How to use TeraCopy to transfer files on Windows 11, 10

On Windows 11 (and 10), you can use TeraCopy to transfer files instead of using the system’s copy handler, and in this tutorial, I’ll teach you how.

TeraCopy is an alternative solution to the default copy handler available on Windows. Unlike the default copy handler, TeraCopy offers an interactive interface that allows you to stay in control whether you’re copying or moving files from one location to another in the same or remote computer.

It also provides various advantages over the built-in copy and move functions. For example, TeraCopy verifies file integrity and performs checksum checks on copied and moved files to ensure they have been transferred correctly.

It’s more reliable since it is less likely to fail due to errors or unexpected events. The application can be faster, especially when copying large files. You can pause and resume file transfers anytime. Also, the error recovery feature can skip or retry faulty files during a transfer, which can help minimize errors and ensure that all of your files are copied successfully.

TeraCopy also offers several other features, such as the ability to queue multiple file transfers, view a detailed log of all transfers, and replace the copy experience on the operating system.

In this tutorial, I’ll dive into the experience of getting started with the alternative to the copy handler on Windows 11 (and 10).

Get started with TeraCopy on Windows 11, 10

Getting started using TeraCopy is straightforward. You only need to install the application and understand the interface. After that, copying or moving files is as easy as using the built-in experience on Windows.

Warning: Although the app works as advertised, this is a third-party tool that was not designed by Microsoft, and it may modify the behavior of the operating system to integrate the copying experience. As a result, use this application at your own risk.

Install TeraCopy

To install TeraCopy on Windows 11 (or 10), use these steps:

Open Start on Windows 11.
Search for Command Prompt, right-click the top result, and choose the Run as administrator option.
Type the following command to install TeraCopy and press Enter:
```
winget install --id CodeSector.TeraCopy
```

Once you complete the steps, the application will install on your computer.

Code Selector, the company that owns this software, offers a free and paid version of TeraCopy. However, the free version provides everything you need to handle transfers. The paid version is more for commercial customers and to access a few extra features., such as edit lists, manage favorites, and export reports.

Use TeraCopy

After installing the application, you can copy and paste files from one location to another like you’re used to on Windows 11. As you perform this action, the integration will prompt you to choose whether to handle the operation with the default handler or TeraCopy.

Alternatively, you can open TeraCopy from the Start menu. On the left side, you can view the history of your transfers, and on the right, you can set up new operations.

If you want to set up a new operation, click the “Create new list” (+) button from the toolbar. On the right side, click the “Source” button to add files or folders to the list.

Then, click the “Target” button to specify a destination for the files.

Once you’re ready, you can choose from several actions, including “Copy” or “Move,” but you can also test or verify the operation.

At the bottom of the page, you can control the transfer settings from the “Options” tab, such as the attributes and security information you want to copy during the process and more.

The “Status” tab will show you the progress of the transfer, like the Windows 11 (and 10) status view.

In the TeraCopy settings, you can configure some parameters, such as the shell integration on Windows. It’s also possible to set the app to stay always on top and choose the action after the transfer.

Overall, it’s a suitable alternative to the default copy experience that hasn’t been updated in many years. The only caveat is that the latest version of TeraCopy doesn’t offer multi-thread support, meaning that it cannot transfer multiple files at the same time, only one at a time, like the Windows experience. (It’s important to make this clarification because previous versions of the app included this feature.)

Also, if you no longer need the application, the uninstall process can cause some hiccups since the “Windows Explorer” service has to be terminated to remove the shell integration.

If you’re looking for a solution that offers support to copy multiple files simultaneously, you can use the Robocopy command-line tool available on Windows 10 and 11.