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Why Does Moving Files to an External Hard Drive Take So Long Time?

Hey guys, I moved files from my PC to an external hard drive yesterday and it took a very long time. I had no patience to wait it out so I broke the transfer. I was wondering why mowing files to an external hard drive take me so long time and how can I speed up the process.

Best Answered by

iBoysoft author Vain Rowe

Vain Rowe

Answered on Wednesday, November 26, 2025

Hi there, the slow file-moving process is determined by loads of possible factors: speed of the computer, speed of the external hard drive, sizes of the files, amount of the files, and USB speed. If you want to speed up the moving process, the easiest way is to use a higher USB version.

As is well-known, there are USB-A, USB-B, and USB-C types. Type A, B, or C of USB only refers to the physical design (Or shape) of the ports and connectors.

USB-A is a flat and rectangular shape. USB-B has multiple designs, but the common shape is a bit squarer. And the design of USB-C is a smaller rectangular with rounded corners.

No matter it's a Type A, B, or C USB, only the USB versions can determine the data transfer speed of the USB cable. All three types of USB ports can run USB versions 1.1, 2.0, 3.0, or 3.1. The higher the USB version is, the faster the speed it brings.

Therefore, you can check the USB port version of your device and the external hard drive and apply a higher one as much as you can.

Find more solutions in this article: Fix USB File Copy Stuck At 0% or 99% When Copying Large Files

Hope you good luck!

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