That person at Microsoft who assumed it was a pretty good thought to to allow users to update their OS through P2P conceived a terrible, evil idea. In case you don’t really know what this means, it simply means the default Windows 10 settings will allow someone, somewhere else on this planet access your downloaded Windows update and download it from your computer and you’re probably downloading your updates too via someone else’s PC.
Don’t freak out. It’s perfectly safe but here is where the problem lies: your internet connection is being used to do this. It’s just the way torrent works: leeching and seeding. You’re only sacrificing your bandwidth for others to download Windows updates.
Microsoft did this to take some loads off its servers and allow users to download Windows updates faster. If you’re connecting to the internet through metered connection all the time, you would agree this is the worst idea from Microsoft since the removal of the Start button on Windows 8.
This isn’t supposed to happen over metered connection like Microsoft says. I’m assuming this won’t happen if you’re using a 3G modem or connecting through dial-up but what if the WiFi you’re connected to is metered?
Over the weekend, I exhausted my allocated Spectranet Bundle and decided to use my mobile hotspot. I shared my iPhone’s internet connection through WiFi and started surfing on PC. Out of the 4.5GB Glo data bundle, I was left with approximately 1GB and noted that before connecting my PC. I used the mobile hotspot for about 8 hours and apart from opening web pages, I never downloaded any file. I checked my remaining data and was surprised when I saw I had only 209MB left. How could I have used so much data opening web pages only?
Windows Update?
I don’t think so. I think I had just one update pending before I connected. Besides, I’ve earlier noticed an increase in my data usage with Spectranet even before now though I never gave it much thoughts. I didn’t set the connection as a metered one from the settings.
The problem is the P2P protocol for distributing Windows update Microsoft enabled automatically when I choose to upgrade to Windows 10.
Disabling Widows Updates Sharing through Peer-to-Peer
1. Click the Start button and go to Settings.
2. Select Update and Security.
3. Click Windows Update, then Advanced Options.
4. Click “Choose how updates are delivered“.
5. Turn off using the toggle.
You’re done and this shouldn’t ever happen again. Want to totally disable Windows updates? This post explains it in details.