Windows 11 downloads terabytes of "Updates" in two days.

[GerKNG]

over the last couple days i built a new system with a fresh copy of windows 11 24H2 (completely unmodified OS installed from a media creation tool USB Stick)
i had constantly lags in Multiplayer games, youtube dropped down to 480p and when i had the same issues on my phone and laptop i decided to look into my router and i saw non stop 100% bandwidth usage from my PC.
Well... Now i know why: Servicehost: Windows Update downloads 24/7 no matter if i restart my PC, cut and reset the internet connection, close the service manually or look for updates (windows is up to date)
i re-downloaded windows, made a second USB Stick, installed Windows and it imediately starts to download literally thousands of gigabytes of data in the last ~36 Hours.
what the hell is going on with Windows?!
This screenshot is from right now on the second fresh installation.

 

[eidairaman1]

I would suggest you create a debloat version where wud is permenantly removed where it can't phone home, and use powershell to install only security updates.

 

[Solaris17]

I mean by the sounds of it, it just seems like it’s not accurate, or maybe it’s counting update days xfered to other machines on the network?

 

[GerKNG]

I mean by the sounds of it, it just seems like it’s not accurate, or maybe it’s counting update days xfered to other machines on the network?

crazy but it is actually very accurate.
My Router shows 1.7TB downloaded today and exactly the same traffic yesterday. Windows Update downloads non stop 24/7 at 100% of my bandwidth. over 3400GB so far.

 

[Solaris17]

sadly it is accurate.
My Router shows 1.7TB downloaded today and exactly the same traffic yesterday. Windows Update downloads non stop 24/7 at 100% of my bandwidth. over 3000GB so far.
View attachment 377627

That’s absolutely wild. I can’t really read that is that actual WAN interface traffic?

EDIT: reason I ask is some routers and switched will track lan traffic communication as well and will mark it things as Download and Upload.

 

[GerKNG]

That’s absolutely wild. I can’t really read that is that actual WAN interface traffic?

EDIT: reason I ask is some routers and switched will track lan traffic communication as well and will mark it things as Download and Upload.

this is exclusively the traffic between me and my ISP.
"Heute" = Today
"Gestern" = Yesterday

Edit:
There is no other running Windows device in my network since this PC was built.

 

[eidairaman1]

That’s absolutely wild. I can’t really read that is that actual WAN interface traffic?

EDIT: reason I ask is some routers and switched will track lan traffic communication as well and will mark it things as Download and Upload.

Didnt 8 have the option to get updates from other pcs in your lan to reduce wan network loads or did that start with 10, cant remember

 

[Solaris17]

Didnt 8 have the option to get updates from other pcs in your lan to reduce wan network loads or did that start with 10, cant remember

Everything 8 and up does. Though its generally off by default which is why I asked. In his case it seems to come from WAN which is wild.

Do you have any blocking mechanism or pi-hole etc that might be making WU try again?

Is your disk actually getting more full?

Judging by the screen shot that should be around 200GB a day, I feel you would notice that. However if something is interfering with the WU requests or its failing to save or apply for some reason that could be a problem you might not "see".

 

[GerKNG]

Is your disk actually getting more full?

Judging by the screen shot that should be around 200GB a day

No.

This Screenshot with the 1.023 TB is only from the last 24 Hours after i clean installed windows 11 for the second time.

 

[Steevo]

Maybe download a large file and check its download size VS actual and see if you are getting damaged packets?

You can kill the windows update service and run SFC /scannow and chkdsk /r to ensure there isn’t corruption in the file system causing issues

 

[LabRat 891]

Only thing I can think of is Windows starting update downloads, being interrupted, and leaving the partial files while downloading fresh (repeatedly)
It's a shot in the dark but I'd start here:

Additional resources for Windows Update - Windows Client

Describes details about to troubleshooting WSUS and resetting Windows Update components manually.

learn.microsoft.com

(Clear cache/downloads and Reset all Windows Update components)

 

[Solaris17]

Only thing I can think of is Windows starting update downloads, being interrupted, and leaving the partial files while downloading fresh (repeatedly)
It's a shot in the dark but I'd start here:

Additional resources for Windows Update - Windows Client

Describes details about to troubleshooting WSUS and resetting Windows Update components manually.

learn.microsoft.com

Agree this sounds a lot like something is wrong and it is retrying.

