[SOLVED] Can I improve the file transfer rate on my external HDD or PC?

[armondjenkins]

My external HDD is a WD Model 0214B. It says it is USB 3.0 compatible...but it's looking like transfer speeds are VERY slow when I try to transfer JSON & JPG files from a zipped file to my external HDD.
When I tried to extract the JSON and JPG files from my zipped files into a destination folder on my PC, it took forever and didn't complete.
I tried dragging the files from the zipped folder into the destination folder and experienced the same slowness. Then I tried copying (and dragging) the files from one folder to the destination folder. Still tremendously slow.

When I transferred several folders worth of MP3s from my PC and onto my small USB drive, they transferred VERY quick. So I am not sure if the type of files I am transferring or if it's the device that I am trying to transfer it to. The fact that I couldn't extract the zipped files onto my PC makes me unsure of which one it is.

I downloaded the zipped files from the cloud and onto my external HDD just as an alternative route. Extracting the zipped files into the destination folder didn't work AGAIN. Tried the same copy/paste and dragging, and that is slow too.

I am not sure what else to do. I am using the blue USB drives, which I believe is USB 3.0 or eSATA.

If it matters, the zipped files are Google Takeout zipped files - I am trying to unzip them on my backup storage and it's not working at all.

 

[USAFRet]

What you see is what you get.

Transferring files, one of the main considerations is the number of files.
100GB of data.
2 files of 50GB each will transfer MUCH faster than 1,000 files, totaling the same 100GB.
Especially across USB.

Transfer speed does not differente between jpg or mp3.

 

[Karadjgne]

transfer speeds are VERY slow when I try to transfer JSON & JPG files from a zipped file to my external HDD.

Write speeds of a typical HDD is 80-160 MB/s, regardless of exactly how much or how fast data can be sent. It can only be written to the drive so fast.

When I transferred several folders worth of MP3s from my PC and onto my small USB drive

Transfer speeds of USB 3.0 is upto 600MB/s and flash doesn't rely on needing to be physically written to the way a hdd does.

Very big difference between pc to hdd and pc to flash. The only way to improve your hdd performance would be to eliminate the hdd as it stands and either use external SSD or hybrid (sshdd)

 

[armondjenkins]

I am pretty sure this is the one that I have: https://www.amazon.com/Model-Passport-Portable-External-Backup/dp/B00E83X9P8?th=1

What you see is what you get.

Transferring files, one of the main considerations is the number of files.
100GB of data.
2 files of 50GB each will transfer MUCH faster than 1,000 files, totaling the same 100GB.
Especially across USB.

Transfer speed does not differente between jpg or mp3.

If transfer speed doesn't differentiate, then what do you think accounts for why I only experience extreme slowness on jpg or JSON files only?

 

[USAFRet]

If transfer speed doesn't differentiate, then what do you think accounts for why I only experience extreme slowness on jpg or JSON files only?

Completely unknown.