# Background Intelligent Transfer Service

Windows Service: Microsoft Corporation

Dem still dey call am bits, background intelligent transfer

Windows, Microsoft

The Windows service wey dey transfer files for background and dey share idle bandwidth. Windows Update and many Microsoft installers still dey call am.

## Wetin you need know

Dis na the idle-bandwidth transfer queue, no be random leftover.

BITS dey move files when the PC no too busy. Windows Update still dey use am on many SKUs. Delivery Optimization na different service wey come later.

- **Important?**: Yes, for Update and many installers

  **High network?**: Job dey transfer

  **E safe to disable?**: Usually no

Feex tok say

If BITS dey transfer and you just click Update, I go let the job finish. To disable BITS make you "save network" na how installers dey take start to fail with 0x80070422-class errors.

## Wetin dis service dey do?

Display name: Background Intelligent Transfer Service. Service name: BITS.

BITS dey queue uploads and downloads, dey pause when network busy, and dey resume after reboot. Other apps fit call the BITS API. E no dey scan for malware.

## History on Windows

Still present

Microsoft introduce BITS with Windows 2000 as background transfer service for systems management. E ship in-box through Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, and every later client release. Windows 10 add Delivery Optimization beside am. BITS remain the service name on Windows 10 and Windows 11.

| First ship as dis service | Windows 2000 (2000)                         |
| ------------------------- | ------------------------------------------- |
| Still present             | Yes, including Windows 10 and Windows 11    |
| Related later service     | Delivery Optimization (DoSvc) on Windows 10 |
| Discontinued              | No                                          |

## Why Windows need am?

Update, Store, and some Microsoft 365 installers still dey submit BITS jobs. Without the queue, those transfers go fail instead make dem wait for idle bandwidth.

## When e dey run?

When client create job, and while dat job dey transfer or retry. Idle BITS suppose sit down inside svchost without big network number.

## E suppose dey run always?

Automatic (Delayed Start) na the normal default. Disabled mean say those clients must find another transfer path, and many no dey do am.

## I fit disable am?

No advise am

To disable BITS dey break Windows Update and other Microsoft downloaders wey still dey create BITS jobs. Pause updates inside Settings if you need the network for one hour.

## Wetin go happen if I disable am?

Pending BITS jobs go fail. Windows Update and some installers go give error until the service come back.

## Process host

BITS commonly dey run inside svchost.exe. To end dat host fit affect other services inside the same group. Check svchost.exe.

## Dependencies

| Depend on | RPC, and the HTTP stack for many jobs       |
| --------- | ------------------------------------------- |
| Used by   | Windows Update, Store, and BITS API clients |

## Resource behavior

- **CPU**: Low except while hashing job

  **Disk**: Job files under ProgramData\Microsoft\Network\Downloader

  **Network**: The transfer

  **Memory**: Small inside svchost

## Common wahala dem

### Stuck job

bitsadmin or PowerShell BITS cmdlets fit list jobs. Stuck Store download na job, no be reason to disable the service forever.

### Dem dey confuse am with Delivery Optimization

DoSvc dey peer Windows 10 updates. BITS na the older queue. The two of dem fit dey present.

## How to troubleshoot

Safe steps first.

### List jobs before you disable the service

Get-BitsTransfer inside PowerShell dey show callers. The service name na BITS.

### No end random svchost.exe rows

Find the BITS instance, or restart the service from services.msc.

## Technical details

Technical details

| Display name | Background Intelligent Transfer Service |
| ------------ | --------------------------------------- |
| Service name | BITS                                    |

## Related

Dis entities connect to dis article. Type dey show for every link.

[Windows Update: Windows Service](https://feex.it/wiki/l/pcm/service/windows-update/)[Delivery Optimization: Windows Service](https://feex.it/wiki/l/pcm/service/delivery-optimization/)[svchost.exe: Windows Process](https://feex.it/wiki/l/pcm/process/svchost.exe/)[Process vs service: Guide](https://feex.it/wiki/l/pcm/software/system/process-vs-service/)

## Sources and verification

Recorded source label: August 2026. Dis label no establish independent verification. [How we dey do research](https://feex.it/wiki/research/).

- [Microsoft Learn: BITS ](https://learn.microsoft.com/windows/win32/bits/background-intelligent-transfer-service-portal)· BITS API and service
- [Microsoft Learn: how Windows Update works ](https://learn.microsoft.com/windows/deployment/update/how-windows-update-works)· Update still dey call BITS
- [Foxhole process map ](https://foxhole.feex.it/)· First-party samples on top Windows PCs. No be lab benchmark.

## Dis article make sense to you?

Yes or no dey enough. Choose reason if you want, or add short note.

Quick facts

The short identity of dis page. Specs, sources, and the full story still dey inside the article.

- **Display name**: Background Intelligent Transfer Service

  **Service name**: BITS

  **Host process**: [svchost.exe](https://feex.it/wiki/l/pcm/process/svchost.exe/)

  **E safe to disable?**: Dey break many Microsoft downloads

  **Feex map am**: Dem see am on top Windows PCs for Foxhole

Recorded source status: Feex Reviewed: Recorded source label: August 2026. Dis label no establish independent verification.

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Source: [Canonical Feex Wiki page](https://feex.it/wiki/l/pcm/service/bits/)

[Developer guide](https://feex.it/wiki/developers/) | [API policy](https://feex.it/developers/api-policy/) | [Agent guidance](https://feex.it/wiki/llms.txt)