peer sharing off.

Fast Fix: Turn It Off In Settings

Use this first. It is the cleanest fix for most Windows 11 and Windows 10 users.

Open Settings.
Go to Windows Update.
Open Advanced options.
Open Delivery Optimization.
Turn Allow downloads from other PCs off.

Microsoft says turning this off does not disable Windows Update. It means the device gets updates and apps from Microsoft instead of downloading from or uploading to other PCs.

Kill It Right Now

If Delivery Optimization is currently chewing upload bandwidth, open Windows Terminal or PowerShell as Administrator and run:

Stop-Service -Name DoSvc -Force

Or from an elevated Command Prompt:

sc.exe stop DoSvc

This stops the current service session. Windows may start it again later during update activity, so do not treat this as the permanent fix by itself.

Permanent Fix For Windows Pro, Enterprise, And Education

The best permanent setting is to disable peer-to-peer Delivery Optimization while leaving Windows Update working. In Group Policy:

Open gpedit.msc.
Go to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Delivery Optimization.
Open Download Mode.
Set it to Enabled.
Choose HTTP Only (0).
Apply the policy and restart Windows or run gpupdate /force.

Microsoft’s Delivery Optimization reference says HTTP Only (0) disables peer-to-peer caching while still allowing Delivery Optimization to download content from the original Microsoft source or Microsoft Connected Cache. That is the sensible “stop using my upload” setting.

Permanent Fix With Registry Policy

If you want the policy without clicking through Group Policy Editor, run this from an elevated Command Prompt:

reg add "HKLMSOFTWAREPoliciesMicrosoftWindowsDeliveryOptimization" /v DODownloadMode /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f
gpupdate /force

Then restart Windows, or stop and start the Delivery Optimization service during a quiet maintenance window:

sc.exe stop DoSvc
sc.exe start DoSvc

Nuclear Option: Disable The Service

If your goal is to hard-disable the service itself, use an elevated Command Prompt:

sc.exe stop DoSvc
sc.exe config DoSvc start= disabled

To undo that later:

sc.exe config DoSvc start= demand
sc.exe start DoSvc

This is the heavy-handed option. It can be reverted by Windows servicing, and it may cause Windows Update, Microsoft Store, or other Microsoft content delivery flows to behave strangely. For most people, DODownloadMode=0 is the better permanent kill switch because it stops peer sharing without trying to rip out the downloader Windows expects to use.

Do Not Use Old Bypass Advice On Windows 11

You may see older guides recommending Delivery Optimization download mode 100, also called Bypass. Microsoft now says that starting in Windows 11, Bypass is deprecated and can cause some content to fail to download. Use HTTP Only (0) if your goal is to disable peer-to-peer sharing.

Check Whether It Was Uploading

Windows includes Delivery Optimization statistics:

Open Settings.
Go to Windows Update > Advanced options > Delivery Optimization.
Open Activity Monitor.
Look for upload activity and download sources.

PowerShell may also show Delivery Optimization activity on systems that include the module:

Get-DeliveryOptimizationStatus

Metered Connection Helps Too

If you are on a hotspot, satellite, cellular, capped cable plan, or any connection where upload speed matters, mark the network as metered:

Open Settings.
Go to Network & internet.
Open the active Wi-Fi or Ethernet network.
Turn Metered connection on.

Microsoft says Delivery Optimization will not automatically download or send parts of updates and apps to PCs on the internet when a connection is metered or capped.

Business And School Networks

In a managed office, school, or MSP environment, do not randomly disable DoSvc on every machine. Delivery Optimization can save real bandwidth when it is limited to the local network or a defined group. The right admin policy is usually one of these:

HTTP Only (0): no peer sharing.
LAN (1): share only on the local network.
Group (2): share only inside an admin-defined device group.
Internet (3): allows internet peers. Avoid this unless you deliberately want it.

For home users and small businesses that did not ask to be a Windows update relay, the recommendation is simple: turn off Allow downloads from other PCs, or enforce DODownloadMode=0.

Fix I.T. Phill Recommendation

Do the clean permanent fix first: set Delivery Optimization to HTTP Only (0) or turn off Allow downloads from other PCs. That stops Windows from using your upload speed for peer sharing while keeping Windows Update alive. Use the service-disable command only when you understand that you may need to reverse it for update or Store troubleshooting.