Limit the age of files in the BITS Peercache
Verified with Windows 11 25H2 — updated on July 30, 2026
Supported on: At least Windows Vista
Path in the GPO console
Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\Network\Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS) Description
This policy setting limits the maximum age of files in the Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS) peer cache. In order to make the most efficient use of disk space, by default BITS removes any files in the peer cache that have not been accessed in the past 90 days. If you enable this policy setting, you can specify in days the maximum age of files in the cache. You can enter a value between 1 and 120 days. If you disable or do not configure this policy setting, files that have not been accessed for the past 90 days will be removed from the peer cache. Note: This policy setting has no effect if the "Allow BITS Peercaching" policy setting is disabled or not configured.
Registry
Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\BITS MDM / Intune (CSP)
./Device/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/ADMX_Bits/BITS_MaxContentAge Microsoft Learn documentation Mapping data: Microsoft Learn (CC BY 4.0)
Export Builder
BETAConfigure the state, scope and options, then generate .reg, PowerShell, Intune and SCCM outputs — or add the setting to a multi-setting collection.
These exports write the registry — this is not a managed GPO. ⓘ
.reg file
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
; Exported from gporais.com
; Policy: Limit the age of files in the BITS Peercache
; State: Enabled
; Supported on: At least Windows Vista
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\BITS]
"MaxContentAge"=dword:0000005aMore formats (PowerShell, Intune, SCCM)
PowerShell
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Limit the age of files in the BITS Peercache
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Vista
$path = 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\BITS'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'MaxContentAge' -Value 90 -Type DWordIntune XML
OMA-URI: ./Device/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/ADMX_Bits/BITS_MaxContentAge
Data type: String
Value:
<enabled/>
<data id="BITS_MaxContentAgeList" value="90"/>Intune Remediation
# === Detection script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Limit the age of files in the BITS Peercache
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Vista
function Test-RegistryValue {
param(
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$Path,
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$Name,
[object]$Expected,
[ValidateSet('String', 'DWord', 'MultiString')][string]$Kind = 'String',
[switch]$Absent
)
try {
$item = Get-ItemProperty -LiteralPath $Path -Name $Name -ErrorAction Stop
} catch {
return $Absent.IsPresent
}
if ($Absent.IsPresent) { return $false }
$actual = $item.$Name
if ($Kind -eq 'DWord') { return ([int64]$actual) -eq ([int64]$Expected) }
if ($Kind -eq 'MultiString') {
$actualValues = @($actual)
$expectedValues = @($Expected)
if ($actualValues.Count -ne $expectedValues.Count) { return $false }
for ($i = 0; $i -lt $expectedValues.Count; $i++) {
if ([string]$actualValues[$i] -ne [string]$expectedValues[$i]) { return $false }
}
return $true
}
return [string]$actual -eq [string]$Expected
}
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\BITS' -Name 'MaxContentAge' -Expected 90 -Kind DWord)
)
if ($checks -notcontains $false) {
Write-Output 'Compliant'
exit 0
}
Write-Output 'Non-compliant'
exit 1
# === Remediation script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Limit the age of files in the BITS Peercache
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Vista
$path = 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\BITS'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'MaxContentAge' -Value 90 -Type DWordSCCM scripts
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Limit the age of files in the BITS Peercache
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Vista
# SCCM Configuration Item guidance:
# Create a Configuration Item of type "Setting: Script".
# Discovery script: use the Detection script below.
# Remediation script: use the Remediation script below.
# Compliance rule: the Discovery script output equals 'Compliant'.
# === Detection script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Limit the age of files in the BITS Peercache
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Vista
function Test-RegistryValue {
param(
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$Path,
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$Name,
[object]$Expected,
[ValidateSet('String', 'DWord', 'MultiString')][string]$Kind = 'String',
[switch]$Absent
)
try {
$item = Get-ItemProperty -LiteralPath $Path -Name $Name -ErrorAction Stop
} catch {
return $Absent.IsPresent
}
if ($Absent.IsPresent) { return $false }
$actual = $item.$Name
if ($Kind -eq 'DWord') { return ([int64]$actual) -eq ([int64]$Expected) }
if ($Kind -eq 'MultiString') {
$actualValues = @($actual)
$expectedValues = @($Expected)
if ($actualValues.Count -ne $expectedValues.Count) { return $false }
for ($i = 0; $i -lt $expectedValues.Count; $i++) {
if ([string]$actualValues[$i] -ne [string]$expectedValues[$i]) { return $false }
}
return $true
}
return [string]$actual -eq [string]$Expected
}
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\BITS' -Name 'MaxContentAge' -Expected 90 -Kind DWord)
)
if ($checks -notcontains $false) {
Write-Output 'Compliant'
exit 0
}
Write-Output 'Non-compliant'
exit 1
# === Remediation script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Limit the age of files in the BITS Peercache
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Vista
$path = 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\BITS'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'MaxContentAge' -Value 90 -Type DWordBuilding a multi-setting collection? Add this setting and generate combined .reg / PowerShell / GPO scripts.