While you lot probably don't think much about the copy dialog in Windows, there are some ways to improve the experience it offers when copying. It isn't always fast when y'all copy a big number of files. And on Windows vii and earlier, the entire process stops and waits for your input if there's a disharmonize or other error.

Thankfully, Windows 10 and xi don't have this problem. But you can still speed upwards copying files in Windows with other methods. Let's take a await at how to re-create files faster in Windows.

1. Master Keyboard Shortcuts for Faster File Copying

Keyboard shortcuts are a great way to piece of work more than efficiently in almost whatever piece of software, and File Explorer is no exception. For bones file copying, pasting, and moving, y'all should get some common keyboard shortcuts under your chugalug.

The most important ones are the basic cut, copy, and paste operations. You should know these shortcuts for efficient copying and pasting:

  • Press Ctrl + 10 to cut a file. This moves the file to your clipboard so you can paste information technology to another location. When pasted, a cut file is removed from the original location.
  • Use Ctrl + C to copy instead. Copying is like cut, except the original file remains after y'all've pasted a re-create.
  • Ctrl + V is the shortcut to paste. Use this to move a cutting file or create a second instance of a copied file in a new location.

These aren't the merely File Explorer keyboard shortcuts you should know. Utilize Ctrl + Shift + N to quickly create a new binder to put copied files into. Alt + Left/Right will let you leap to the previous and next folders, respectively. Use Alt + Up to spring up one level in your folder hierarchy.

And finally, Ctrl + A will select all the contents of the current folder. This makes information technology like shooting fish in a barrel to move everything from one location to another without having to select them all individually. For more, acquire how to better manage your Windows clipboard.

2. Know Mouse Shortcuts for Faster Copying, As well

If you prefer to utilise a mouse, at that place aren't quite as many tricks for easy copying and pasting. But y'all can still utilise a few means to copy and paste faster.

Hold Ctrl and click multiple files to select them all, no matter where they are on the page. To select multiple files in a row, click the outset one, then hold Shift while you click the last one. This lets you easily pick a big number of files to re-create or cutting.

Normally, clicking and dragging files with the left mouse push will motion them to the new location (the same as cutting and pasting). However, if you click and drag them with the right mouse button instead, you'll see a piffling carte du jour appear. This lets you choose whether to re-create or motility the files, so it's handy if yous don't desire to use keyboard shortcuts for whatever reason.

Windows Copy Move Here Dialog

iii. Utilize Windows 10 or 11 for the Fastest File Copying

We mentioned earlier that Windows 8 and Windows 10 feature a much better copy interface than Windows 7 and before. It's faster and provides a graph showing the speed over time.

Fifty-fifty ameliorate, if yous copy multiple sets of files at once, it combines everything together so you don't take multiple windows floating effectually. You can also intermission and resume individual processes, letting y'all prioritize one operation or pause a long transfer while you use your reckoner for something else.

Windows 10 Copy Dialog Box

And best of all, the copy dialog in Windows 10 and later won't completely stop if there's a conflict in the operation. It continues on and lets you respond when you return. This is much better than stepping away for a while, but to render and find that the functioning paused a few seconds in.

If yous're all the same using the unsupported Windows 7, now is a great time to bound ship from Windows seven to Windows 10 or 11 and become all sorts of improvements like this.

iv. Endeavour TeraCopy

TeraCopy In Action

The above methods are all fairly unproblematic ways to increase your copying speed in Windows 10 or eleven. To become further, you should install a defended copying app. One of the nigh popular is the costless TeraCopy.

This app packs far more functionality than what Windows offers. It uses various algorithms to speed upwardly the copying procedure. The app can verify copied files to make sure that they're 100 percent identical. And if you lot often elevate and driblet files past mistake, you can enable a confirmation prompt to make sure you really meant to do it.

TeraCopy has a few other touches that make it even more than polished. If yous similar, y'all can integrate the app with File Explorer so that all copy/paste operations apply TeraCopy past default. Information technology also keeps the original date and time information on copied files.

Additionally, the software intelligently skips problematic files and lets you review them after instead of freezing upwards the entire operation. Overall, it's a great tool for anyone who copies files often.

TeraCopy is complimentary, with an optional paid upgrade that most home users probably won't need.

5. Get Geeky With Robocopy

Robocopy Windows Example

If you don't mind digging into the Command Prompt or Windows Final, yous tin try a handy built-in tool called Robocopy (brusque for Robust File Re-create). While average users don't really demand to worry almost it, it offers more ability for advanced users who want to run complicated file copy operations.

Using it makes running repetitive copy jobs much easier. Those who need a fast re-create method over a network will find Robocopy essential too.

To use Robocopy, open up a Command Prompt, PowerShell, or Windows Final window. The easiest way to do this is by hitting Win + 10 or right-clicking the Start push button, which will prove a shortcut bill of fare including one of these options.

The command starts with robocopy and takes a number of parameters based on what you want it to do. Reviewing all these is beyond the scope of this word; check out Microsoft's assistance folio on Robocopy or type robocopy /? in the command line for instructions.

If yous need to run the aforementioned re-create functioning regularly, consider creating a batch file that you tin can but double-click to run. You lot tin even prepare the script to run via the Task Scheduler then it fires on a regular interval of your choosing.

vi. Upgrade Your Drives to Speed Upward Copying Files

While the above are all software tweaks, it's important to mention that hardware plays a major part in how fast information copies, too.

As you probably know, older hard deejay drives (HDDs) are much slower than solid-state drives (SSDs). Copying files on an HDD will have longer than the same operation on an SSD. If you don't have an SSD in your machine even so, consider upgrading to brand moving and copying files much faster. If you can't upgrade all the same, try some ways to increase your difficult drive's functioning.

This is also a consideration when copying to or from an external drive. If you have an older external hard drive or flash drive that uses USB 2.0, you'll experience poor transfer speeds. For best results, use a mod USB 3.0 or above bulldoze that supports much faster information transfer.

You lot'll usually recognize these past their blue coloring; find out more than in our guide to USB cables and ports.

7. Compress Files Before Moving Them

Create ZIP file in Windows 10

If you're moving a large number of small files, endeavour compressing them into one ZIP (or another archive format) before moving them. Your estimator can move a 1GB file faster than information technology tin move 1,000 files that are 1MB each.

This is because there'southward overhead associated with each file moved. The system has to perform many deportment, including reading the file's information, locating the gratis infinite for the copied file, moving it over, and releasing its claim on the source. If you lot move one file, it only has to perform these actions a single fourth dimension. But if you move many files, even if they're tiny, it has to perform these extra steps on each 1.

See how to create a Zero file to easily plow all files into an archive. Once you've copied the file to its new abode, unzip the file.

Faster File Copying and Pasting Is in Your Hands

We've looked at several methods for faster copying in Windows. Y'all'll discover lots of other programs that perform a job like TeraCopy, simply they're all pretty similar. Well-nigh people should be happy with what TeraCopy offers.

Combined with the other tips mentioned here, you'll be transferring files in no time at all.

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Almost The Author

Ben Stegner (1807 Articles Published)

Ben is the Editor in Chief at MakeUseOf. He left his IT task to write total-fourth dimension in 2016 and has never looked back. He's been covering tech tutorials, video game recommendations, and more as a professional writer for over eight years.

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