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tomupnorth
join:2005-01-14
UpperMidwest

tomupnorth to TexasHippie

Member

to TexasHippie

Re: [HN7000S] Windows Updates

Here's mine. Note "CST" here--I've set BITS to using Zero bandwidth from 6a to 1a, then Full bandwidth during the remainder. Maybe the differences w/dirdman's may have to do with differing BITS version:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\BITS]
"EnableBITSMaxBandwidth"=dword:00000001
"MaxTransferRateOnSchedule"=dword:00000000
"MaxBandwidthValidFrom"=dword:00000006
"MaxBandwidthValidTo"=dword:00000001
"UseSystemMaximum"=dword:00000001
"MaxTransferRateOffSchedule"=dword:00000014

dbirdman
MVM
join:2003-07-07
usa

dbirdman

MVM

There may be several ways to accomplish this. It appears that you did not use the "Setup a maintenance schedule" GPEdit choice used by the original poster - that's what mine came from. Here's another, using the Setup a work schedule choice:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\BITS]

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\BITS\Throttling]
"EnableBandwidthLimits"=dword:00000001

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\BITS\Throttling\NonWorkSchedule]
"HighBandwidthLimit"=dword:00000000
"HighBandwidthType"=dword:00000003
"NormalBandwidthLimit"=dword:00000000
"NormalBandwidthType"=dword:00000003
"LowBandwidthLimit"=dword:00000000
"LowBandwidthType"=dword:00000003

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\BITS\Throttling\WorkSchedule]
"StartDay"=dword:00000000
"EndDay"=dword:00000006
"StartHour"=dword:00000006
"EndHour"=dword:00000001
"HighBandwidthLimit"=dword:00000000
"HighBandwidthType"=dword:00000001
"NormalBandwidthLimit"=dword:00000000
"NormalBandwidthType"=dword:00000001
"LowBandwidthLimit"=dword:00000000
"LowBandwidthType"=dword:00000001
TexasHippie
Premium Member
join:2006-08-20
Brownwood, TX

TexasHippie

Premium Member

Thanks guys! Based on your input I did more searching and found that you can determine which version of BITS is being used. It may be important to know so you'll know which keys are used in the registry. I suspect dbirdman is on version 4 and laserfan is on version 3.

BITS version QMgr.dll file version number

BITS 4.0 7.5.xxxx.xxxx
BITS 3.0 7.0.xxxx.xxxx
BITS 2.5 6.7.xxxx.xxxx
BITS 2.0 6.6.xxxx.xxxx
BITS 1.5 6.5.xxxx.xxxx
BITS 1.2 6.2.xxxx.xxxx
BITS 1.0 6.0.xxxx.xxxx

I've found that I have version 2 on a win2k machine, 2.5 on XP, and 4 on win7 home.

Duane
tomupnorth
join:2005-01-14
UpperMidwest

tomupnorth

Member

TH the registry entries I posted were for BITS 4.0 (WHS), so if you like the "terms" those should work on your W7Home machine anyway. I'm not sure which version of BITS introduced the bandwidth-limiting feature. But AFAIK the only risk to using this methodology is that if an update download is in progress when 6am rolls around, the allotment goes to zero and I dunno frankly what happens to the incomplete download. But honestly there is no set-of-updates that I know of that wouldn't DL in 4.5 hours anyway (the updates don't start at exactly 100am, but within 30min I believe).

I wish I'd know the magic of BITS a long time ago--would have made Windows life a lot simpler around here knowing Updates would only download during FAP-free time.

dbirdman
MVM
join:2003-07-07
usa

dbirdman

MVM

Do you know which of the GPE options you chose to produce the registry entries you show above?

The options show like this, with these levels of BITS required:

Limit the maximum network bandwidth for BITS background transfers. Requires Windows XP SP2 or Windows Server 2003 SP1, or computers with BITS 2.0 installed.

Limit the maximum network bandwidth used for Peercaching. Requires At Least Windows Vista.

Set up a maintenance schedule to limit the maximum network bandwidth used for BITS background transfers. Requires Windows 7 or computers with BITS 3.5 installed.

Set up a work schedule to limit the maximum network bandwidth used for BITS background transfers. Requires Windows 7 or computers with BITS 3.5 installed.

The two reg files I show above are from the 3rd and 4th choices. I'm guessing you used the first choice. If that is the case your reg file is much better, as it would work on many more machines.
tomupnorth
join:2005-01-14
UpperMidwest

tomupnorth

Member

said by dbirdman:

Do you know which of the GPE options you chose to produce the registry entries you show above?

The options show like this, with these levels of BITS required:

Limit the maximum network bandwidth for BITS background transfers. Requires Windows XP SP2 or Windows Server 2003 SP1, or computers with BITS 2.0 installed.

Limit the maximum network bandwidth used for Peercaching. Requires At Least Windows Vista.

Set up a maintenance schedule to limit the maximum network bandwidth used for BITS background transfers. Requires Windows 7 or computers with BITS 3.5 installed.

Set up a work schedule to limit the maximum network bandwidth used for BITS background transfers. Requires Windows 7 or computers with BITS 3.5 installed.

The two reg files I show above are from the 3rd and 4th choices. I'm guessing you used the first choice. If that is the case your reg file is much better, as it would work on many more machines.

You guessed exactly right dbirdman, and indeed the dialog box shows "Supported on...computers with BITS 2.0". My selected Options are:
Limit background transfer rate (Kbps) to: 0
From 6AM to 1AM
At all other times
Use all available unused bandwidth (checked)

I did just this A.M. select a bunch of updates to download, which stopped-dead at 6AM--I assume they will restart tonight/tomorrow at 100AM again, and in the meantime my BITS log is getting hit with warnings every 10 minutes.

I can live with that--I do wonder, why has BITS not been shouted from rooftops before???

dbirdman
MVM
join:2003-07-07
usa

dbirdman

MVM

OK, I'm officially recommending laserfan's version of the .reg file, repeated below. Simpler, and works across most versions of Windows. Copy everything between the lines and paste into Notepad, adjust the time if you are not in the Central time zone, SaveAs (change to type "All Files") bits.reg or similar (save to your desktop or somewhere easy to find), then run it.

Times for Pacific would be
"MaxBandwidthValidFrom"=dword:00000004
"MaxBandwidthValidTo"=dword:00000017

(17 is hexadecimal for 23, or 11pm)

Times for Mountain would be
"MaxBandwidthValidFrom"=dword:00000005
"MaxBandwidthValidTo"=dword:00000000

Times for Eastern would be
"MaxBandwidthValidFrom"=dword:00000007
"MaxBandwidthValidTo"=dword:00000002

-----------------
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\BITS]
"EnableBITSMaxBandwidth"=dword:00000001
"MaxTransferRateOnSchedule"=dword:00000000
"MaxBandwidthValidFrom"=dword:00000006
"MaxBandwidthValidTo"=dword:00000001
"UseSystemMaximum"=dword:00000001
"MaxTransferRateOffSchedule"=dword:00000014
-----------------
tomupnorth
join:2005-01-14
UpperMidwest

tomupnorth

Member

Good stuff. For any who may not be clear about this, BITS is Windows' Background Intelligent Transfer Service and affects ONLY Windows updates (I'm quite certain anyway), i.e. it doesn't affect any other download activities (which is why I still use FreeDownloadManager to schedule big downloads).

Further, in at least Windows 7 there is an Operational Log one can refer to which lists the what/whens of BITS--goto Computer Mgmt and under Event Viewer find Applications and Services Logs>Microsoft>Windows>Bits-Client and in there is a complete listing of download activities for WU.

You CAN get control of MS downloads!