What this guide is (and is not)
Idle Sleep after / “never sleep on AC” as the farm policy belongs in always-on-pc-earnapp-setup-europe-2026. A metered Wi‑Fi or Ethernet checkbox belongs in earnapp-windows-metered-connection-europe-2026. Defender Add or remove exclusions belongs in earnapp-windows-defender-exclusions-europe-2026. Firewall allow-app on Private belongs in earnapp-windows-firewall-europe-2026. Background apps Always belongs in earnapp-windows-background-apps-europe-2026. ISP fair-use wording belongs in isp-fair-use-bandwidth-europe-2026. A tray that vanished after reboot belongs in earnapp-windows-autostart-reboot-europe-2026. VPN split-tunnel versus EarnApp bans belongs in vpn-split-tunnel-vs-earn-app-bans-europe-2026. A week of $0 with the official tray Online and no Microsoft P2P upload belongs in earnapp-offline-zero-earnings-europe-2026. Power mode, Energy Saver, Efficiency / EcoQoS, Game Mode, Xbox Game Bar, Processor idle disable, Processor performance boost mode, Maximum processor state, Minimum processor state, System cooling policy, USB Root Hub Device Manager, USB 3 LPM, USB selective suspend, NIC adapter checkbox, Wi‑Fi Power Saving Mode, random MAC, EEE / Green Ethernet, PCIe ASPM, Fast startup, Modern Standby, Hibernate, hybrid sleep, lid close, power button, turn-off-display, hard-disk timeout, AHCI HIPM/DIPM, Controlled folder access, PUA blocking, Smart App Control, SmartScreen, Memory integrity, new-PC and first PayPal have their own pages. Here the stall was Windows Update Delivery Optimization still set to Devices on the internet and my local network (or Devices on my local network with a noisy LAN peer) while Metered was already Off, Sleep after already Never, Background apps already Always, Firewall already allowed on Private, Defender already not eating EarnApp.exe, and EarnApp still Limited / the ISP graph showed Windows Update upload that was not EarnApp.
RefDeal will not invent a “Delivery Optimization off promo,” a Windows Update coupon, or an EU payout minimum copied from a 2023 screenshot. Windows 11 Delivery Optimization (Windows Update → Advanced options → Delivery Optimization) is a separate settings sheet from Metered connection, from Windows Firewall allow-app, and from Defender exclusions. Allow downloads from other PCs can be Off, Devices on my local network, or Devices on the internet and my local network. Advanced options can cap foreground and background bandwidth. Activity monitor shows how many GB this PC uploaded to other PCs. Turning Delivery Optimization Off on a dedicated spare farm PC you own does not uninstall Windows Update. Do not disable Windows Update itself. Do not buy a “bandwidth unlocker.” EarnApp is a Bright Data client that needs spare residential capacity; Microsoft P2P is a different uploader on the same NIC. Install from the tracked invite, then confirm Delivery Optimization versus EarnApp — do not download a “DO off.reg” from a chat. Do not farm a work laptop whose MDM forces Delivery Optimization On.
Confirm it is Delivery Optimization, not Metered or Firewall
Delivery Optimization Off is not Metered On and not Windows Update Off — it is a quiet-hour EarnApp stall from a Windows 11 P2P-upload class on an “awake” unmetered box, not a missing promo code.
- Settings → Windows Update → Advanced options → Delivery Optimization. Note Allow downloads from other PCs: Off / Devices on my local network / Devices on the internet and my local network. Open Activity monitor and screenshot upload to other PCs before you touch anything. If that upload is non-zero while EarnApp is Limited or the ISP fair-use graph climbs and Metered is Off, that is this page. Do not confuse this with Settings → Network & internet → Ethernet/Wi‑Fi → Metered connection
- If Delivery Optimization is already Off but the NIC is still Metered, that is the metered-connection guide first. Metered is a cost flag; Delivery Optimization is Windows Update P2P
- If Delivery Optimization is already Off but Windows Firewall still blocks EarnApp.exe on Public, that is the Firewall guide first. Delivery Optimization Off does not write the firewall allow-list
- If Delivery Optimization is already Off but Defender Protection history still quarantines EarnApp.exe, that is the Defender-exclusions guide first. Delivery Optimization is not Add or remove exclusions
- If Delivery Optimization is already Off but Background apps is still Never, that is the Background-apps guide first. Delivery Optimization does not grant background-run permission
- If Delivery Optimization is already Off but a VPN is on (even split-tunnel), that is the VPN-split-tunnel guide. Bright Data often flags datacentre/VPN exits; turning Microsoft P2P Off will not fix a VPN path
- If Put my device to sleep after is 5, 10, or 15 minutes on AC, that is the always-on guide first. A parked machine after Sleep is Sleep (or Modern Standby), not Windows Update P2P stealing upload
- If the tray vanished after reboot and Activity monitor is idle, that is the autostart path first — missing Startup vs Microsoft P2P upload are different logs
- If Delivery Optimization is grey because MDM/Intune locked it, that chassis is a weak EarnApp farm box. Search Microsoft Learn for “Windows 11 Delivery Optimization allow downloads from other PCs,” not a Telegram “EarnApp DO off.reg”. Do not pause Windows Update forever to “unlock” P2P. Do not set the NIC Metered on unlimited fibre just to throttle Delivery Optimization if you can set Allow downloads from other PCs to Off instead
- After a quiet hour, reopen Activity monitor. If upload to other PCs is ~0, Allow downloads from other PCs is Off, Metered is Off, Firewall allowed on Private, Background apps Always, Sleep after Never, Defender not eating the exe, and the tray is still Limited, check NIC power-saving / USB hub / Power mode / Energy Saver next, then the offline/$0 guide — or ISP fair-use if the meter was Windows Update plus EarnApp together
Fix Delivery Optimization versus EarnApp on the same NIC
Do this on the machine that actually runs EarnApp, on the home Ethernet path you intend to keep. Do not fight a work laptop whose MDM restores internet P2P, and do not farm a phone hotspot.
