Windows 11 22H2 Slows Down File Transfers By 40%

As per the recent announcement on Microsoft Tech Community, the OEM confirmed that updating your operating systems to Windows 11 2022 Update slows down file transfers of larger files (files in GBs) by almost 40% of the regular speed.

A simple file transfer uses the Server Message Block (SMB) which is a file transfer protocol. However, the conventional method to transfer large files experiences 40% less throughput for the users on Windows 11 22H2.

If you are experiencing a similar problem, then we have a workaround for you. You can revert your file transfer speeds to the older Windows 11 21H2 speeds using the given method below.

Cause of Slower File Transfers in Windows 11 22H2

Since the file transfer uses the SMB protocol, there ought to be an issue with the protocol itself resulting in slower file transfer speeds for larger files. However, according to Microsoft, the problem isn’t with the protocol.

The issue is not actually in SMB code, so I can’t give you an ETA for a permanent fix yet.

Microsoft

It can be deduced from the statement from Microsoft that they aren’t sure about the root cause of the issue at the moment, hence cannot tell when it will be fixed.

That said, we have found Microsoft to be very proactive and address critical issues timely. We think that the issue might be fixed in the upcoming Patch Tuesday release for Windows 11 22H2, or maybe even an “Out of Band Update” sooner.

Speed Up Large Files Transfers on Windows 11 22H2

As a workaround, Microsoft recommends using the Robocopy command-line utility to transfer files from one place to another over the network. This will restore the transfer speeds to the older Windows 11 version 21H2 speed.

You can use the command Robocopy with the /J switch to transfer large files without buffering. Here is the syntax to be used in an elevated Command Prompt:

robocopy \\someserver\someshare c:\somefolder somefile.ned /J

In the cmdlet above, replace someserver and someshare with the complete server name and file name that needs to be copied, respectively. Also replace somefolder with the name of the folder where you want to replace the copied file, and somefile.ned with the file name and extension you wish to save the file as.

Closing Thoughts

Microsoft has shifted from a bi-annual feature update to a yearly feature update for its operating systems. Even so, there are usually some issues with the operating systems that affect the end-users significantly.

Therefore, it is recommended that you hold off on the major Windows updates for at least a few weeks until Microsoft works out its kinks and mitigates the significant problems.