How to Specify How Windows and Store App Updates are Downloaded in Windows 10



Windows Update Delivery Optimization
lets you get Windows and Store app updates from sources in addition to Microsoft. This can help you get updates and apps more quickly if you have a limited or unreliable Internet connection. And if you own more than one PC, it can reduce the amount of Internet bandwidth needed to keep all of your PCs up-to-date. Delivery Optimization also sends updates and apps from your PC to other PCs on your local network or PCs on the Internet.

When configuring Delivery Optimization on Windows 10 devices, the first and most important thing to configure is the Download mode, which dictates how Delivery Optimization downloads Windows updates.

You can choose to download updates only from Microsoft, Microsoft and PCs on your local network, or Microsoft and PCs on your local network and internet.

Delivery Optimization works in two ways.

Download updates and apps from other PCs

In addition to downloading updates and apps from Microsoft, Windows will get updates and apps from other PCs that already have them. You can choose which PCs you get these updates from:

PCs on your local network. When Windows downloads an update or app, it will look for other PCs on your local network that have already downloaded the update or app using Delivery Optimization. Windows then downloads parts of the file from those PCs and parts of the file from Microsoft. Windows doesn’t download the entire file from one place. Instead, the download is broken down into smaller parts. Windows uses the fastest, most reliable download source for each part of the file.

PCs on your local network and PCs on the Internet. Windows uses the same process as when getting updates and apps from PCs on your local network, and also looks for PCs on the Internet that can be used as a source to download parts of updates and apps.

Send updates and apps to other PCs

When Delivery Optimization is turned on, your PC sends parts of apps or updates that you’ve downloaded using Delivery Optimization to other PCs on your local network, or on the Internet, depending on your settings.

Delivery Optimization uses locally cached updates. In cases where devices have ample local storage and you would like to cache more content, or if you have limited storage and would like to cache less, use the following settings to adjust the Delivery Optimization cache to suit your scenario:

For more details about Delivery Optimization, see:

If you like, you can set a policy to specify the download mode that Delivery Optimization can use in downloads of Windows Updates and Microsoft Store App updates. When you specify a download mode, it prevents choosing a download method for Delivery Optimization in Settings.

Download mode option Functionality when set
HTTP Only (0) This setting disables peer-to-peer caching but still allows Delivery Optimization to download content from Windows Update servers or WSUS servers. This mode uses additional metadata provided by the Delivery Optimization cloud services for a peerless reliable and efficient download experience.
LAN (1 – Default) This default operating mode for Delivery Optimization enables peer sharing on the same network. The Delivery Optimization cloud service finds other clients that connect to the Internet using the same public IP as the target client. These clients then attempts to connect to other peers on the same network by using their private subnet IP.
Group (2) When group mode is set, the group is automatically selected based on the device’s Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS) site (Windows 10, version 1607) or the domain the device is authenticated to (Windows 10, version 1511). In group mode, peering occurs across internal subnets, between devices that belong to the same group, including devices in remote offices. You can use the GroupID option to create your own custom group independently of domains and AD DS sites. Group download mode is the recommended option for most organizations looking to achieve the best bandwidth optimization with Delivery Optimization.
Internet (3) Enable Internet peer sources for Delivery Optimization.
Simple (99) Simple mode disables the use of Delivery Optimization cloud services completely (for offline environments). Delivery Optimization switches to this mode automatically when the Delivery Optimization cloud services are unavailable, unreachable or when the content file size is less than 10 MB. In this mode, Delivery Optimization provides a reliable download experience, with no peer-to-peer caching.
Bypass (100) Bypass Delivery Optimization and use BITS, instead. For example, select this mode so that clients can use BranchCache.

This tutorial will show you how to specify a download mode for Delivery Optimization of Windows and Microsoft Store app updates in Windows 10.

You must be signed in as an administrator to specify how Windows Updates are delivered.


