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Unusual Windows 10 Internet usage (see Post #31)

8K views 53 replies 16 participants last post by  Bplayer 
#1 ·
I’m with Bell on a plan that allows me 20GB per month. As the download limit is pretty tight I check my internet usage every few days. On January 11, I apparently used 3.5GB, and yesterday, January 30, I apparently used 3.0GB. The thing is, I don’t recall having done anything exceptional on those two days. I usually used 0.5GB, and when I go on YouTube or download something, I know, I expect to see my usage be higher than 0.5GB but for those two days, I have no explanation.

Could it be Windows update? It never did that before I switch to Windows 10.
Apparently, Firefox use 10GB in the last 30 days, that would make sense, but the system used 6.2GB.

I’m lost here, how can I find what used my internet, without my permission. How can I stop that?
It’s not the neighbors, there’s a password for the Wi-Fi.
 
#2 ·
#3 ·
Absolutely, it could quite easily be part of Windows Update on Windows 10.

Specifically:
1) By default, the updates you download are shared via peer-to-peer networking, which increases the data usage of updates. You can disable this through Settings, Update & Security, Windows Update, Advanced, "Choose how updates are delivered", and turn the slider bar to "Off".

2) If you're a "Windows Insider" and you're receiving Fast or Slow build updates, each new build is typically several GB in size. There were at least 3 such builds released this month. If this is the case, I'd recommend either opting out of Insider builds (Windows Update, Advanced, "Stop Insider Preview builds") or increasing your data plan.
 
#4 ·
57, Yesterday it was nearly all download. 3.087 in download, 0.107 in upload.

I guess, that would exclude cloud saving.

Tux, How do I know if I am a Windows Insider? If I have no idea what it means, it's probably because I'm not one, right?
 
#5 ·
Though wouldn't account for your DOWNLOAD.. (more for upload)
But make sure with 10, you turn off the 'sharing' of the downloads.. could eat up UPLOAD usage.

Still could be cloud.. if you have stuff ON there.. and its trying to sync DOWN to your machine.
 
#6 ·
You would only be a Windows Insider if you specifically opted into the program, and the bottom right of the Windows screen would show something like:
Windows 10 Pro Insider Preview
Evaluation copy. Build 11109

I am 99.999% sure you are not an Insider.

If you have multiple devices connected to your internet service then your router may have some stats on the usage by each device. You will need to login to the router to check. Each router does this differently so there is no standard "how to retrieve those stats". Maybe if you state what router you have somebody can help.
 
#7 ·
You cannot turn off Windows 10 updates unless you have an Enterprise licence but you can delay them with the Pro licence.

MS are delivering 'cumulative updates' every couple of weeks. Your machine may only use a few files from these but you may download quite a lot of data.
Every so often there will be a big update of about 3Gb.

If you run Windows Defender the built in antivirus that gets a small download every day or two.

Windows contains lots of telemetry and sends data to MS but you can turn most of that off.


MS assumes that users have lots of bandwidth if they are behind a router.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD
 
#8 ·
Windows 10 uses your bandwidth to send updates you have to other customers around the globe. Yes it's possible to disable as noted above by others. Yes Microspy are cheapskates.(Though the sharing updates with computers on your LAN has merit, it is not the default option)

The only way to disable Automatic Updates, as far as I understand, on Win 10 Home is by setting your ethernet/wifi connection as a metered connection. Windows 10 update will then list the updates available for download.
 
#10 ·
...

The only way to disable Automatic Updates, as far as I understand, on Win 10 Home is by setting your ethernet/wifi connection as a metered connection. Windows 10 update will then list the updates available for download.
That metered connection thing does not work if you are
A. Connected Ethernet. and
B. Behind a local router.

I believe you have to be wifi to a cellular modem or have a cellular modem dongle for metered to work.

It is only there so you don't end up doing downloads when you are away from home.




Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD
 
#9 ·
Do you really think that the update distribution process is that dumb that it would pull updates from your PC in NA for a PC in Australia or China? Are cheapskate not those who do not want to pay a dime for the OS and try to find ways to... Oh never mind, let's not start go down that rabbit hole.
 
#11 ·
I'm curious, why do people get so upset when their OS gets a update that is strongly encouraged (like Windows 10), but I don't see many people getting upset with auto updating software that gives users even fewer update options. Like, say, Chrome. Apple has been more pushy with the last two updates of OS X than Windows has been with Windows 10, but nobody seems to freak out about that.

Most people who aren't technical experts should always update their software. In most cases that's the important to keep your system secure.
 
#16 ·
Because people like to bitch and complain, occasionally with good cause. MS is a huge target and it is easy to jump on the negative bandwagon.

I consider myself as a semi-tech expert, and go for all the updates. I am also a Windows Insiders on the Fast Ring and have been applying all the releases since early last year, and average of at least one rebuilt OS per month. Over that time there have been glitches and bugs, a minor inconvenience. The was one show stopper prior to the official release requiring a reinstall. All this is on my daily laptop. The desktop and other laptop that I maintain for my wife are not on the Insider program but have been upgraded to Win 10 and get all updates. There have been no glitches. The desktop was originally Win 7 with a lot of misc audio/video software, USB connected scanner, ink jet, and webcam hardware. Nary a problem.

My recommendation is if the Win 10 Upgrade Adviser says the system is compatible then do the upgrade and apply all the maintenance fixes as they are released.
 
#12 ·
Given how often Microsoft has released updates that prevented computers for booting (there's definitely been several), I'd rather update on my terms (or at least after enough time has passed to ensure the updates aren't going to break things.

I've never had a Chrome update that caused the browser to repeatedly crash on startup.

Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk
 
#14 ·
@audacity

Apple has been pushy, but you still have to initiate the upgrade from the app store - it won't be automatically installed as a "recommended update".

As for the reason not to upgrade to Windows 10, my wife uses the Win 7 PC for a variety of graphics applications, like printing greeting cards, scanning and repairing old photos, etc. Our experience with past OS upgrades is that when the printer drivers are upgraded for the new OS, many features are dropped to simplify the coding effort to support older printers, making it more difficult or impossible to work with certain paper sizes/orientations, duplex etc. The only solution is to buy new printers to get the enhanced drivers.

Since Windows 7 is working well as it is, there is no need to upgrade. Most of our usage is on Macbooks and the one PC is just used for handling the junk mail e-mail account, running Turbo Tax once a year, and occasional use of any other programs which are not available on or not as good on Mac.
 
#15 ·
...Our experience with past OS upgrades is that when the printer drivers are upgraded for the new OS, many features are dropped to simplify the coding effort to support older printers, making it more difficult or impossible to work with certain paper sizes/orientations, duplex etc...
Agreed. My (fairly expensive all-in-one) printer is just fine and doesn't get used that much, yet an OS upgrade (on my Mac) disabled the printer's scanning capability. Since I don't scan much, I now simply use my Camera as necessary, but this should not really happen, or you should be able to download a driver that re-enables all the printer features, but they often don't exist. Damn "throw-away" society. ;)

I have nothing set to auto-download, but I do scan for upgrades each week. I want to be able to choose. Another example - the latest iOS9 for iPad made the Rogers App useless for 6 months. Anyone who knew about the issue could avoid the iOS upgrade during this time.

Still another example - MSOffice upgrade destroyed my Outlook database. Over a period of a week MS was kind enough to "rebuild" the database. Of course I did have a backup, but even it didn't work until MS brought out the fix for what they destroyed a week earlier. At least it was only a week, unlike Rogers that can take months or years to fix a bug.

I now wait a week to avoid these sorts of issues for major upgrades. Minor ones like FF are usually not a problem. For OS upgrades, I usually wait a month or more and check the various forums for comments since there is almost always some sort of incompatibility for the various software that I use.
 
