BITS Bandwidth Throttling Registry Location

This article explains the exact Windows Registry location where Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS) bandwidth throttling schedules and limits are cataloged. It outlines the specific registry path, the individual values responsible for managing transfer rate schedules during work and non-work hours, and how administrators can locate or verify these settings using the Registry Editor (Regedit).

Primary Registry Path for BITS Throttling Policies

The bandwidth throttling schedules and limits applied to BITS via local configuration or Group Policy are stored under the following registry key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\BITS

If the policies have not been configured on the system, the BITS subkey under Windows may not exist by default until a policy is enabled or manually created.

Registry Values Defining BITS Throttling Schedules

Within the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\BITS key, specific DWORD values dictate when throttling occurs and what network limits are enforced:

• EnableBitsMaxBandwidth: Enables or disables the maximum network bandwidth limitation for BITS transfers (1 = Enabled, 0 = Disabled).
• MaxBandwidthValidFrom: Defines the start time for the scheduled throttling window (represented in 24-hour format, e.g., 8 for 8:00 AM).
• MaxBandwidthValidTo: Defines the end time for the scheduled throttling window (e.g., 17 for 5:00 PM).
• MaxBandwidthRate: Specifies the maximum transfer rate allowed in kilobits per second (Kbps) during the scheduled time window.
• MaxBandwidthRateHighPriority: Sets the throttling cap specifically for high-priority BITS transfers.
• MaxBandwidthRateNormalPriority: Sets the throttling cap specifically for normal-priority BITS transfers.
• MaxBandwidthRateLowPriority: Sets the throttling cap specifically for low-priority BITS transfers.
• MaxBandwidthRateBackground: Sets the baseline transfer limit applied outside the scheduled peak window.

How to View and Edit the Configuration in Regedit

1. Press Win + R, type regedit, and press Enter to open the Registry Editor.
2. Navigate to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\BITS
3. Locate the schedule parameters in the right-hand pane to inspect or modify the active throttling rules.
4. Restart the Background Intelligent Transfer Service via services.msc or restart the computer for manual registry modifications to take effect immediately.