- Open /earnapp/ and use the RefDeal tracked invite if the client is not installed yet. The invite attributes a first signup. It does not write Delivery Optimization
- Best EU path: spare Ethernet mini-PC — Delivery Optimization Allow downloads from other PCs = Off, Metered Off, official EarnApp.exe not quarantined, Real-time protection On, Firewall allow on Private, Background apps = Always, Power mode = Best performance plugged in, Energy Saver Off, Efficiency leaf Off, Game Mode Off, Sleep after = Never. Leave Windows Update On. Leave the box on AC, vents clear
- If Activity monitor shows upload to PCs on the internet while Metered is Off: set Allow downloads from other PCs to Off. Optionally open Advanced options and cap background bandwidth at a low percent only if MDM forbids Off. Restart EarnApp from the official shortcut. Document the before/after screenshot. Do not pause Windows Update for months
- If you must keep LAN peers (another household PC pulling Windows Update from this box): Devices on my local network, not Devices on the internet and my local network. Re-check Activity monitor: internet upload should drop; LAN upload may remain. EarnApp still competes with LAN P2P on the same uplink — Off is cleaner on a dedicated farm PC
- On a real travel laptop: leave Delivery Optimization at the OEM default and skip EarnApp there if you are on hotel/metered Wi‑Fi. Farm overnight only on AC with a personal spare home PC, Firewall allow on Private, Background apps Always, Sleep Never, Delivery Optimization Off, Metered Off, and the chassis not in a bag
- Tell the household: a dark monitor is supposed to happen; Delivery Optimization Off does not “open” EarnApp to the internet and does not stop Microsoft security updates from Microsoft’s own CDN. Do not buy a “P2P farm pack”. If a Windows feature update reset Allow downloads from other PCs to internet peers, redo this page from Delivery Optimization, not from a chat ZIP
After Delivery Optimization is Off and Sleep stays Never
Sign in with the same account you intend to keep. Leave the box on AC. Confirm the official tray through a quiet hour on home Ethernet. Use /earnapp/ if you never started from our tracked invite.
- Tray Online through a quiet week with Delivery Optimization Off on the spare box, Activity monitor ~0 upload to other PCs, Metered Off, Firewall allow on Private, Background apps Always, Defender not eating the exe, and Sleep Never: leave it. We will not quote a fake first-day amount. Screenshot your own dashboard if you need a record
- Allow downloads from other PCs still internet peers and Activity monitor still uploading: stay on this page until Off (or local-network only) on a dedicated spare PC, or skip EarnApp on that chassis
- Delivery Optimization Off but the NIC is still Metered: switch to the metered-connection guide
- Delivery Optimization Off but Firewall still blocks Public: switch to the Firewall guide
- Delivery Optimization Off but Protection history still lists EarnApp.exe: switch to the Defender-exclusions guide
- Delivery Optimization Off but Background apps still Never: switch to the Background-apps guide
- Delivery Optimization Off but a VPN is still on: switch to the VPN-split-tunnel guide
- Delivery Optimization Off but Sleep after still has minutes: switch to the always-on guide
- Delivery Optimization Off, Activity monitor idle, tray vanished after reboot: switch to the autostart guide
- Delivery Optimization Off, Metered Off, Firewall allowed on Private, Power mode Best performance, Energy Saver Off, Efficiency leaf Off, Background apps Always, Sleep Never, unmetered home fibre, tray Online or Limited, still $0 after a quiet week: switch to the offline/$0 guide (official binary, Limited, ISP) — or the ISP fair-use guide if the meter was the story all along
What we will not claim
There is no RefDeal EarnApp promo code, no published “Delivery Optimization bonus,” and no honest EU minimum we can paste from a 2023 screenshot. Primary CTA stays the EarnApp offer with our tracked invite. Hub: /guides/bandwidth-safety/. Starter: /en/start/bandwidth/.