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 You’d probably have noticed that file transfers from Windows XP to Vista are very slow. As most of you who still using their Windows Xp boxes, sometimes you would like to transfer few files to Vista and you would be mad at the slow transfer between.
This slowness can be attributed to a feature in Vista ” Remote Differential Compression” which measures the changes in files over a network to transfer them with minimal bandwidth rather than transferring an entire file that has previously been moved. This constant checking for file changes drastically reduce the transfer speeds. Here how to solve this issue!
- Press the Start Orb
- Then open the Control Panel
- Switch to Classic View
- Double click on Programs features applet.
- No click on Turn Windows features on and off
- Scroll down and uncheck Remote Differential Compression
Now, check it out, file copy and move operations will be much faster.
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September 23rd, 2007 at 12:55 am
This didn’t work for me. However, I did find a work around. Open [Control Panel] -> [Administrative Tools] -> [Services] -> [Windows Search] and disable Windows Search Service. All my file operations were working at the speed of XP PRO SP2….ie rename, delete, copy, move, and emptying the Recycle Bin. The Windows Search Service is in need of some serious work.
December 12th, 2007 at 3:26 am
I was delighted to find your work-around and that it works. I have spent more time than I would have ever imagined trying to get Vista to work in this aspect, and this was one of my pet peeves. Thank you for your discovery and passing it on. Your work-around should be published for all to see and use.
Incidentally, I downloaded the KB938979 file pertaining to slow action with Explorer files, and after doing so, I received a window that stated that my system did not qualify for the download, although it did not say why. Typical MS.
Now, if we could only enable Explorer to highlight several files in the same folder and move them all at once. But, I am happy that a major sticking point has been cured (and disabling Windows Search is no loss, because I never could get it to do anything that was remotely close to the search feature in XP).
Thanks again.
December 12th, 2007 at 2:27 pm
Thanks for the reply… Please check the other articles about Vista.
December 13th, 2007 at 12:59 pm
Just followed the instructions and I hope it will work for me as well. Thanks Pranjal.
May 19th, 2008 at 11:37 pm
Thanks Brad Berghuis and this site for valuable information. I think the combination of Disabiling the Remote Differential Compression and the Windows Search under Services on Administrative tools, made a huuuuge difference. I could never get more than 15 MB/s, now my rate transfer is 41 MB/s. Thank you
July 23rd, 2008 at 1:52 pm
Uhh.. nope.. this didn’t work… for me… :(
September 11th, 2008 at 3:09 am
Sorry to say that none of this methods worked.
I tried to copy away a lot of files : still the same
No news from ms.
I noted that copy delete etc are fast under command line