Windows 10: Restrict Background Data Usage for Wi-Fi and Ethernet in Windows 10

How to: Restrict Background Data Usage for Wi-Fi and Ethernet in Windows 10


Information Starting with metered ethernet network connection, tailor your data usage to your budget and needs.

Restricting background data will limit what Store apps and Windows features can do in the background to help reduce data usage for network connections.

This tutorial will show you how to configure background data usage restrictions to Wi-Fi and Ethernet connections for all users in Windows 10.


Here's How:

1. Open Settings, and click/tap on the Network & Internet icon.

2. Click/tap on Data usage on the left side, and select the network connection you want to configure background data restrictions from the Show settings for drop menu on the right side. (see screenshot below)

3. Select (dot) When I'm within 10% of my limit, Always, or Never for which background data restriction you want to set for this network connection. (see screenshot below)


Note The When I'm within 10% of my limit option will only be available if you had set a data limit for this network connection.

4. When finished, you can close Settings if you like.






That's it,
Shawn


Related Tutorials

• How to Turn On or Off Background Apps in Windows 10
• How to Set Data Limit for Wi-Fi and Ethernet in Windows 10
• How View Network Data Usage Details in Windows 10
• How to Reset Network Data Usage in Windows 10
• How to Limit Bandwidth to Download and Upload Windows and App Updates in Windows 10
• Set Wireless Network as Metered or Non-Metered Connection in Windows 10
• How to Set Ethernet Connection as Metered or Non-Metered in Windows 10
• How to Add Data Usage Live Tile to Start in Windows 10

:)

 

Show Data Usage on Near by Wi-Fi list like windows 8.1 ?


In windows 8.1 accessing near by wi-fi networks list next to clock showed data usage for each monitored network right under network name , i understand that windows 10 now monitors data in general over a one month span unrelated to which network you use or billing periods which is far beyond the definition lame , so can this feature of windows 8.1 be enabled on Windows 10 in any form for even one single network ?

 

Is there an option to restrict/set limit Internet usage for some apps/programs?

Hello George,

You can try enabling the Metered connection in Windows 10. A metered connection is an Internet connection that has a data limit associated with it. Cellular data connections are set as metered by default. Wi-Fi and Ethernet network connections
can be set to metered but aren't by default. Some apps might work differently on a metered connection to help reduce your data usage. Also, some updates for Windows won't be installed automatically.

To set a Wi-Fi network connection as metered:

• 
  Select Start > Settings > Network & Internet >
  Wi-Fi > Manage known networks.
  
• 
  Select the Wi-Fi network > Properties > turn on Set as metered connection.
  

I'd also recommend to stop apps from running in the background. This will also help you prevent these apps from draining your battery, bandwidth, and system resources. To do this, refer to the steps below:

1. Press Windows key + I, then select Privacy.

2. Choose Background apps, you'll have two options to choose:

• Turning off the Let apps run in the background will disable all apps.
• Turning off the toggle switches for the specific apps that you don't want to run from the background.

Update me on the outcome.

Regards.

 

Data usage on Windows 10

THE ANSWER YOU HAVE ALL BEEN WANTING

Windows 10 includes a feature to let you view the network data usage of the PC from the last 30 days. The data usage is itemized per type of network (ex: Wi-Fi or Ethernet), and by app usage.

Kindly follow the below steps to reset network data usage back to "ZERO ZERO ZERO ZERO" as needed in Windows 10.

Note: You must be signed in as an administrator to be able to reset network data usage.

• Temporarily disable your active network adapter(s), or start Windows into safe mode.
• Open File Explorer, browse to the C:\Windows\System32\sru folder, and open it.
• Delete all contents inside the sru folder.
• Enable your active network adapter(s) again, or start Windows back into normal mode.

This will reset all COUNTERS, I suggest copy pasting the directions into a wordpad doc or the like and keep for whenever you wish to reset manually.

Only counters I used in Windows 7, were the right click properties of my network device. Disconnection of the device deleted all of that sessions counter data, and CC Cleaner was used to clean all cache files from windows etc.

 

Windows Update 1803

Hi, Malcolm,

Sorry to hear you're experiencing issues with the update.

Open Settings.

Click on Network & Internet.

Click on Wi-Fi.

Click on the Wi-Fi connection to access its settings.

Turn on the "Set as metered connection" switch to enable and restrict background data usage.

Use the same steps if using an Ethernet connection.

 

Wi-Fi, Ethernet, WinAudio fail to start on boot


I posted this on the Microsoft Community Help board and got little to no attention from the support engineers. Hopefully someone here can help.

I am having a recent problem with Windows 10. I have been running Windows 10 Home Edition from an on-line upgrade on my Lenovo Y510P for months with no issues. About a week ago, I started noticing that after a restart, my system tray icons for Audio and Network (either Wi-Fi or Ethernet) would start out fine but about half-way through the start up process would become marked with a red X or a warning yellow triangle with an exclamation point.

The Audio can be restarted either by running the trouble shooter or turning on the WinAudio service. The Ethernet actually works just fine but the yellow triangle warning icon persists and claims to either be constantly identifying the network or displays that the connection is unknown. Running the trouble shooter finds no problems. The Wi-Fi system tray icon appears with it's obligatory warning triangle and the Wi-Fi will connect to a known network if in range, but there is no Wi-Fi Icon in the Action Center, and no Wi-Fi entry in the Network & Internet Settings list either.

If you list the adapters in Network Connections, the Wi-Fi does appear and you can access the properties for the adapter, but if you try to select connect/disconnect from the context sensitive menu, it does not open a list of locally available networks, instead you are taken back to the All Settings Screen. Likewise if you run the trouble shooter on the Wi-Fi adapter when away from a known local Wi-Fi network, the troubleshooter tells you to pick a network from a list. When you click on the link, you are not taken to a list of networks, but rather back to the All Settings screen.

I have updated the drivers for the audio and both network adapters, The device manager claims all devices are operating appropriately. Malwarebytes reveals nothing.

I suspected the problem might be related shared service dependencies, but the problem persists through a clean boot in which both services and start-up items were tested. Neither a system scan nor a DISM repair revealed any corrupt system files.

I did notice that if I click on the "connect to the internet" icon on the log in screen, I do get a list of the dozen or so available Wi-Fi networks in my immediate vicinity. I can not see that list anywhere once I log into Windows 10 proper.

I created installation media (burned the Win 10 .ISO to a DVD) and performed a reinstall of Windows 10 which allowed me to keep my installed apps. I'm guessing both this and the basic system refresh maintain many settings and registry entries that are likely the source of my problem. Reinstalling Windows 10 did not resolve my issues.

I'm at a loss. Any suggestions?