How Can SMB Compression Speed Up Windows 11 File Transfers?
SMB compression makes Windows 11 file transfers up to 65% faster by shrinking files on the fly as they move across a network. SMB is the Server Message Block protocol, which Windows uses for shared folders and mapped drives. With compression on, the sending computer squeezes the data before it goes out, and the receiving computer expands it back to its original size.
You get the biggest gain when moving large files over slow links such as Wi-Fi , virtual private networks (VPNs), or a busy home network. Compression needs no extra software or special hardware. How much you gain depends on the data. Text, logs, databases, disk images and Office documents compress well. Files that are already compressed, such as ZIP archives, MP4 videos and JPEG photos, shrink very little, so expect small gains there. Compression also uses some CPU time on both machines, which is rarely a problem on a modern PC.
Enable SMB compression in Windows 11 by pressing Win+R, typing powershell, pressing Ctrl+Shift+Enter to run as Administrator, then running Set-SmbClientConfiguration -EnableCompression $true. File transfers can become up to 65% faster, especially for text, logs, and Office documents over slow network links.
Important Disclaimer: 🪟 Windows 11 24H2 Performance
Before you change any SMB settings, check your network adapter drivers. Outdated or generic drivers are a common cause of performance drops after a major update. Install the latest driver from your PC or adapter manufacturer, restart, and run the same transfer again to see whether the speed has recovered. Test with the same file and the same destination each time so the comparison is fair.
How to Enable SMB Compression
Enabling SMB compression in Windows 11 takes one short command in an elevated (administrator) window. It shrinks large files before they cross your local network, so less data moves between the two computers. The steps below show how to open that window and run the command.
Both computers need to support SMB compression for it to work. Windows 11 and Windows Server 2022 or later do. If one side doesn’t support it, the transfer still works, but without compression.
- Press Win+R to open the Run dialog. You should see a small box with an Open field.
- Type
powershelland press Ctrl+Shift+Enter to run as Administrator. A User Account Control prompt appears. Click Yes, and a window opens with “Administrator” in its title bar. FLAG: Admin privileges required. If you only press Enter, the window opens without admin rights and the command will fail with an access error. - Run the following command to force compression:
Set-SmbClientConfiguration -EnableCompression $true. If it runs without an error message, the setting is applied. If you get an “access denied” error, close the window and reopen it as Administrator. - Visit the official Microsoft Learn article for more technical details, including which Windows versions support compression and how it behaves in different setups.
Troubleshooting Slow SMB Transfers
Advanced Network Optimization
Two more SMB features can speed up transfers, and they solve different problems.
- SMB Multichannel sends one transfer over several network connections at the same time. It helps most when the PC has more than one network adapter, or a single adapter that supports multiple receive queues. It is on by default in Windows when the hardware supports it.
- SMB over QUIC runs SMB over the QUIC protocol instead of standard TCP (Transmission Control Protocol). It is aimed at reaching file servers across the internet or other untrusted networks without a VPN, and the traffic is encrypted. It is not a speed-up for a normal local network, and it needs a server that supports it, such as Windows Server 2022 Azure Edition or Windows Server 2025.
Map and Manage Network Shares
Command-line tools handle drive mapping and share creation, which is useful when you want to repeat a setup on several machines or put it in a script. Open an elevated window first. FLAG: Admin privileges required for share creation. Mapping a drive normally works from a standard window.
- Map a drive:
net use * \\192.168.1.50\SharedFolder /requestcompression:yes. This attaches a shared folder to a drive letter, so it shows up in File Explorer under This PC. - Create a share:
New-SmbShare -Name "Data" -Path "C:\Data" -CompressData $true. Run this on the computer that holds the files, in an administrator window. - Update a share:
Set-SmbShare -Name "Data" -CompressData $true. Use this to change the settings of a share that already exists, rather than deleting it and creating it again.
Summary
Update your network drivers first, then run the PowerShell commands described above. Leave SMB signing turned on so the network stays protected. Turning it off may gain a little speed but weakens security. If compression doesn't help with your files, or you see higher CPU use, undo the change and go back to your earlier settings.
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About the Author
Richard
Tech Writer, IT Professional
Richard is a writer at Geek Rewind who turns complex IT tasks into clear, step-by-step guides. He draws on years of hands-on experience in system administration and enterprise IT operations, focusing on Windows, Linux and WordPress: the problems people actually run into, and the fixes that work. His server and WordPress guides come from systems he runs himself. Richard builds and maintains the platform behind Geek Rewind, from its Ubuntu servers and Nginx configuration to its custom WordPress plugins. Many new tutorials start with readers' questions, and he's always glad to answer them in the comments.
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