 

[freeagent]

This happened to me once on Windows 10. That is exactly what it was, getting hung up on an update that would not install, I was going to say it was the strangest thing ever, but looks like you found it too.

But Terabytes.. mine didn't try that hard lol..

 

[GerKNG]

You can kill the windows update service and run SFC /scannow and chkdsk /r to ensure there isn’t corruption in the file system causing issues

i completely wiped the drive and installed Windows 11 again and it still happens. SFC comes out clean as well and the drives SMART Values are showing that the drive is 100% free of errors.
everything else works fine i downloaded a game from steam earlier today and played it, and a downloaded driver and bios update was not damaged or broken as well.
online multiplayer games run without any problems or packet loss warnings, lags. (when i kill the windows update task and my bandwidth doesn't get railed.)

 

[Shrek]

Terabytes is insane, the OS itself is only about a 5 GB download.

 

[GerKNG]

Only thing I can think of is Windows starting update downloads, being interrupted, and leaving the partial files while downloading fresh (repeatedly)
It's a shot in the dark but I'd start here:

Additional resources for Windows Update - Windows Client

Describes details about to troubleshooting WSUS and resetting Windows Update components manually.

learn.microsoft.com

(Clear cache/downloads and Reset all Windows Update components)

i'll try that.

Edit:
restarted the PC and so far the download does not start again! wtf microsoft...

 

[freeagent]

Yeah I noticed after 120GB lol..

 

[Ruru]

~22GB data usage for updates during the last 30 days here. Something seems hella fishy there.

 

[Solaris17]

i'll try that.

Edit:
restarted the PC and so far the download does not start again! wtf microsoft...

Nice work!

I have reset the components when Updates fail to install, but I have never ever seen them download without any kind of visual indicator of failure. Nice job!

 

[Bill_Bright]

Agree this sounds a lot like something is wrong and it is retrying.

I agree - something got corrupted.

restarted the PC and so far the download does not start again! wtf microsoft...

Amazing what a simple reboot can fix.

I realize people just love to blame Microsoft for everything under the sun that goes wrong, but that's just not realistic. If this were Microsoft's fault, even if it affected a tiny percentage of users, that would still be millions and millions of users affected. And your case is the first and only case I have seen of this problem.

Frankly, I think MS has done a fantastic job here - especially when one considers that essentially every single one of the 1.6 billion Windows computers out there became a unique system within the first couple minutes it was booted up for the very first time. This happens as each us set up our own hardware configurations, network configuration, personalizations, security, installed software and so much more. As much as we would like Microsoft to test each one of those 1.6 billion unique configurations before releasing any update, it is totally unreasonable and unrealistic to expect they could, even if they wanted to.

1/10th of 1% (.001) of 1.6 billion is still 1.6 million.

Even if one takes W11 only, it currently has 34.94% of the Windows market share for ~560 million users worldwide. .001 x 560million is still 560,000 users.

What is clear here, GerKNG, is you are truly unique! And frankly, I think that is a good thing!

 

[Steevo]

This happened with XP for awhile, I would have builds downloading updates on DSL for a day and nothing would actually update due to some error in the update process.
Glad you got it sorted.

 

[GerKNG]

Amazing what a simple reboot can fix.

a reboot did not fix this, read the posts before.
this issue still existed after two full wipes and clean installs. keep your obnoxious comments to yourself.

 

[mb194dc]

Seems like a Microsoft Special to me, try a different version of windows. 10 21 LTSC IOT would get my vote if you can get it.

 

[unwind-protect]

Well, on the bright side it is good to know that Microsoft's update servers are delivering at line speed.

Unlike their MSFS2024 servers...

 

[thesmokingman]

Didn't they re-enable that spying thing after they promised to disable it? What was it total recall, lol that's the tool to steal your info after they used recall.