If you’re experiencing slower file transfer speeds on your Windows 11 PC, there are tweaks you can make to your system to speed up the transfers.

Use SSDs Over HDDs

If you have the option, always use solid-state drives (SSDs) over hard disk drives (HDDs), as the former are significantly faster than the latter. This allows you to copy files faster.

For example, you can copy files at the speed of 500 MB per second on SSDs, compared to 30 to 150 MB per second on HDDs. Even better, NVMe SSDs offer data transfer speeds of 3,000 MB per second.

There are many SSD options available to choose from, if you’re looking to get a new storage device.

Plug Storage Devices Into USB 3.0 Ports

If you’re copying files to an external drive and the drive supports USB 3.0 or newer, make sure to plug the device into a USB 3.0 or newer port. This is because USB 3.0 offers significantly faster data transfer speeds than USB 2.0.

If you plug a USB 3.0 storage device into a USB 2.0 port on your computer, you’ll experience slower file transfer speeds. USB 3.0 offers data transfer speeds of 5 GB per second.

Most USB 3.0 ports are colored blue inside, so it’s easy to check a port’s version, but note that this isn’t always the case. Also, you’ll often find the wording SS (SuperSpeed) beside a USB 3.0 port, letting you know what version the port is.

You can also use Windows 11’s built-in Device Manager utility to check a USB port’s version. To do that, open Windows Search (press Windows+S), type Device Manager, and launch the utility. Expand the “Universal Serial Bus Controllers” section and look at the USB port names. The names will tell you the port version.

Use NTFS Over FAT32

A drive’s file system also plays a role in how fast or slow you can transfer your files. When possible, use the NTFS file system over FAT32 because NTFS allows your system to read and write data faster than FAT32.

Most drives on Windows use NTFS as their file system, but it’s possible some drives may use FAT32. To check that, open File Explorer (press Windows+E), right-click your drive, and choose “Properties.” Access the “General” tab and look for the value next to “File System.”

You can change a drive’s file system if you’d like. This can be done with or without formatting the drive. Here are both ways.

Convert a Drive to NTFS Without Formatting the Drive

To convert a drive’s file system to NTFS without affecting the drive data, launch Windows Search (press Windows+S), type Command Prompt, and select “Run as Administrator.” Choose “Yes” in the User Account Control prompt.

In Command Prompt, type the following command. Replace “A” with the letter of the drive you want to convert to NTFS. Then, press Enter.

convert A: /fs:ntfs

Wait for Command Prompt to change your drive’s file system. When the task is done, and you see the success message, type the following command and press Enter.

exit

Convert a Drive to NTFS by Formatting the Drive

If yours is a new drive or you don’t mind losing all the data stored on the drive, you can format the drive to the NTFS file system. To do that, open File Explorer (press Windows+E), right-click your drive, and choose “Format.”

On the Format window, click the “File System” drop-down menu and choose “NTFS.” Type a name for the drive in the “Volume Label” field, and click “Start.”

Wait for the drive to be formatted in the NTFS file system.

Copy Files Using Robocopy

Windows 11 has a built-in command-line copy method called Robocopy that allows you to copy files faster than the traditional File Explorer method. You simply specify the files to copy in the command, and Robocopy ensures everything is copied to the chosen directory.

To do that, open Windows Search (press Windows+S), type Command Prompt, and select “Run as Administrator.” In the User Account Control prompt, select “Yes.”

In Command Prompt, type the following command. Replace “SourcePath” with the full path to the folder you want to copy and “DestinationPath” with the full path to the folder where you want to paste the files. Then, press Enter.

robocopy "SourcePath" "DestinationPath" /e /z /mt:16

In this command, the “e” parameter ensures that all subdirectories, including empty ones, are copied. The “z” parameter ensures that you can resume the file transfer task if it gets interrupted. The “mt:16” parameter tells the command to use multithreading with 16 threads for faster data transfer speeds.

Disable Real-Time Antivirus Scanning

Sometimes, real-time antivirus scanning delays file transfer tasks. This is because the tool scans your files when you’re copying them. In this case, temporarily turn off real-time scanning to speed up file transfers.

To do that, open Windows Search (press Windows+S), type Windows Security, and launch the app. Select “Virus & Threat Protection,” choose “Manage Settings” under Virus & Threat Protection Settings, and turn off the “Real-Time Protection” toggle.

In the User Account Control prompt, select “Yes.”

Begin your file transfer task. When it’s done, re-enable protection by toggling on “Real-Time Protection.”

Compress Files Before Copying Them

When you compress files, their size is reduced, speeding up file transfers. This also makes it convenient to copy and paste files, as you can make one archive from several files. Also, your operating system only has to open one open and read process, allowing for faster data transfer speeds.

You can use Windows 11’s built-in compression feature to make a ZIP archive from your files. To do that, open File Explorer (press Windows+E), select the files to compress, right-click a selected file, and choose Show More Options > Send To > Compressed (Zipped) Folder.

Other ways to compress files on Windows 11 include using free archiving tools like 7-Zip and WinRAR.

Close Unwanted Apps Running in the Background

If you have unused apps running in the background when you’re copying files, close those apps. This is because those apps are using your computer’s resources, leaving lesser resources for the file transfer task to use.

You can close your background apps the usual way (clicking “X” in the app’s top-right corner). If an app refuses to close, use Task Manager to force close the app.

And that’s how you fix slower file transfer speeds on a Windows 11 PC. If you’re using a NAS drive, we also have tips for you to get faster file transfer speeds on your drive.