In a normal scenario, file transfer should not take more than a few minutes. But, if the process is taking forever, you need to consider to delve into the underlying issues. It could be that you are still counting on older hard disk drives instead of the faster and the more modern SSDs. It could also be that you need to make a few small tweaks to Windows settings.
The reasons could be many. In this blog we’ll cover all such things and much more and look at some workarounds, with the help of which you can increase the file transfer speed in Windows 10.
Ways To Deal With Slow File Transfer in Windows 10
1. Repairing System Errors May Help
If copy speed is very slow in Windows 10, it could be that you have a corrupted Windows 10 file system. A corrupted file system can interrupt, disable or even slow down file transfer in Windows 10. Here’s how you can use the System Maintenance Troubleshooter to fix any wrong files –
1. Type Control Panel in the Windows search bar
2. Click on the dropdown next to the View by and select Large icons
3. From the given list of options click on Troubleshooting
4. Under System and Security click on Run maintenance tasks
Follow the on screen options. Now, you’ll be able to find and clean up unused shortcuts and files and would be able to resolve the issue.
2. Check Hard Drive Or USB For Any Corrupted Sectors
Corrupted sectors in the hard drive or USB can be a cause why the file transfer speed is slow on your Windows 10 laptop or PC. If there are corrupted sectors, you needn’t worry as Windows 10 has an inbuilt way to check the drives or even USB for any corrupted sectors. Here’s how that can be done –
1. Open File Explorer
2. Right-click on the hard drive and then click on Properties
3. Under Properties click on the Tools tab
4. Under Error Checking click on Check
– There’s An Even Better Way To Find And Resolve Bad Sectors –
You can take help of a powerful Windows optimization and cleanup tool like Advanced System Optimizer whose Disk Cleaner & Optimizers module would effortlessly let you deal with corrupt sectors in the hard drive. Let’s see the module in action –
1. Install and run Advanced System Optimizer
2. From the left hand pane click on Disk Cleaner & Optimizers
3. Click on Disk Optimizer to remove any bad sectors or fragments from your chosen drive
4. Select a drive and click on Start Scan Now
5. If there are fragments you can click on the Defrag option
6. To check a comprehensive and statistical disk usage and manage them click on Disk Explorer
7. Again select drive from left hand side and then, click on Analyze Disk from the top right corner of the screen
8. You can now manage the files and folders as shown in the screen mentioned below
3. Use A File Copy Utility Software
If you are not able to transfer files from one hard drive to another or one USB to hard drive quickly, you can use a file copy utility software. You can use this software till you are able to resolve the issue of slow file transfer on your Windows 10 system. These software are easy to use, available for both 32 and 64 bit Windows and perform file transfer faster than Windows 10.
4. Clean Boot Could Possibly Resolve The Issue
1. Open the run dialog box by pressing Windows key + R
2. Type msconfig in the search bar and press Enter
3. When the System Configuration window opens, click on Services tab
4. Head to the bottom and checkmark Hide all Microsoft services
5. Then, click on Disable all
6. Now, click on Startup tab and Open Task Manager
7. Right-click on the first entry and click on Disable
8. Go back to the System Configuration window and then click on Apply and then OK
5. Consider Investing In An SSD (Solid State Drive)
Putting it in simple terms, the HDDs (Hard Disk Drives) are slower than the more advanced SSDs (Solid State Drives). It goes without saying that when you copy files on an HDD, the file transfer will be slower than when you would do the same on an SSD. You may also consider, paying heed to the USB version the HDD or flash drive is using. We recommend upgrading them to USB 3.0 for faster file transfers.
6. Disable Windows Search Service
For a while, disabling Windows Search service can help in increasing file transfer speed in Windows 10. However, if on the contrary, you start to face some new issue, re-enable this service once again. To disable Windows Search Service, follow these steps –
1. Press Windows key + R to open the Run dialog box
2. Type Services.msc
3. Scroll down till you find Windows Search
4. Right-click on it and select Properties
5. Under General tab, click on the Startup type dropdown
6. Select Disabled
7. Click on Apply and then OK
7. Use Robocopy In Command Prompt To Get More Copying Power
Robocopy in Windows 10 can be a great way to fix slow file transfer Windows 10. This is not a third party software, rather it is a built-in feature in Windows 10 which increases the speed of copying files in Windows 10. It can be accessed using the Command Prompt. Here are the steps to use Robocopy using Command Prompt –
1. In the search bar next to the Windows key type cmd
2. Click on Run as administrator from the right hand side
3. When the Command Prompt window opens type robocopy/? And then press enter
4. After pressing enter, you will see some copying options in the form of shortcuts
These shortcuts should make copying much faster. But, again this is an advanced option and not advisable for beginner users.
Conclusion
So, these are some measures you can take if you find that the copy speed is very slow in Windows 10. For more such content keep reading Tweak Library. You can also connect with us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and you can also subscribe to our YouTube channel.