How to speed up USB drives by modifying a hidden Windows setting

This guide explains how to modify a hidden Windows setting that slows down USB flash drives, allowing you to optimize write performance. This setting is useful for those who frequently use removable storage devices such as USB flash drives, external SSDs, or Thunderbolt disks and want to improve file transfer speed.

The setting in question, called Quick Removal, has been active by default since 2018 with Windows 10 version 1809 and remains unchanged up to Windows 11. This mode prioritizes the safety of immediate device removal but reduces write performance by disabling the cache.

• Technical users: Those who need fast file transfers, especially small ones, will benefit from this change.
• Advanced users: Those who are used to properly ejecting devices can optimize performance.

If you are used to pulling out the flash drive without properly ejecting it, it is advisable to keep the default setting to avoid the risk of data corruption.

Prerequisites

• A computer with Windows 10 version 1809 or later or Windows 11 operating system
• A USB flash drive, external SSD, or Thunderbolt disk connected to the PC
• Access to Windows Device Manager

PROCEDURE: How to modify the Quick Removal setting to improve USB flash drive performance

By following this guide, you will achieve improved write performance on USB flash drives, external SSDs, or Thunderbolt disks connected to your PC.

• Right-click the Start button.
• In the window that opens, expand the "Disk drives" section.
• Find the USB device for which you want to change the setting.
• Go to the "Policies" tab.
• Select the "Better Performance" option.
• Check the box "Enable write caching on the device".
• Click "OK" to save the changes.
• Restart the PC to ensure the changes take immediate effect.

The setting remains linked to the USB port used, so you will not need to reconfigure it every time you reconnect the flash drive to the same port.

Verification and Troubleshooting

After changing the setting from Quick Removal to Better Performance, it is important to verify that the configuration has been correctly applied and to test the performance of the USB flash drive.

How to test if it works

• Performance test: Copy a series of small files (from 4 KB to 256 KB) to the USB flash drive and compare the time taken compared to Quick Removal mode. For example, copy 6,000 small files for a total of about 760 MB and measure the time taken.
• Compare the results: If the copy time is significantly reduced, the Better Performance setting is working correctly.

What to do if it fails

• Check the USB port: Make sure the USB flash drive is connected to the same USB port used for configuration. The setting is linked to the specific port.
• Verify device properties: Go back to the Policies tab of the USB flash drive properties and confirm that Better Performance is selected and "Enable write caching on the device" is checked.
• Restart the PC: If the changes do not seem to be applied, restart the PC to ensure the settings are loaded correctly.
• Check other devices: If the problem persists, try connecting the USB flash drive to another USB port or another PC to verify if the problem is related to the device or the port.

At the end of this guide, you will have learned how to modify the hidden Windows setting that slows down USB flash drives and how to improve the write performance of your removable storage devices.

Educational Summary

• Quick Removal ensures the safety of immediate device removal but reduces write performance.
• The Better Performance mode enables write caching, improving performance but requiring safe device ejection.
• The setting change takes less than a minute and applies to the USB port used.

Call to Practice

Try changing the setting as described and compare file copy times with Quick Removal and Better Performance. Evaluate whether the performance improvement is worth the risk of data corruption for your usage habits.