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For a large batch of small files, try Windows’ built-in Robocopy with the /MT option and send its output to a log with /LOG. That can be faster than File Explorer because it copies files concurrently, but the result depends on the files, storage, and—especially for network copies—the client and server. Start with eight threads, compare on your actual workload, and check the log when the copy finishes.
Why copying thousands of small files can be slow
A copy of thousands of tiny files is not just one transfer repeated quickly. Windows and, for network copies, SMB must handle file creation and other filesystem or protocol work for each item. Antivirus actions can also recur for every file. As a result, a fast network link may still show low throughput while a single-threaded copier works through the files one at a time.
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Microsoft describes this kind of workload as hundreds, thousands, or even millions of files under 1 MB. Robocopy’s /MT option can overlap work across files, and logging status to a file can reduce time spent writing output to the console. Microsoft says File Explorer is convenient for basic copying but lacks some performance optimizations Robocopy provides for certain tasks. This means Robocopy can be faster; it is not a guaranteed speedup for every local drive or network setup. (Microsoft SMB transfer troubleshooting)
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Copy a folder tree with Robocopy
Open Command Prompt or Windows Terminal and adapt this command, replacing the example paths with valid source, destination, and log paths:
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robocopy "C:Source" "D:Destination" /E /COPY:DAT /MT:8 /LOG:"C:Logscopy.log"Robocopy is included with Windows. Microsoft’s reference covers Windows 10 and Windows 11, along with listed Windows Server releases. (Robocopy command reference)
What the options do
/Ecopies subdirectories, including empty ones. Use/Sinstead if you want subdirectories but do not want empty directories copied./COPY:DATcopies file data, attributes, and timestamps; this is Robocopy’s documented default copy set. Avoid adding security or ownership options unless you need them./MT:8runs multithreaded copies. Eight is the documented default; the supported range is 1–128./LOG:"C:Logscopy.log"sends status output to the named file. Create the log folder first, then review the log for errors or skipped files after the job.
Keep copying separate from mirroring
The example copies items from the source to the destination; it does not purge destination files. Do not add /MIR casually: it mirrors directory trees and can delete files or directories at the destination that are missing from the source. Use it only when that deletion behavior is intended. (Robocopy command reference)
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Choose a thread count by comparing real copies
Robocopy supports 1–128 threads, but the maximum is not automatically the fastest setting. Microsoft cautions that too many threads can hurt performance. Start with the default of eight or a modest count, then compare elapsed time and the completion log using the same file set, source, destination, and network. Do not infer a universal speedup from one result.
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Use the right option for the job
/Jis aimed at large files. It enables unbuffered I/O; Microsoft recommends it for large files and suggests trying it for files larger than 1 GB in SMB troubleshooting. It is not the main small-file optimization./Zis for restartable copies. It can resume interrupted file copies, but it is not itself a small-file speed setting./MIRchanges destination contents. Because it can delete destination-only items, leave it out of an ordinary copy command unless you intend to mirror.
These options and behaviors are documented in Microsoft’s Robocopy command reference and SMB troubleshooting guidance.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.If the copy is still slow
Look for the bottleneck before changing hardware. For a network transfer, compare a copy performed locally on the file server and try another client; these checks can help distinguish a client, server, storage, or network constraint. Repeated antivirus work is another possible contributor for small-file workloads. Microsoft’s troubleshooting guidance does not establish one cause for every slow copy. (Microsoft SMB transfer troubleshooting; Microsoft troubleshooting steps)
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Compare archive-and-copy for very large batches
For a very large set of tiny files, you can compare creating an archive, copying that single archive, and extracting it at the destination. Count all three stages when timing it: archive creation, transfer, and extraction. Microsoft notes that the outcome depends on compression and decompression speed, so this approach may or may not beat copying the files directly. (Microsoft SMB transfer troubleshooting)
For Azure transfers, consider AzCopy
For transfers to or from Azure, Microsoft recommends AzCopy, which is designed for cloud workloads. Azure Files migration guidance also notes that namespace enumeration can limit small-file workloads, and that more threads may help small files without delivering proportional gains for large ones. Those observations are specific to Azure migration, not a general benchmark for local Windows copying. (Azure Files migration overview; AzCopy documentation)
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