"Delivering Optimized Files | Everything You Need to Know"

Have you heard of Delivery Optimization Files? You might have actually seen them before when cleaning up your C drive. This article, brought to you by the team at Auslogics, will tell you all about these files, whether you can delete them, and how to do it.

#1 What are Delivery Optimization Files? Delivery Optimization Files are a type of files used to speed up and optimize the downloading of content, such as software updates, applications, or game resources. These files are shared between devices using the Windows Delivery Optimization service, reducing the amount of internet traffic required for downloads and improving overall download speeds on the network. This feature is particularly useful when multiple devices on the same network need to download the same updates, as they can share data among themselves instead of each device fetching it from a remote server. Delivery Optimization also supports offline caching, which means that a device can provide downloaded content to other devices from its local storage even without an internet connection. Microsoft employs this method to enhance user experience, reduce network congestion, and save users' internet data usage. Users can manage Delivery Optimization options in the Windows Settings.

"Delivery Optimization" is a Windows feature that allows your device to receive and distribute parts of system and app updates through other devices connected to the same network. It requires more bandwidth, but it lets you download Windows updates faster. As long as you have these options enabled, it can work on both local and internet networks.

The "_delivery_optimization_files" folder contains cached files that Windows Update downloads, as well as files that your computer sends to other devices. These are part of the Windows Update Delivery Optimization service.

These files are usually located in the C drive.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Delivery Optimization Files in UTF-8 Encoding Pros: 1. Widespread Support: UTF-8 is the most widely used character encoding standard globally, so delivery optimization files encoded in UTF-8 will display correctly on any system or device, regardless of language or region. 2. Compatibility: UTF-8 is highly compatible with various programming languages, database systems, and web browsers, reducing issues when transferring files between different platforms. 3. Space Efficiency: For files primarily containing English characters, UTF-8 encoding is often more space-efficient than other multi-byte encodings like GBK. 4. Avoidance of Character Mischief: Since UTF-8 assigns a unique byte sequence to each character, the likelihood of encountering garbled text when handling texts with different encodings is lower. Cons: 1. Size: For files containing a large number of non-ASCII characters (like Chinese, Japanese, etc.), UTF-8 encoding might take up more storage space compared to single-byte encodings like GBK. 2. Performance Impact: Processing UTF-8 encoded files might require more computational resources, especially when extensive character conversions or search operations are involved. 3. Legacy System Support: Some older systems or software might not fully support UTF-8, leading to display issues or incompatibilities. 4. Editor Variations: Not all text editors natively support UTF-8, which can make editing or viewing files inconvenient. In summary, while UTF-8 encoding is generally the preferred choice, its space and performance implications may need to be considered in specific scenarios, especially when dealing with a large amount of non-ASCII characters.

Now that you know what delivery optimized files are, you might be wondering why they exist. In this section, we'll go over the pros and cons of these files.

• Reduced bandwidth usage. These files allow you to download Windows updates and apps faster with less bandwidth.
• Improved security. With Delivery Optimization files, Windows doesn't let you download files from a single online source. This ensures that the files are free from computer viruses or malware, safeguarding your computer system's security.
• Easier access to Windows updates. These files help alleviate unnecessary pressure on primary servers. As a result, servers don't have to handle extra load, making it easier for users to get Windows updates.

Windows Updates help protect your Windows system from potentially harmful software and quickly address common errors or issues with new features. But have you ever encountered problems where a Windows Update fails to install?

Windows Update Not Installing - Try These 6 Fixes

Sometimes, you might encounter an error where Windows updates fail to install. When you run into this issue, seek assistance from this article.

• Disk space usage. These files take up space on your hard drive that could be used for other types of information. This is the biggest issue with these files. • Lack of control over content. Because Windows Updates occur automatically and without user intervention, you have no control over these optimization files.

Can I delete the Delivery Optimization files?

However, as you use your computer for a long time, the delivery optimization files will occupy more and more disk space. You may need to free up hard drive space for new update files. Have you ever been bothered by the question "Can I delete delivery optimization files?"

The answer is yes, you can safely delete these files to free up disk space. Doing so will not cause any issues or affect your computer's performance, as they are only used to assist users in performing system updates.

As such, removing them will only impact the Windows Update process (usually its speed).

How to remove Delivery Optimization files

To free up disk space by deleting these Delivery Optimization files, you'll need to use the built-in Windows tool called Disk Cleanup. Follow these steps to delete the files:

Step 1: Open "This PC", right-click on the C drive, and then select "Properties".

Step 2: Under the "General" tab in the Properties window, click on "Disk Cleanup."

Select “Disk Cleanup.”

Step 3. Disk Cleanup will now scan your C: drive. When it's finished, you'll see a list of files. Scroll down the list and look for “Delivery Optimization Files.”

Step 4. Check the boxes of the files you want to remove and click “OK.”

Deleting these files will free up some space on your computer's hard drive for other uses.

Bottom line

This article will tell you what Delivery Optimization Files are, whether you can delete them, and how to do it. If you've been struggling with storage space for a long time, it's best to remove Delivery Optimization files from your system. If you want to keep your files safe, you can back up your files. Hopefully, you'll find the answers you're looking for in this article.