Excessive bandwidth usage since installing Windows 10 Pro

I am a pensioner who has a special telephone/internet package for those of us on limited incomes. This package only allows 10GB of bandwith usage per month after which we have to pay £5.50 for each block of 5GB over the 10GB limit.

When I was using Windows 7 Pro my average monthly usage was +-6GB - safely within my limit. I installed Win 10 Pro at the end of July and my usage for August has soared to 12.57GB, more than double my previous average. I have not changed the way I used my computer before the advent of Win 10 at all and I have no doubt that the OS is the cause of my problem.

I am not knowledgeable when it comes to things computer and, quite frankly, I found the setting up of Windows 10 - when compared to previous versions - extremely complicated. Win 10 also forces users to have things on their computers which are of no interest to them and which they don't want and I feel very sure that it is all the apps and other stuff that I have no use for which are causing the increase in my bandwith usage. From what I have seen when I do a disk cleanup every night before I shut my system down Microsoft Edge is a major culprit but my research on the web indicates that this is one part of Win 10 that you have no option of getting rid of.

Can anyone tell me what I can do to get rid of all the stuff I don't want and/or what I can do to reduce the excessive amount of bandwith I am using.

Failing this I will just have to go back to Windows 7 Pro which gave me everything I needed from my computer without all the bells and whistles that Win 10 imposes on me.

Thanks in advance.

How to stop Windows 10 from using your PC's bandwidth to update strangers' systems | PCWorld

As well as the setting mentioned above, depending on how you connect to the internet, you may be able to set your connection as 'metered'
https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/3...dows-10-a.html

This should slow down Windows from downloading those large cumulative updates, although it still doesn't let you choose the small updates and delay the big ones.

Also, go to Windows Store and change the Settings to stop Store Apps from updating automatically
https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/6...dows-10-a.html

Keith G Z said:

I installed Win 10 Pro at the end of July and my usage for August has soared to 12.57GB, more than double my previous average. I have not changed the way I used my computer before the advent of Win 10 at all and I have no doubt that the OS is the cause of my problem.

That usage is quite possible as Win7 w/SP1 or Win8.1 usually have to be updated before Win10 will download. I'm in the midst of updating Win8.0 to Win8.1 now and it is a 3GB+ download, does take time. The Win10 Upgrade download may be about the same size, maybe a tad less.

Win10 does not install the same programs that came bundled with a Win7 or Win8.1 computer, just Upgrades over those 2 Operating Systems, the bundled programs will still be there unless/until uninstalled.

Using metered services is always problematic from a financial standpoint but a lot of that depends upon what a User wants to do.

A couple more settings to look at.

From the original post, you may be already using this feature, in case you weren't Windows will tell you which applications are using data. See here:
https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/2...dows-10-a.html

You can also reduce the amount of Usage and Diagnostic data which Windows sends
https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/7...dows-10-a.html

I think it was mentioned, but if you upgraded to Windows 10 online, that used at least 3 GB of data just to download the OS before installing.

Thank you all for your advice. I have followed all the links you have given and done as suggested. It will be interesting to see how much effect this has effect.

This is what my usage looked like. I haven't a clue as to what nvBackend is and, on seeing what the solitaire collection uses (I play several games a day), I realise just how much I miss the simple, yet effective games that came with Win 7.

My good man
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Keith said:

I haven't a clue as to what nvBackend is

It is part of the GeForce Experience program, a non essential service which you may choose to disable, if you wish.

More info: http://www.ghacks.net/2014/09/10/why...he-background/

My case is really opposite to yours. Sadly my Windows 10 Pro is unable to utilize most of the bandwidth that is available to me.