{"id":75821,"date":"2024-01-22T06:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-01-22T11:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/helpdeskgeek.com\/?p=75821"},"modified":"2025-01-31T00:57:47","modified_gmt":"2025-01-31T05:57:47","slug":"how-to-fix-windows-11-moving-files-slowly","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/helpdeskgeek.com\/how-to-fix-windows-11-moving-files-slowly\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Fix Windows 11 Moving Files Slowly"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Are your file transfer tasks taking longer than usual on your Windows 11 PC? If so, you may have apps running in your system\u2019s background, causing delays in file transfers. There are other reasons this issue occurs, but luckily, you can apply a few tweaks to your computer and sort out your problem. We\u2019ll show you how to do that on your machine. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Close Unused Apps on Your Windows PC\n<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When your file transfer tasks are slower than usual<\/a>, the first item to check is the apps running in your system\u2019s background. You may have unused apps running on your computer, using valuable resources and leaving little to no resources for your file transfer tasks.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this case, close those unwanted apps to fix your copy speed issue. You can close most apps on your Windows 11 PC by selecting the X<\/span> icon in the app\u2019s top-right corner. If an app refuses to quit, use Task Manager to force-quit the app<\/a>, as follows:\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  1. Right-click your Windows taskbar<\/span> and select Task Manager<\/span>.\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Open the Processes<\/span> tab in Task Manager.\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Right-click the app that refuses to close and choose End task<\/span>. Repeat this step for each app you want to quit.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
    \"Fix<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
      \n
    1. Start your file transfer task. <\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

      Related: <\/strong>If you’re running into errors when moving or copying files, check out our guide to fixing Error 0x80070522 in Windows<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Turn Off Unwanted Startup Apps and Reboot Your PC\n<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

      If your issue persists, give your Windows 11 PC a reboot<\/a> and see if that resolves the problem. Restarting your computer often fixes many minor issues, some of which may affect your file copy tasks.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Before rebooting your computer, review your startup list<\/a> and disable any apps you don\u2019t want to launch on your computer\u2019s boot. We show you how to do that as well below.\n<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        \n
      1. Right-click the Start<\/span> menu icon and select Task Manager<\/span>.\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      2. Access the Startup apps<\/span> tab in Task Manager.\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      3. Right-click the app you don\u2019t want to automatically launch on your PC\u2019s boot and choose Disable<\/span>. Repeat this step for each app you don\u2019t want to launch on your PC\u2019s startup.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
        \"Fix<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
          \n
        1. Restart your PC by opening the Start<\/span> menu, selecting the Power<\/span> icon, and choosing Restart<\/span>.\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

          Update Your Windows 11 Operating System Version<\/span>\n<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

          Your file transfers are sluggish because your Windows version<\/a> is outdated. You may be using an old version of Windows 11, which likely has many bugs, causing your file transfers to be slow.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          In this case, update your Windows version<\/a>.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            \n
          1. Press Windows<\/span> + I<\/span> to open Settings<\/span>.\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n
          2. Select Windows Update<\/span> in the left sidebar.\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n
          3. Choose Check for updates<\/span> on the right pane.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
            \"Fix<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
              \n
            1. Download and install the available updates.\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n
            2. Restart your PC.\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

              Run a Virus Scan on Your PC\n<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

              If your file transfer tasks take longer than expected, your PC may be infected with a virus or malware. Such items can cause your various system processes to slow down.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

              In this case, run a full virus scan and remove any threats from your machine<\/a>. You can use your favorite third-party antivirus tool to do that. If you don\u2019t have one, use the built-in Microsoft Defender Antivirus to perform a full scan.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                \n
              1. Open the Start<\/span> menu by pressing the Windows<\/span> key, find Windows Security<\/span>, and launch the app.\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n
              2. Select Virus & threat protection<\/span> in the app.\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n
              3. Choose Scan options<\/span> on the following page.\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n
              4. Select Full scan<\/span> and choose Scan now<\/span>.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
                \"Fix<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
                  \n
                1. Wait while the antivirus scans your system for viruses and malware.\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                2. Restart your PC after removing any viruses or malware from your system.\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

                  Change Your PC\u2019s Bandwidth Option\n<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

                  If you\u2019re experiencing slow transfers on a network<\/a>, free up the bandwidth that your system has reserved for high-priority tasks. This will let you transfer your files faster on your network.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n