The Tool Desk
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Where to find the Activity monitor
Microsoft Support documents this path for Windows 11. The steps are the same on any Windows 11 PC that shows the Windows Update page in Settings.
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- Open Start and select Settings.
- Select Windows Update, then select Advanced options.
- Select Delivery Optimization, then select Activity monitor.
Older guides and some Windows 10 support pages show a different route to the same Delivery Optimization controls. Use the Windows 11 path above if your screen matches the Settings layout described here.
What the Activity monitor reports
Microsoft describes the page as showing three things, all limited to the current month:
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| Metric | What it tells you | Scope |
|---|---|---|
| Breakdown of downloads by source | How many bytes came from each delivery source, so peer-sourced bytes can be separated from other delivery | Current month |
| Average speed | The average download speed Delivery Optimization achieved | Current month |
| Upload stats | How much your PC uploaded to other PCs, and how much of a configured monthly upload limit remains | Current month |
Microsoft describes the panel as showing what your PC received from other PCs and what it contributed. The page does not list individual files, filenames, or per-transfer timings.
Reading the numbers correctly
Download source
Delivery Optimization can draw content from several places at once: Microsoft’s HTTP delivery servers, Microsoft Connected Cache where an organization runs it, and eligible peers on your local network or the internet. The source breakdown is the only place in the panel that shows how your traffic was split among them. A large share from Microsoft’s servers is normal when few peers are available.
Average speed
The average speed is a monthly figure. It blends fast and slow transfers, and it does not measure the speed of any single update. Use it to see the general trend on your connection, not to judge one download.
Upload activity
The upload figures reflect the sharing configuration you have chosen. If you have set an upload limit, the panel shows how much of that monthly allowance remains. If sharing is restricted, the upload figures will be low or zero, and that is the expected result of the setting.
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Zero or low peer figures
Peer use is best effort. It depends on whether other PCs are available, on network conditions, on your device settings, and on the content being delivered. A zero peer figure on its own does not indicate a fault. Check the sharing setting described below before you assume something is broken.
Live detail: PowerShell status and performance cmdlets
When you need what is happening now rather than a monthly total, Microsoft documents two PowerShell cmdlets for Delivery Optimization. Microsoft Learn’s page Monitor Delivery Optimization describes them.
Get-DeliveryOptimizationStatus
This cmdlet returns a real-time snapshot of all current Delivery Optimization jobs. It exposes the bytes downloaded from peers and from HTTP, including LAN peers, group peers, internet peers, and Connected Cache. Run it in PowerShell:
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If no update or Store download is in progress, the output will be empty or near empty. That is the expected result, not an error.
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Get-DeliveryOptimizationPerfSnap
This cmdlet returns a broader performance snapshot. Microsoft lists fields for total bytes, average transfer sizes, cache occupancy, CPU and memory use, peer counts, and current bandwidth usage. Run it in PowerShell:
Get-DeliveryOptimizationPerfSnap
Use this when you want to understand resource use or cache size, rather than the progress of one download.
Controlling how much your PC shares
The Activity monitor only reports. To change what your PC downloads and uploads, return to Start > Settings > Windows Update > Advanced options > Delivery Optimization. The page includes controls for download limits, upload bandwidth limits, and a monthly upload cap.
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Two limits behave differently from what many people expect. Download bandwidth limits apply to automatic updates. They do not apply to downloads you start yourself, such as a Windows Update you trigger manually or a Microsoft Store download.
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Limiting sharing to your local network
If you prefer not to exchange data with PCs on the internet, set Allow downloads from other devices to Devices on my local network. This stops peer exchange over the internet. Windows Update and Store downloads continue to come directly from Microsoft.
Turning peer sharing off
Turning Allow downloads from other devices off prevents your PC from downloading from other PCs and from uploading to them. Windows Update and Store downloads still work, served directly from Microsoft. Expect the source breakdown in the Activity monitor to show no peer-sourced bytes after you make this change.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Enterprise reporting
Organizations that manage many devices use the Windows Update for Business Delivery Optimization Report. Microsoft Learn describes it as summarizing observed bandwidth savings across enrolled devices over the past 28 days. It is a fleet-level view. It does not replace the per-PC monthly panel, and it is not something a home user can open.
What efficiency to expect
Microsoft’s Delivery Optimization FAQ gives typical enterprise peer-to-peer efficiency as 30% to 50%. It says some customers reach 60% to 70% under specified conditions involving larger devices and groups. Those figures describe enterprise environments. They are not a forecast for one home PC, and the FAQ does not promise any particular saving or speed increase for an individual device. The Microsoft Learn pages that carry these figures do not show a publication year, so read them as Microsoft’s stated ranges rather than dated benchmarks.
Privacy and content checks
Microsoft states that Delivery Optimization does not access your personal files or folders. Content received from peers is authenticated and verified before Windows uses it. The Activity monitor’s source breakdown is therefore a count of where bytes came from, not a record of what those files contain.
Microsoft’s support page on Delivery Optimization in Windows says the service is designed to automatically adjust the amount of network bandwidth it uses to upload and download updates, Store apps, and other Microsoft products.
Quick Recap
Quick troubleshooting
- The Activity monitor shows no peer bytes: Check Allow downloads from other devices. If it is set to off, that explains it. If it is set to a local-network or internet option, peer availability is the likely limit.
- The page shows little or no data: The statistics cover the current month only. Early in a month, totals may be small.
- PowerShell returns nothing: The status cmdlet only lists jobs in progress. Start a Windows Update or Store download, then run it again.
- Your upload cap is used up: The panel shows the remaining monthly allowance. Uploads stop once the cap is reached, and downloads continue.
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