#18 ·
@NeilN

Oh yeah.. i run into that at work.
I am the one in charge of windows updates, etc.

No 10 machines so far other than mine actually.

But even on ANY OS.. there is that risks with updates.
But at the same time.. its risky NOT to update as well.

I have a few separate user groups... one being a test group, who has a mix of users from many different departments and have about every software/site we use.
These test users, get the updates first.. run for a week to find no issues that arise.. then the other users can get them.

(we have used a few different things to push out the updates.. but any update manager will do :) )
 
#20 ·
NeilN said:
You ever work with/for large companies? Custom legacy apps that break and VPN software that has a fit if the OS is upgraded.
Your comment is off topic because the Enterprise edition of Windows won't ever automatically upgrade to Windows 10 without domain admin approval.

We're talking about consumers here, because Microsoft changing Windows 10 to being a recommended upgrade doesn't affect PCs in a large corporation.

geode said:
Apple has been pushy, but you still have to initiate the upgrade from the app store - it won't be automatically installed as a "recommended update".
Windows 10 as a recommended update won't automatically install either. The user still needs to initiate the action. And if you really don't want Windows 10, there are well documented means to prevent it from updating. Just like OS X updates.

The only difference is that it'll automatically download the bits before hand.

ssbtech said:
Security updates are great, but don't force a new build on me that screws things up.
Any sort of code change = new software build. Whether it's a code change to fix a security issue or to add a feature it's still a code change.

I hear you on the Windows Insider program that re-paves some parts of the Registry, but I guess that's just part of being in the Insider program.

Bplayer said:
Because people like to bitch and complain, occasionally with good cause. MS is a huge target and it is easy to jump on the negative bandwagon.
Yup, that's absolutely what's going on. I just find it odd that users seem to freak out when Microsoft does this, but not when other companies like Google and Apple do exactly the same thing.

Plus, people state misinformation such as Windows 10 automatically being installed without users clicking a "Upgrade/Update" button (geode), or that this somehow affects Enterprise customers (NeilN).

When Chrome updates it doesn't ever give the user the choice to not update, it affects all customers (enterprise, small business and consumer), they do more than simple security fixes, and when browsers change they absolutely affect different apps (web apps) that may have been built to interface with older versions of the browser.

I'm not against what Google is doing. In fact, I think the vast majority of users are better off with automatic software updates. Mobile operating systems work that way, and I see no reason for desktop operating systems to be any different.

I'm just amazed with the inconsistency around which software updates people choose to bitch about.

To answer a few more comments...

gzink said:
I have apps running and am away at times. Win10 pushes an update and reboots. I have a password to login. None of my apps work at home until I get there to reboot and login. That's what upsets me about auto updates.
Then change your Windows Update settings to download the updates and not install them until you initiate the reboot.

BGY11 said:
Given how often Microsoft has released updates that prevented computers for booting (there's definitely been several), I'd rather update on my terms (or at least after enough time has passed to ensure the updates aren't going to break things.
Sure, and Microsoft allows you to do that. I assume you're still not running Windows 10 ~6 months after its release, it's not going to automatically do a OS upgrade on your PC without you giving it permission first, and if you really don't want it to ever be installed there are well documented means to prevent it from happening.
 
#23 ·
NeilN said:
No, it's directly on-topic for this work-at-home/contractor world. It should be obvious, but people use their personal PCs to do work.
I've got plenty of experience working for big companies (5000+ employees), and in my experience those companies that still have line of business app that would be incompatible with newer versions of Windows don't upgrade to the latest version of Windows early, and when they want users to run those old apps from home, they're run using remote desktop/Citrix style systems. That way it doesn't matter what version of Windows the employee has at home, they could be running a Mac for all they care.

Big companies usually don't even let employees bring their own PCs to work and plug them into their business network.

The whole "bring your own device" trend is largely limited to smartphones/tablets, and those don't run legacy Windows software, period.

