A default feature on the new Windows 10 named Windows Update Delivery Optimization utilizes a user's connection to the Internet to share updates to other users that are online.
Much hype surrounded the launch of Windows 10, with the new operating system coming as a free upgrade for users that have their systems on Windows 7, Windows 8 or Windows 8.1. On July 29, Windows 10 began rolling out to users across 190 countries in phases.
There have been some issues surrounding Windows 10 regarding possible privacy concerns and the elimination of user choice, and as such the Windows Update Delivery Optimization feature, also known as WUDO, could be another cause for worry.
However, a report by The Next Web applauds the potential benefits of WUDO. If possible, users should keep the feature turned on, as it will be a great help to the recently started Windows 10 community.
WUDO has been designed to assist users in receiving their updates faster, with the feature automatically enabled in the Pro and Home editions of Windows 10. For the Education and Enterprise editions, the feature is only enabled for local networks.
WUDO basically works just like how torrents do, with the computers of users being utilized as a piece of a peer-to-peer network that looks to be able to deliver updates to other users faster.
The feature can be disabled by users that do not want to participate. The option, to deactivate it, however, is buried in the settings menu under Windows Update. Users should select Advanced Options and then look for the option under "Choose how updates are received."
According to Microsoft, WUDO will not allow downloading or sending personal content, and that it will only be sending portions of the update cache.
At first glance, the automatically enabled feature does not look fair for users that are on Internet connections that have a limited bandwidth, as participating in the peer-to-peer network could use up what bandwidth each user has. However, a response by Microsoft on a query by The Next Web on how much data that feature uses reveals that WUDO will not be causing any slowdowns to a user's Internet connection, as it only uses a "limited portion" of the computer's idle bandwidth for uploading.
The statement by Microsoft does not clarify how much data is sent by users to see how much is being used up by WUDO. Users with caps on downloaded and uploaded data should be on the safe side and disable the feature, but for users that have no such caps, the feature is a great way to help out other Windows 10 users.
