Posted on 02/27/2025 4:49:19 PM PST by Angelino97
Several months ago I bought a new laptop, 128 GB RAM, 13th Generation i9 CPU, running Win 11.
Should be faster than my nine-years old laptop, 32 GB RAM, i7 CPU, Win 7.
Two days ago I bought two external HDDs (Western Digital Passports), 6 TB each.
I then copied (drag & drop method) a folder from an old WD passport to the new, larger one. Folder contained over 2,900 MP4 files, 29 subfolders, at about 1.97 TB total.
It took over 8 hours to copy.
Then verified that all the files were copied by clicking Properties on the old and copied folders. My new laptop counted the 2,900+ files on the old WD HDD in a few minutes. But it took over 5 hours to just to COUNT the 2,900+ files in the new HDD.
I thought, maybe it's an indexing issue? Win 11 hasn't indexed the new HDD?
But then I copied the same files onto the second new HDD. It again took over 8 hours to copy. And the counting was again so slow that after a couple of files had been counted, I tried counting the files on my old Win 7 laptop.
I attached the new HDD to the old laptop, clicked Properties, and the files were counted INSTANTLY.
So the problem isn't the new WD HDDs.
Why does it take forever to Win 11 to copy, and even to count, files on a new HDD (but not on the old HDD)?
As I think others said here, at this point I would boot in safe mode and see if if the problem persists. If it resolves in safe mode you made need to do a clean boot with your Laptop as something is wrong.
Make sure you have a system restore created first before doing a clean boot, the clean boot will basically run win 11 on a minimal set of drivers, if it works then try a normal boot, if the problem persists you have some kind of program mucking up the works probably.
Another thing to try is changing policies for the USD HDD for better performance.
Seems unlikely a specific HDD issue if both are doing the same thing but it could be both are bad.
Know what? I was wrong. It is counting files. I might be wrong, but I think windows keeps up with this on the fly because it has a registry. Linux doesn’t have a registry. It has to recount for new new files when you query it.
It takes a lot of throughput to send all of your personal data to Microsoft.
Double check the cables you are using. Many USB-C cables are intended for charging, and are limited to USB 2.0 data transfer rates.
I have to ask, “Are you logged in?”
Yes. Windows 11 introduced me to 50 minute boots. I think even Windows 3.0 was faster, but that was a long time ago.
yeah somethign different with windows for sure- the countign in linux takes a few minutes if it’s a large drive or file, but certainly not over a few minutes at most in linux- but sitll slow compared to windows-
The copy to external drive issue of op though I’m tryign to remember with my external dock station it used to take a long time transfering about 1.5 gigs of photos and programs- it was hours- but i don’t think 8 hours- but i do remember cloning HDD’s externally, and it did take a very long time- (and i had static shock when disconnecting the drives, and oen of hte drives was blank- don’t know if the static erased everything on the drive or not but it was hours and hours of cloning down the drain lol)
Or this,
“Do you have a friend who ‘knows all about computers’ and they worked on it already?”
[[Yes. Windows 11 introduced me to 50 minute boots.]]
Really? I boot up in around 20 seconds in 11-
Well, Intel put out a couple of defective chips that they are replacing for free, so check to see if you have one of the impacted processors.
My Win11 laptop runs slower than it did on Win10, and my Win10 runs slower than it did on Win7. It takes a lot of capacity to make the additional copy of each item for the NSA. And there’s a reason I’m still using my Win7 computer, although I think one of the cores is failing.
You could be using 2 different formats of USB. A 2.0 on the new computer and 3.0 on the old one. The plugs are the same.
i have 2 thunderbolt 5 ports on my intel MB- but nothing on the market yet will really utilize it- just a cable for it is $40- but it is backwards compatible - so still pretty limited to 20GB/s for now- but that is still way faster than what i had before with HDD’s and usb2
The thunderbolt 5 is supposed to be 120 GB/s- now that would be nice!
Websites open right up for me as soon as I click on it. I’ve never had a problem with Windows 11.
“Use a better tool for copying.
Also check out file pilot to replace explorer. It’s super fast.”
Do you know how long it takes to format a hard drive over a USB connection?
Do you know how long it takes to format a 6 TB hard drive over a USB connection?
You’re not alone. I still use computers. Desktop and laptop. I have a flip phone and it is for talking only. Don’t use messaging. Want me to know something, call me. I don’t want a spying ball and chain.
ESPECIALLTY the edge browser.
8 hours sounds like the anti-virus software was checking each file for viruses and malware.
That's more likely a virus software setting than Windows.
depends on USB 2, 3, 4.
Yep. Explorer in win11 is terrible. And the start search is awful. They keep trying to search online/cloud stuff.
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