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One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware matchTo enable Better performance, open the USB drive’s device properties in Disk Management, choose the Policies tab, and select Better performance. Microsoft recommends also selecting Enable write caching on the device when that option is available. With this policy enabled, always use Safely Remove Hardware before unplugging the drive.
Turn on Better performance
- Connect the USB drive and identify its drive letter or name in File Explorer.
- Right-click the Start button and select Disk Management.
- In the lower pane, find the disk containing the USB drive. Right-click its device label—the disk entry at the left, not a volume bar—and select Properties.
- Open Policies, select Better performance, and, if shown, select Enable write caching on the device. Confirm with OK.
Microsoft’s current instructions cover Windows 10 and Windows 11, but the arrangement of tabs and available controls can vary by Windows version and device. If you do not see Policies, open the Hardware tab, select the USB drive in the device list, and open that device’s Properties; look for its policy controls there. Microsoft Learn explains the removal-policy options and alternate tab path.
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What the two removal policies do
| Policy | Windows behavior | Before unplugging | Tradeoff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quick removal | Windows does not cache disk write operations for the device under this policy. | Microsoft says you can remove the device without using Safely Remove Hardware. | Keeps the device ready to remove, though Microsoft says this can degrade system performance. |
| Better performance | Windows can cache write operations to the external device. | Use Safely Remove Hardware and wait for Windows to say it is safe. | Designed to improve storage performance; Microsoft does not publish a specific speed gain. |
Quick removal has been the default policy since Windows 10 version 1809, according to Microsoft. The setting applies to the particular device, so changing it for one USB drive does not automatically change the policy for every removable drive.
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Safely remove the drive when Better performance is enabled
Before disconnecting the drive, use the Safely Remove Hardware option in the Windows notification area and wait for confirmation that it is safe to remove. Microsoft warns that pulling a device without following safe-removal instructions can cause data loss: cached write operations may not have finished reaching the drive.
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This matters even if a copy window has closed. With write caching, Windows may still be completing storage work in the background. Microsoft’s instruction is explicit: “If you use the Better performance policy, you must use the Safely Remove Hardware process to remove the device.”
What performance improvement to expect
Better performance allows Windows to cache writes and is intended to improve storage performance; Microsoft says Quick removal can degrade it. The documentation does not quantify the difference, and it does not guarantee a particular transfer-speed increase. Any practical effect depends on the device and workload, so do not treat this setting as a promised speed boost.
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You do not need to buy a different USB drive to change this Windows policy. The setting changes how Windows handles writes and removal for the connected device.
Windows 7-era guidance
Microsoft’s older Windows 7-era support guidance also discussed Better performance and write caching for USB and SD storage. For current Windows 10 and 11 settings and defaults, use Microsoft’s newer external-storage removal-policy guidance, rather than relying on the older instructions: Microsoft Support’s Windows 7-era performance tips.
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