If you’ve run Disk Cleanup or browsed your storage settings and spotted a category called “Delivery Optimization Files,” you’re not alone in wondering what they are, how they got there, and whether it’s safe to remove them. The short answer is that they’re a normal part of how Windows manages updates, and yes, you can delete them without affecting anything on your system.
Here’s what’s actually happening, how much space these files can take up, and how to manage them properly.
Delivery Optimization is a built-in Windows feature that manages how updates and app downloads are distributed to devices. Rather than downloading everything directly from Microsoft’s servers every time, it uses a caching system that stores copies of recently downloaded updates locally. Those stored copies are what show up as Delivery Optimization files.
When Windows downloads an update, Delivery Optimization caches it for a period of time. The idea is that if another device on your network needs the same update, it can get it from the local cache rather than downloading it again from Microsoft, saving bandwidth and speeding up the process across multiple machines. The files are created automatically and do not need to be configured by users.
These files live in a system-managed folder at C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\DeliveryOptimization. The folder is managed entirely by Windows, which means it grows as updates are downloaded and shrinks as older cached files are cleared automatically. You won’t see this folder listed in regular file browsing; it only surfaces through Disk Cleanup or Storage Settings.
By default, Windows still connects directly to Microsoft’s update servers for the essential update content. Delivery Optimization layers on top of that process; it doesn’t replace the connection, it manages what happens with the downloaded files afterward, caching them locally so future downloads can draw from that cache instead of the internet.
In some configurations, Delivery Optimization can share cached updates between devices on the same local network, or even with other Windows devices on the internet. The local network sharing option is useful in office environments where multiple machines run the same update. Internet-wide sharing is disabled by default in most business configurations and can be turned off entirely through Group Policy or Settings.
For single devices, the main benefit is that Windows doesn’t re-download the same update if the download is interrupted. For networks with multiple Windows machines, the bandwidth savings can be meaningful, particularly for larger feature updates that run several gigabytes. Managed IT environments typically configure this to limit sharing to local networks only.
No. Delivery Optimization files are created and managed entirely by Windows. They’re downloaded from Microsoft’s content delivery network and stored in a system-protected location. A legitimate security scan won’t flag these files as threats because they are a normal artifact of the Windows update process.
Not directly. The files themselves are inert cached data. They don’t run in the background, don’t communicate with external servers on their own, and don’t affect your security posture either positively or negatively. The only indirect consideration is disk space on machines with limited storage; a large Delivery Optimization cache can crowd out other files, which can impact system performance over time.
Windows verifies the integrity of update packages before applying them, regardless of whether they came from Microsoft’s servers or a local Delivery Optimization cache. Tampered or corrupted files would fail verification and not be applied. The caching mechanism doesn’t bypass any of the standard update validation steps.
Yes, and it’s safe to do so. Deleting these files removes cached copies of updates that have already been installed. Windows won’t need to reinstall anything, and your system won’t become less stable or less secure. The only effect is that if the same update were needed again, which is unlikely once it’s been applied, Windows would re-download it from Microsoft’s servers rather than pulling it from the local cache.
Windows also clears these files automatically over time as the cache ages out. Manual deletion is mainly useful when you need to reclaim disk space immediately.
There are two straightforward methods.
Both methods are safe and produce the same result. The cache is cleared, and installed updates remain untouched.
It varies based on the frequency of Windows updates runs, and how many devices are on the network sharing the cache. On a typical machine, after a major Windows feature update, you might see anywhere from 1 GB to 10 GB in the Delivery Optimization folder. Machines that haven’t had cache cleared in a long time, or that actively participate in local peer-to-peer sharing, can accumulate more.
Windows enforces a maximum cache size by default; it’s set at a percentage of available disk space, so the folder shouldn’t grow without limit. On machines with smaller drives, like older business laptops with 128 GB SSDs that are already fairly full, even a few gigabytes in cache is worth reclaiming.
Disabling Delivery Optimization is possible, but not something most users need to do. If you want to turn off the peer-to-peer sharing component without disabling the feature entirely, go to Settings, then Windows Update, then Advanced Options, then Delivery Optimization, and set “Allow downloads from other PCs” to off. This keeps the local caching behaviour while stopping Windows from sharing with or receiving from other devices.