Can you name a single large 5000+ person company that expects employees to bring their own PCs to work, plug them into their LAN, and expect them to run legacy VB6/Powerbuilder apps on them, and doesn't utilize stuff like Citrix to run legacy apps when employees need to run that stuff from home?
 
#24 ·
^^^ Points for constructing an implausible scenario that bolsters your viewpoint. Points taken away for missing half the picture. No one "expects employees to bring their own PCs to work [and] plug them into their LAN." Working offsite, employees and contractors, using their own PCs, run legacy apps (point of failure) and/or connect to a remote desktop using VPN software (another point of failure).
 
#25 ·
Just name a big company that asks employees/contractors to install line-of-business apps directly on their personal PCs. You're just setting up a imaginary scenario that either doesn't happen or is incredibly rare.

Seriously. I'm pretty sure they all would use something like Citrix for that because the amount of helpdesk traffic that would be generated by asking people to run legacy software that doesn't work on modern Windows would exceed the cost of just getting Citrix.
 
#26 ·
Sorry, I'm not going to name the clients I deal with (ranging from 5-6 employees to Fortune 500s). Perhaps it'd be more useful for you to realize that your experience does not begin to encompass the huge variety of scenarios out there. And again, using Citrix usually requires VPN software which can break.

And Windows 8.1 is not "modern Windows"?
 
#29 ·
Yes, I'm familiar with all of them, but I don't see how that relates to your claim about Citrix usually requiring a VPN. In fact, that's one of the main selling point of using Citrix is that end users don't need to configure VPN software.

And again, you can't seem to name a big company that would be affected by Microsoft moving Windows 10 to "recommended" from "optional" in Windows update.

At least I can back up the claims I make with details and supporting arguments.
 
#30 ·
Really? You've gone to every decent sized company out there and asked them how an upgrade to Windows 10 would affect their systems, not fixating on Citrix? It really seems this conversation is boiling down to:

You - There's One True Way of implementing remote access.
Me - There are many different ways of implementing remote access and to allow people to work offsite, ranging from two tin cans and a string to the One True Way. Windows 10 breaks some of those ways.
 
#31 ·
Windows 10 telemetry network traffic analysis - too bad for you

Now you can see why there is unusual Windows 10 Internet usage no matter what you do. Wow... just wow...
I wanted to better understand Windows 10, but internet search results for a decent windows 10 traffic analysis leave a lot to be desired. As such, I decided to do my own investigating on what, exactly, Windows 10 is doing traffic-wise, and post the results. For this analysis, I wanted to simply analyse the network traffic of Windows 10 on a clean install, and just let it sit and run without using it.
https://voat.co/v/technology/comments/835741

The comments at that site to that story are sometimes crude but they point the way to some hard firewalling and null routing that might alleviate some or all of that Windows 10 reporting.
Wheelman said:
Windows 10 uses your bandwidth to send updates you have to other customers around the globe. Yes it's possible to disable as noted above by others.
Evidently not, it would seem. The tester disabled three pages of tracking options prior to beginning.

So, if network analysis stuff is tl;dr for you:

If you try to use all the "normal" measures to stop Windows 10 from sending reports on a wide variety of your activities to a wide variety of Microsoft/other online machines, it will ignore you and just do it anyways. Your own Internet bandwidth will thus be adversely affected.
 
#39 ·
Now you can see why there is unusual Windows 10 Internet usage no matter what you do. Wow... just wow...https://voat.co/v/technology/comments/835741
And this rebuttal for anyone who cake to read the full script

When it comes to Windows 10 privacy, don't trust amateur analysts | ZDNet

There is no doubt that Win 10 is more internet connected than previous versions, but does anyone use less internet than they did 2 or 5 years ago?

As the old songs say "who are you gonna trust".
 
#32 ·
Why am I not surprised! Whether this is a disaster or not depends on how well their propaganda machine works out for them. I'm sure government authorities would be delighted to help out Microspy in that department. That's just one step closer to full invasion of privacy on everyone. What a sad future for us all.
 
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