4 easy ways to copy large number of files in Windows

Windows has come a long way as an operating system, but copying files from one location to another is still an aspect that continues to disappoint. While copying and pasting files is generally fine, trying to quickly copy a large number of files in Windows 10 can become problematic.

You can get a continuous graphical indicator of the current copy speed. In fact, the process begins quickly, then increases and then slows down in large increments.

If you frequently copy large files, the built-in file transfer system in Windows will be slow and take a long time to move files. The process may even freeze. Thankfully, there are several alternative methods that can make moving and copying files much faster.

It is a command line tool built into Windows that provides more power when you need to run repetitive and/or complex file copying processes. Robocopy makes copying much easier and faster, especially when done over the network.

To use Robocopy, open Start, import Command Prompt and click “Command Prompt” from search results. You can also right click Start and choose “Windows PowerShell”. Using either method, enter the command:

robocopy /?

… and press Enter to get instructions based on the copy parameters you want.

If you want to do the same copying process often, you can create a batch file and double click to run or set the script to run through Task Scheduler as an automatic process. Batch files can also help reorganize your PC. Refer to: How to move files by type in Windows with batch files for detailed instructions.

2. Upgrading the hard drive

The hard drive plays a big role in determining how fast copying takes place. SSDs are faster than old HDDs, so you can buy an SSD for your machine to copy faster.

The same applies when copying from or to an external hard drive. If you use a flash drive with USB 2.0 standard or an old external HDD, the transfer speed will be slow accordingly. Replace it with a modern USB 3.0 drive that supports faster data transfers.

If you’re not sure which one you have, there are easy ways to check if your Windows computer has an SSD or an HDD.

3. Copy using the app

Although the above methods are simple ways to quickly copy a large number of files in Windows, you can get better speeds than what Windows offers by using a copy application. There are several options on the market, but the most popular is TeraCopy, with buffer adjustment algorithms that reduce seek time and speed up copy operations.

Furthermore, the application verifies files to make sure they are completely identical and even warns if you make a mistake while moving files so you are sure of the action.

It has a beautiful interface, integrates with Windows, and is actively updated. It also performs asynchronous copying, which speeds up file transfers between two hard drives.

TeraCopy also intelligently ignores problematic files so you can review them later without terminating the entire transfer.

If TeraCopy doesn’t work well enough, you can also try:

• Copy Handler (free)
• Fast Copy (ideal for creating backups and free)
• FF Copy (free, but not regularly updated)

4. Compress files before copying

This method can work when moving a lot of small files by compressing them with WinRAR or 7zip for better compression ratio. It takes a few minutes to compress the files and then you can copy very quickly.

Although Windows’ built-in compression tool works well enough for text files, it doesn’t always provide optimal compression for images and videos.