In managed business environments, Delivery Optimization is typically configured through Group Policy or Microsoft Intune rather than local settings. Disabling it entirely means every machine downloads its own copy of each update directly from Microsoft, which increases bandwidth usage, a relevant consideration for offices with bandwidth-sensitive connections or many devices updating simultaneously.
| Feature | Delivery Optimization Files | Temporary Files |
|---|---|---|
| Created by | Windows Update system | Apps, browsers, OS processes |
| Purpose | Cache updates for efficient delivery | Temporary working files for running apps |
| Managed by | Windows automatically (self-cleaning) | Varies; some persist until manually cleared |
| Safe to delete | Yes, no impact on installed updates | Generally, yes (verify the app is closed first) |
| Disk space risk | Medium – can reach several GB on active machines | Various browsers and cache files can accumulate fast |
| Recommended action | Let Windows manage; clear manually if disk is tight | Clear regularly as part of routine maintenance |
The most common complaint is unexpected disk usage: users notice a large amount of space attributed to Delivery Optimization in Storage Settings and aren’t sure if it’s safe to remove. It is. Disk Cleanup or Storage Settings handles the deletion cleanly.
Occasionally, Delivery Optimization can generate network traffic that looks unusual in monitoring tools, particularly if the peer-to-peer component is active. Reviewing the Delivery Optimization settings and limiting sharing to local networks only or disabling it entirely in business environments resolves this. If a machine is consistently re-downloading the same updates rather than pulling from cache, it usually indicates the cache folder has been cleared too aggressively or the cache size limit has been set too low in Group Policy.
Let Windows manage the cache automatically. Run Disk Cleanup every few months if you notice storage getting tight, and include Delivery Optimization Files in the cleanup. There’s no need to disable the feature; it’s doing its job in the background without any performance cost.
If you’re working from home on a personal internet connection and bandwidth matters, consider limiting Delivery Optimization to local network sharing only. This prevents your machine from uploading update packages to other Windows devices on the internet, which can consume upload bandwidth in the background during work hours.
Configure Delivery Optimization to only share within the local network. This is the setting that delivers the most bandwidth benefit: machines on the same office network share update packages with each other without the exposure that comes from internet-wide sharing. Review cache usage quarterly as part of routine IT maintenance.
Delivery Optimization should be configured centrally through Group Policy or Intune, with cache size limits appropriate for device storage capacity, peer-to-peer sharing limited to the local network, and monitoring in place to catch unusual bandwidth patterns. In environments with Windows Server Update Services or Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager, Delivery Optimization can be configured to pull from internal distribution points rather than the internet.
Delivery Optimization is one of dozens of Windows settings that affect how machines perform over time. For businesses managing a fleet of devices, keeping these settings configured across every machine consistently isn’t something that happens reliably through manual effort alone.
A managed IT provider handles patch management, storage monitoring, and system configuration as part of ongoing device management. That includes making sure Delivery Optimization is set appropriately for the network environment, that caches are cleared on a schedule, and that devices aren’t consuming unnecessary bandwidth or disk space. It also means update issues get caught before they accumulate, not after a user notices their machine is running out of space.
Delivery Optimization files are not a threat, not junk, and not something to worry about in normal circumstances. They’re Windows-managed cache that exists to make updates faster and less bandwidth-intensive across multiple devices. You can delete them safely whenever you need the space back, and Windows will rebuild the cache the next time updates run.
They become worth paying attention to in managed environments, businesses with many devices, bandwidth-sensitive offices, or machines with limited storage. In those cases, the right configuration makes a meaningful difference in how smoothly updates run across the organization.
If your business devices are running slowly or showing storage issues, that’s often a sign that routine IT maintenance has fallen behind. Contact Tecbound at tecbound.com/contact-us to discuss proactive IT management for your team.
They’re cached copies of Windows updates stored locally by the Delivery Optimization feature. Windows creates them automatically when it downloads updates, and uses them to avoid re-downloading the same files if another device on your network needs the same update. They appear in Disk Cleanup and Storage Settings as a separate category.
Yes. Deleting them removes the cached update files, not the updates themselves. Your installed software and Windows version remain unchanged. The only consequence is that Windows would re-download from Microsoft’s servers if the same update cache were needed again, which is unlikely once updates have already been applied.
The cache grows after major Windows updates or when the machine participates in local peer-to-peer sharing. On machines that haven’t had their cache cleared recently, or after a large feature update, it’s normal to see several gigabytes in this category. Windows automatically caps the cache size, but on devices with limited storage, it’s worth clearing periodically.
No. Updates that have already been installed are not affected. Deleting the cache means future updates that require the same files will download them directly from Microsoft rather than pulling from the local cache — but this happens automatically and transparently. Your machine will continue to update normally.
Open Disk Cleanup, select your system drive, click “Clean up system files,” check the Delivery Optimization Files box, and confirm. Alternatively, go to Settings, System, Storage, Temporary Files, check Delivery Optimization Files, and click Remove Files. Both methods are safe and don’t require administrator-level knowledge to use.
Disabling the peer-to-peer sharing component can help if you’re on a limited internet connection and notice background upload activity. You don’t need to disable the feature entirely — just turn off “Allow downloads from other PCs” in Delivery Optimization settings. For most users and business environments, leaving it enabled with local network sharing only is the right configuration.
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