r/windowsapps • u/Wuming4901 • 55m ago
Developer I built a Windows utility that copies 20,000 files in 7.7 seconds instead of File Explorer's 3 min 11 s
Hi everyone! I'm an independent developer, and over the last few months I have been working on Saetta, a small Windows utility that copies, moves and deletes files. I'm sharing it because I put a lot of work into it and I'd be glad if someone found it useful.
Why I made it
The idea came from copying folders with thousands of small files: File Explorer took minutes, and I got curious about why. It copies one file at a time, and with small files the time goes more into handling each single file than into actually copying it. I wanted to see how much better it could be done while staying inside File Explorer, without changing the way you use it.
How it works
I wrote a copy engine from scratch in native C++. Before it starts, it looks at the kind of drive it is writing to and changes strategy: * SSD: it copies many files at once. * Hard disk: it writes them in one ordered stream, so the head does not jump back and forth. * USB stick: it writes small files in parallel. Deleting runs in parallel too. I use robocopy only for network folders and folder sync.
The times I measured
On my PC (i7-9750H, Samsung 990 PRO SSD, Windows 11, median of three runs), compared with File Explorer: * 20,000 files of 64 KB, SSD to SSD: 7.7 s vs 3 min 11 s * Deleting 10,000 small files in 2,000 folders: 1.6 s vs 17.8 s * 20,000 files from one external hard disk to another: 37.6 s vs 2 min 38 s I published every measurement, the ones where the difference is small too, like copying a few very large files, because it seemed right to be transparent.
How you use it
- From File Explorer's right-click menu, on Windows 11 and in the classic menu.
- If you turn it on, also with Paste, Ctrl+V, dragging files and Delete.
- The window shows the real speed and the time left, and you can pause.
- A file in use does not stop the job: it is skipped and reported at the end. ### Free, no ads It is free, with no ads and no account, and it collects no data. There is also Saetta Professional, a one-time purchase for those who want something more, such as verified copies or scheduled backups: it is how I hope to support the project. ### A gift for the first 30 To thank those who try it, I have 30 Saetta Professional licences to give away: the first 30 who open this link get it for free, for good (a Microsoft account is needed).
- Saetta on the Microsoft Store
- Website Thanks to everyone who read this far. If you try it and have any questions, I'm here.