The Silent Download Manager
The Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS) is a core component of Windows 11 designed to handle file transfers in the background using idle network bandwidth. It is primarily used by Windows Update to silently download massive operating system patches without disrupting your active internet browsing. However, if you are on a strictly metered connection, troubleshooting bizarre network latency spikes, or managing a system where you demand absolute manual control over every byte of data downloaded, BITS can be highly intrusive.
Halting the Service
You can completely disable BITS using the Windows Services manager, which will immediately stop the operating system from performing background file transfers. Keep in mind that disabling this service will prevent Windows Update from functioning automatically, so you must rely on manual updates.
Press the Windows Key + R to open the Run dialogue box. Type services.msc and press Enter. This opens the Services management console. Scroll down the alphabetical list until you find Background Intelligent Transfer Service. Double-click the entry to open its properties window. First, click the Stop button to immediately halt the running process. Next, click the dropdown menu labelled Startup type and change it from “Automatic” or “Manual” to Disabled. Click Apply, then click OK. BITS is now permanently disabled on your machine.