 CONTENTS:

  • Option One: Specify Download Mode for Delivery Optimization in Local Group Policy Editor
  • Option Two: Specify Download Mode for Delivery Optimization using REG file


EXAMPLE: Delivery Optimization in Settings with specified download modes
Specify How Windows and Store App Updates are Downloaded in Windows 10-delivery_optimization_download_mode_http_only0.jpg Specify How Windows and Store App Updates are Downloaded in Windows 10-delivery_optimization_download_mode_lan1.jpg
Specify How Windows and Store App Updates are Downloaded in Windows 10-delivery_optimization_download_mode_internet3.jpg Specify How Windows and Store App Updates are Downloaded in Windows 10-delivery_optimization_download_mode_simple99.jpg






OPTION ONE

Specify Download Mode for Delivery Optimization in Local Group Policy Editor



The Local Group Policy Editor is only available in the Windows 10 Pro, Enterprise, and Education editions.

All editions can use Option Two.

1. Open the Local Group Policy Editor.

2. In the left pane of the Local Group Policy Editor, click/tap on to expand Computer Configuration, Administrative Templates, Windows Components, and Delivery Optimization. (see screenshot below)

Specify How Windows and Store App Updates are Downloaded in Windows 10-delivery_optimization_download_mode-gpedit-1.jpg

3. In the right pane of Delivery Optimization, double click/tap on the Download Mode policy to edit it. (see screenshot above)

4. Do step 5 (default) or step 6 (specify) below for what you would like to do.


 5. To Not Specify Download Mode for Delivery Optimization

This is the default setting to allow choosing a download method for Delivery Optimization in Settings.

A) Select (dot) either Not Configured or Disabled, click/tap on OK, and go to step 7 below. (see screenshot below)

Not Configured is the default setting.


 6. To Specify Download Mode for Delivery Optimization

A) Select (dot) Enabled, select a Download mode from the drop menu in "Options", click/tap on OK, and go to step 8 below. (see screenshot below)

Specify How Windows and Store App Updates are Downloaded in Windows 10-delivery_optimization_download_mode-gpedit-2.png

7. When finished, you can close Local Group Policy Editor if you like.






OPTION TWO

Specify Download Mode for Delivery Optimization using REG file



The downloadable .reg files below will add and modify the DWORD value in the registry key below.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\DeliveryOptimization

DODownloadMode DWORD

(delete) = Default
0 = HTTP only (0)
1 = LAN (1)
2 = Group (2)
3 = Internet (3)
63 = Simple (99)
64 = Bypass (100)

1. Do step 2 (default), step 3 (HTTP), step 4 (LAN), step 5 (Group),
step 6 (Internet), step 7 (Simple), or step 8 (Bypass) below for what you would like to do.


 2. To Not Specify Download Mode for Delivery Optimization

This is the default setting to allow choosing a download method for Delivery Optimization in Settings.

A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 9 below.

Default_not_specify_download_mode_for_Delivery_Optimization.reg

Download


 3. To Specify HTTP only (0) Download Mode for Delivery Optimization

A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 9 below.

Specify_HTTP-only0_download_mode_for_Delivery_Optimization.reg

Download


 4. To Specify LAN (1) Download Mode for Delivery Optimization

A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 9 below.

Specify_LAN1_download_mode_for_Delivery_Optimization.reg

Download


 5. To Specify Group (2) Download Mode for Delivery Optimization

A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 9 below.

Specify_Group2_download_mode_for_Delivery_Optimization.reg

Download


 6. To Specify Internet (3) Download Mode for Delivery Optimization

A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 9 below.

Specify_Internet3_download_mode_for_Delivery_Optimization.reg

Download


 7. To Specify Simple (99) Download Mode for Delivery Optimization

A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 9 below.

Specify_Simple99_download_mode_for_Delivery_Optimization.reg

Download


 8. To Specify Bypass (100) Download Mode for Delivery Optimization

A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 9 below.

Specify_Bypass100_download_mode_for_Delivery_Optimization.reg

Download

9. Save the .reg file to your desktop.

10. Double click/tap on the downloaded .reg file to merge it.

11. When prompted, click/tap on Run, Yes (UAC), Yes, and OK to approve the merge.

12. You could now delete the downloaded .reg file if you like.


That's it,
Shawn