files-community/Files

Feature: Please add multi-threaded copy support

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#7,275 opened on Dec 13, 2021

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 (40 comments) (3 reactions) (0 assignees)C# (2,719 forks)batch import
area - file operationshelp wanted

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Description

What's the Problem?

I was comparing both windows explorer and Files app copy speed of 1600 files. Here are the results. image Files app took 43 seconds to copy 1600 files of 300 kb each image Whereas windows just took 5-6 seconds to fully copy the folder.

Solution/Idea

Add customizable multi-threaded support in the Files app. I want to set it as 16 or 32 threads (especially when I am copying from google drive to the desktop, multi-threading is essential).

Alternatives

You may use robocopy to copy files fast and multi-threaded (worked for my 150 Mbps internet, google drive downloads maxed 145 Mbps, normally it just gives 20 Mbps).

You may also include file explorer's file handling option in settings to copy files, etc.

Priorities

| Capability | Priority | | Multi-threaded Support | Must | | Option to choose the number of threads in settings | Should | | Option to change default file handler to native windows or robocopy | Could |

Files Version

No response

Windows Version

No response

Comments

Well, it's an important feature to copy files fast.

Contributor guide

Research direction
Investigate the current file copy implementation in Files, likely in the core logic under 'Files.App' or similar. Review comments and linked issues (none visible) for prior discussions. Explore using .NET's Parallel.ForEach or Task Parallel Library for multi threaded copying. Check if there is an existing abstraction for file operations that could be extended.
Tech stack
csharp
Domain
desktopperformance
Issue type
Feature
DifficultyEstimated implementation difficulty for a new contributor, from 1 for very small changes to 5 for expert-level work.
5
Estimated timeA rough time range for an experienced contributor to investigate, implement, test, and prepare a pull request.
Over 1 week
Activity statusHow available the issue appears right now: fresh, active, stale, blocked, or waiting on maintainer input.
Stale
ClarityHow clearly the issue explains the expected change, acceptance criteria, and next step.
Mostly clear
Prerequisites
C#multi threadingfile I/O
Newbie friendlinessA 1-100 score estimating how approachable this issue is for first-time contributors.
15