Today, the USB flash drive is the most popular external storage of information, which is used by almost all business people, as well as the modern generation of young people. Every person who has even the slightest relation to computer technology appreciated the convenience and practicality of a flash drive in comparison with other storage devices. Not surprisingly, questions about its failure or malfunctioning are increasingly found on the World Wide Web.
There are several options for how to increase the speed of copying data to a USB flash drive.
In this article we will explain how to increase the speed of data transfer to a USB flash drive from computer equipment, since the slow speed of copying data to external media is quite often annoying and knocking out of the schedule.
The essence of the problem and its causes
To transfer the required information from one unit of computer technology to another is one of the everyday tasks of business people. And if a new recently purchased storage medium almost always works correctly, then a device that already has a decent service life, over time creates trouble for its owner.
The reasons for this phenomenon can be of different origin. If the flash drive began to work slowly during its operation, it means that the source of the problem should be searched either in the drive itself, or in the PC settings.
The most frequent and common factors that affect data transfer speeds are:
- inconsistency of PC file systems and drive;
- Incorrect installation of BIOS on the PC;
- incorrect operation of USB-ports;
- wear flash drive chips;
- different standards of connecting the drive channel and the PC;
- virus infection of a computer or flash card.
If the low data transfer rate is due to the wear of the flash card, or rather, its chips, then further recommendations will have little effect on the quality of the device. The surest way to fix the problem is to replace the drive with a new high-quality flash drive. Cheap drives of unknown manufacturers are not recommended for constant and very frequent use, as their lifespan is estimated at several months, which will entail the need to purchase a new product in the near future.
In a situation where the flash drive slowly began to work, however, it has decent quality and short life, you should try to improve its performance according to further recommendations. Let us consider in detail how to increase the speed of a flash drive using elementary methods of setting up a drive and a PC.
Options to optimize the data transfer rate on the stick
During the operation of the drive, sometimes the user notices that the usual files of a not very large size, which previously could be dropped from the computer in a few seconds, began to transfer much longer. The increase in data transfer time gives a lot of inconvenience to the consumer. There are several publicly available methods that any person can cope without assistance to optimize the functionality of the flash drive.
Check for viruses and select the correct drive file system
If files are slowly transferred to a USB flash drive, the first thing to check is the presence of viruses on it or on a PC. Often, they create problems of this kind.
To fix the problem, you should format the drive, after copying all the important materials on it, since after the procedure they will be destroyed and it will be impossible to restore them. And in parallel, you need to check your computer for viruses by using antivirus programs.
Additionally, the choice of the file system may affect the performance of the external storage device. The best option for Windows is NTFS, which is considered the fastest configuration. If the user has a computer with Linux, then it is more practical to format the USB flash drive in a FAT32 system, which is more adapted to work with this operating system.
To format the drive, you first need to synchronize it with your PC, go to “My Computer”, right-click on the name of the USB flash drive and select it in the “Format” drop-down menu. In the window that opens, choose the file system that corresponds to the operating system of your PC and click the “Start” button. After the formatting is completed, the USB flash drive can be operated normally, its performance will increase significantly.
USB drive setup
Often the reason that the flash drive is slow, is the incorrect setting of its parameters. Most often, by default, the flash drive works in the “Quick Delete” mode, which allows the user not to worry about safely removing the flash drive, but at the same time reduces its speed.
Let us consider how to increase the speed of copying files to a USB flash drive by changing the technical program characteristics of the drive. To do this, you need to go to "Disk devices" through the "Device Manager" and select the USB flash drive by clicking on its name twice with the left mouse button. In the open window, you will need to select the “Policy” tab, activate the “Optimum performance” option and save the changes. This procedure will significantly increase the speed of copying files, however, it must be remembered that after changing the settings, every time before removing the device from the computer, you will need to use the “Safely Remove Hardware” function. Ignoring this rule can lead to the loss of recorded data on the drive, due to improper shutdown.
Changing BIOS Settings
Very often, the reason for the low data transfer rate from PC to USB flash drive is outdated BIOS settings. The fact is that the BIOS used to install the Legacy USB Support index by default, which allowed the PC to synchronize with old-fashioned flash drives. Today, for the predominant number of modern drives, it is not mandatory and turning it off will affect the speed of the external memory in a positive way.
To change the settings, you must enter the BIOS menu by pressing the F12 or Delete key when the PC is initially booted. In the pop-up menu, you need to find the Advanced item, in the next window that appears, select the Legacy USB Support option and disable it. After that, you need to press the F10 key to save the changes and restart the PC.
It is worth noting that after disabling the Legacy USB Support option, USB devices that have outdated technical indicators may stop synchronizing with a PC. Therefore, if such are available, one must either abandon this method of enhancing the functionality of the flash drive or take care in advance of acquiring the required devices of the new model.
And some more tips
- Buy flash drives only known proven manufacturers that provide them with a long period of operation. Only a quality product can ensure the safety of important materials.
- Check the conformity of the drive and PC ports. Old-style computers are equipped with ports 1.1, which have low bandwidth. In this case, you can increase the download speed only by upgrading the computer.
- Do not use low-quality USB extension cables to connect USB flash drives. Their quality and length can significantly affect the operation of devices that are connected with them.
Let's sum up
The question of how to increase the speed of copying files to a USB flash drive is interested in most PC users who value their time and do not want to wait indefinitely while the necessary materials are being downloaded from a computer to an external drive.
The above recommendations and tips will help solve the problem on their own, significantly increase the speed of data transfer from a USB flash drive to a PC and significantly save your valuable time.