Before you start
- A Windows PC
- A USB drive
Method 1 Check the hardware
-
Step 1: Use a USB 3 port
USB 3 ports are usually blue, marked SS (SuperSpeed), or USB-C. USB 2 tops out around 30–40 MB/s.
-
Step 2: Plug in directly
Avoid unpowered hubs and front-panel ports; use the ports on the back of a desktop.
-
Step 3: Use a good cable and drive
Cheap flash drives can write at only 10–20 MB/s even on USB 3. Portable SSDs reach 500–1000+ MB/s.
Method 2 Turn on Better performance
-
Step 1: Open Device Manager
Right-click Start > Device Manager > Disk drives.
-
Step 2: Change the policy
Right-click your USB drive > Properties > Policies, choose Better performance and click OK.
-
Step 3: Always eject safely
With this setting, you must use Safely Remove Hardware (the USB icon in the tray) before unplugging, or data may be lost.
Method 3 Choose the right file system
FAT32 can’t store files larger than 4 GB, and is slower with big files.
-
Step 1: Back up the drive
Formatting erases the drive, so copy its files elsewhere first.
-
Step 2: Format
In File Explorer, right-click the drive > Format. Choose exFAT (works on Windows, Mac, TVs; supports files over 4 GB) or NTFS (Windows only, good for large drives).
Method 4 Copy smarter
-
Step 1: Zip lots of small files
Copying 10,000 small files is much slower than one big file. Zip the folder first (right-click > Compress to), copy the ZIP, then extract.
-
Step 2: Use Robocopy for big jobs
For large folders, Windows’ built-in Robocopy can copy with multiple threads and resume if interrupted. See the example command below.
robocopy "C:\Users\You\Videos" "E:\Videos" /E /MT:8Troubleshooting
Speed is still about 30 MB/s on a USB 3 port
The drive or cable is USB 2, or the port is running at USB 2 speed. Update chipset/USB drivers and try another port.
Transfers freeze partway
Check the drive with chkdsk E: /f (replace E), and try another cable. Overheating flash drives also slow down or disconnect.
Frequently asked questions
How fast should USB 3 be?
USB 3.0/3.2 Gen 1 can reach around 400 MB/s in practice with a fast drive; Gen 2 and USB4 are faster. Most flash drives are much slower than the port.
Is exFAT or NTFS faster?
Both are similar for large files. exFAT is more compatible; NTFS handles many small files and large drives better on Windows.
Summary
Use a USB 3 port and cable, a fast drive formatted as exFAT or NTFS, and the Better performance policy. Zip thousands of small files or use Robocopy /MT for big jobs.
