Speed Up File Transfers in Windows 11 with Robocopy

Robocopy is a built-in Windows 11 command-line tool that moves large folders and big files much faster than dragging them in File Explorer 📁. The name is short for Robust File Copy. It copies in the background, can resume after an interruption, and doesn’t freeze or slow down your PC the way a long File Explorer 📁 copy can.

You can speed up network transfers even more by combining Robocopy with SMB compression. SMB is the protocol Windows uses for file sharing. With compression on, the data is shrunk while it travels between the two computers. It helps most with files that compress well, such as documents, text, logs and databases. Files that are already compressed, such as ZIP archives, MP4 videos and JPEG images, gain little.

Copy files over the network using Robocopy

Robocopy lets you copy large folders over your local network in Windows 11, and the /compress option adds SMB compression to the transfer. Before you run the copy command, file sharing must be on for both computers and the source folder must be shared on your network.

SMB compression needs support on both ends. It works on recent Windows 11 versions (22H2 and later) and on Windows Server 2022. If you copy to or from a device that doesn’t support it, such as an older Windows release or a NAS, the copy should still run, but without compression. If you get an error about the option, run winver on each PC to check the version.

Start with file sharing on both machines.

1. enable file sharing on both computers.
2. Next, Share the folder containing the files you want to transfer.

If a computer’s network is set to Public, Windows blocks file sharing by default. Switch it to a Private network if sharing doesn’t work.

You will also need the name or IP address of the other computer. The links below show how to find it:

• How to enable file and printer sharing in Windows 11
• How to share files and folders in Windows 11
• How to find your computer name in Windows 11

Write down the name or address before you move on. Once you have it, you can set up the login details and run Robocopy.

Before you launch Robocopy, add the other computer's account details to Credential Manager. This is the Windows tool that stores your login information for other devices and websites. Windows then remembers the login for that computer, so you avoid authentication errors partway through a copy.

1. Open Terminal or Command Prompt. Right-click it and choose Run as administrator if you plan to use backup mode (/ZB) later, because that mode needs elevated rights.
2. Type the command below, then press Enter.

cmdkey /add:COMPUTER or IP /user:COMPUTERNAMEUSERNAME /pass:PASSWORD

Replace COMPUTERNAME with the name of the target computer. Replace USERNAME and PASSWORD with credentials that belong to that machine. These must be an account on the target computer, not the one you are typing at.

On a domain, you can use the domain name in place of COMPUTERNAME.

You can also use the target computer's IP address instead of its name.

Here’s an example:

cmdkey /add:192.168.1.2 /user:WORKGROUPgeekrewind /pass:password

You should see a message saying the credential was added. To undo it later, open Credential Manager from the Start menu, go to Windows Credentials, and remove the entry.

Once the credentials are saved, use the format below to copy files with Robocopy and SMB compression.

robocopy \source-ip-addresspathtoremotesharedfolder C:local-devicepathtodestinationfolder /E /Z /ZB /R:5 /W:5 /TBD /NP /V /MT:16 /compress

Here's an example:

robocopy \192.168.1.2DocumentsRemoteSharedFolder C:UsersgeekrewindDocuments /E /Z /ZB /R:5 /W:5 /TBD /NP /V /MT:16 /compress

1. Replace the source and destination paths with your own. If a path contains spaces, put it in quotation marks.
2. Press Enter to start the transfer to the target device.

Robocopy lists each file as it copies, with a running percentage unless you used /NP. When it finishes, it prints a summary table with the number of directories and files copied, skipped and failed. Check the Failed column. If it is not zero, scroll up to find the files that caused errors.

Run the same command again if a copy is interrupted. Robocopy skips files that are already identical at the destination and carries on with the rest.

Here's a breakdown of the Robocopy options:

• /E — Copy subdirectories, including empty ones.
• /Z — Copy files in restartable mode, so an interrupted copy can resume.
• /ZB — Use restartable mode. If access is denied, switch to backup mode (this needs an elevated prompt).
• /R:5 — Retry 5 times on a failed copy. You can specify a different number. The default is 1 million, which can make a copy appear stuck.
• /W:5 — Wait 5 seconds before retrying (the default is 30 seconds).
• /TBD — Wait for share names To Be Defined (retry error 67).
• /NP — No Progress: don't display the percentage copied.
• /V — Produce verbose output, showing skipped files.
• /MT:16 — Do multithreaded copies with 16 threads. The default is 8. More threads can help with many small files, but they also load the network and the disks.
• /compress — Enable SMB compression to speed up transfers over the network.

• Robocopy offers a powerful and efficient way to copy large files over a network or locally, and it can use SMB compression on the network.
• Enabling SMB compression can significantly reduce the time and bandwidth a transfer needs, particularly for data that compresses well.
• The step-by-step guide above makes the process accessible to users of varying technical expertise.
• We welcome your input through the comments section below for any feedback, corrections, or additional insights.