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Download Files With Start-BitsTransfer

Use the Background Intelligent Transfer Service for resumable downloads.

WindowsnetworkadminpowershelldownloadLow risk
Run Start-BitsTransfer -Source <url> -Destination <path> to download a file.

01Command

Command
$ Start-BitsTransfer -Source https://example.com/large.zip -Destination C:\large.zip

02What it does

BITS transfers in the background, resumes after network loss and can throttle bandwidth, which makes it far more robust than a one-shot HTTP request for large files on flaky links. Because it is a cmdlet, it slots straight into scheduled and unattended scripts.

03Risk

RiskLow risk
RequirementsWindows 10/11 with PowerShell 5.1 or PowerShell 7+
!Warning: BITS jobs run in the user context and may be visible to others unless managed; use -Asynchronous and job cmdlets for long transfers.

04Undo

✓No undo needed — this command does not change persistent state.

05Sources

  • Start-BitsTransfer
    Microsoft Learn · vendor-doc · 2026-09-20
    Evidence: Transfers files with BITS, which resumes on interruption.

Last verified: 2026-10-13 · Category: Network

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