Download FastCopy — The Fastest File Copier for Windows

Yes, FastCopy is completely free for personal use with no trial period, no feature limitations, and no advertisements built into the software. Every core feature is available in the free edition, including differential copy, SHA-256/xxHash hash verification, multi-threaded I/O, command-line automation, UNICODE long path support, and shell extension integration.

The developer, Shirouzu Hiroaki, also offers a separate FastCopy Pro edition designed for workplace and commercial environments. The Pro version costs approximately 1,980 JPY (around $13 USD) and adds:

• Enhanced verification with exportable SHA-256 hash reports in CSV/text format for audit compliance
• Silent data corruption detection (bit-rot detection) for aging drives
• A commercial-use license suitable for enterprise deployment
• Priority email support from the developer

For home users, students, and personal backup needs, the free edition has everything you need. You can download the latest version (5.11.2) from our download section.

FastCopy is safe to install and run on both Windows 10 and Windows 11. The software has been in active development since 2004 by Shirouzu Hiroaki, and version 5.11.2 includes specific compatibility updates for Windows 11 24H2.

Why FastCopy is safe:

• No system file modifications: FastCopy does not alter Windows system files, registry entries (in portable mode), or protected OS components
• No admin privileges required: Standard file copy operations work without administrator elevation. Admin rights are only needed when copying to system-protected directories like C:\Program Files
• No telemetry or phone-home: FastCopy makes zero network connections. It does not collect usage data, send crash reports, or contact any remote server
• No bundled software: The installer contains only FastCopy. There are no toolbars, browser extensions, or third-party offers bundled with the download
• Source code available: The developer publishes the source code on fastcopy.jp for transparency and independent review

FastCopy has been reviewed and verified as clean by Softpedia (100% Free award), MajorGeeks, and AlternativeTo. If Windows SmartScreen shows a warning during installation, this is a generic alert for less common software and does not indicate a security issue. Click “More info” and then “Run anyway” to proceed.

Yes, FastCopy is significantly faster than the built-in Windows Explorer file copy handler. In benchmark tests published on the official FastCopy website, the software achieves 2x to 3x faster throughput compared to Windows Explorer on identical hardware.

How FastCopy achieves higher speeds:

• Multi-threaded overlapped I/O: FastCopy reads and writes data simultaneously using multiple threads, keeping the storage device busy at all times. Windows Explorer processes files more sequentially.
• Direct memory-mapped transfers: FastCopy bypasses the Windows file cache layer and manages its own memory buffer (configurable from 64 MB to 1 GB+). This eliminates double-caching overhead that slows Explorer down.
• Optimized for small files: The performance gap is largest when copying thousands of small files. Explorer opens, reads, writes, and closes each file individually. FastCopy batches operations to minimize per-file overhead.
• CPU affinity control: FastCopy can lock operations to specific CPU cores, reducing context switching on multi-core processors.

Real-world example: Copying 50,000 small files (documents, configs, logs) totaling 15 GB might take Windows Explorer 18-22 minutes. FastCopy typically completes the same job in 6-8 minutes on the same hardware. For large single files (like a 50 GB disk image), the gap narrows but FastCopy still wins because it avoids the OS cache overhead.

On 10 Gbps network connections, official benchmarks show FastCopy achieving close to 10 Gbps throughput while Windows Explorer tops out around 4.8 Gbps on the same NIC.

FastCopy has extremely low system requirements and runs on virtually any Windows machine built in the last 15 years:

• Operating System: Windows 7, 8, 8.1, 10, or 11 (both 32-bit and 64-bit). Also supports Windows Server 2012, 2016, 2019, and 2022.
• Processor: Any x86 or x64 CPU. There is no minimum clock speed requirement.
• RAM: 64 MB minimum (128 MB recommended). FastCopy uses its own configurable buffer, so more system RAM allows larger buffer sizes for faster transfers.
• Disk Space: 10 MB for the full installation. The portable version uses even less.
• GPU: Not required. FastCopy is a CPU and disk I/O tool with no GPU acceleration.
• Dependencies: None. FastCopy has zero external dependencies. No .NET Framework, no Visual C++ Redistributable, no Java, and no other runtime. It runs as a standalone native Windows application.

The lack of dependencies is a key advantage for IT professionals. You can carry FastCopy on a USB drive and run it on any Windows machine without installing anything first. This makes it ideal for data recovery, field work, and troubleshooting scenarios where you cannot install software on the target system.

Yes, FastCopy has built-in post-copy verification that confirms every byte of data was copied correctly. This feature is critical for anyone who needs to guarantee data integrity, especially when transferring important files, backups, or archival data.

How verification works:

1. FastCopy reads the source file and computes a cryptographic hash (SHA-256 by default, or xxHash for faster checking)
2. After the file is written to the destination, FastCopy reads the destination copy and computes its hash
3. The two hashes are compared. If they match, the file is verified as an exact copy. If they differ, FastCopy flags the file as a verification error in the transfer log.

To enable verification: Check the “Verify” checkbox in the main FastCopy window before starting the transfer. You can also enable it via the command line with the /verify flag.

Verification modes available:

• SHA-256: Cryptographically strong hash. Virtually impossible for corruption to go undetected. Slower but extremely reliable.
• xxHash: Non-cryptographic hash optimized for speed. Excellent for detecting transfer errors with much less CPU overhead than SHA-256.

FastCopy Pro adds an additional layer called “Perfect Verify” which generates exportable hash report files suitable for audit trails and compliance documentation. The standard free version’s verification is already more than sufficient for personal and most professional use.

Both FastCopy and TeraCopy are popular Windows file copy utilities, but they target slightly different user needs. Here is a direct comparison:

Where FastCopy wins:

• Raw speed: FastCopy is consistently faster in benchmarks, especially when copying large numbers of small files. Its multi-threaded overlapped I/O engine pushes hardware closer to its maximum throughput.
• Command-line automation: FastCopy has a complete CLI with every GUI option available as a flag. TeraCopy’s CLI is more limited.
• No dependencies: FastCopy runs standalone with zero runtime requirements. TeraCopy requires .NET Framework.
• Portable mode: FastCopy works from a USB drive without installation. TeraCopy needs to be installed.
• Completely free: All features are available in the free edition. TeraCopy locks queue management and some features behind a $25 Pro license.

Where TeraCopy wins:

• Pause and resume: TeraCopy has native pause/resume on individual transfers. FastCopy requires re-running with Diff mode to resume.
• Drag-and-drop: TeraCopy integrates as a drag-and-drop handler in Explorer, intercepting copy operations automatically.
• More polished GUI: TeraCopy’s interface is more modern and visually appealing, with progress bars and file-level detail.
• Transfer queue: TeraCopy Pro can queue multiple copy jobs and process them sequentially.

Bottom line: If your priority is maximum speed, scripted backups, and zero bloat, FastCopy is the better choice. If you want a friendlier interface with pause/resume and drag-and-drop, TeraCopy fits better. Many power users keep both installed and use each for different situations.

FastCopy has a full command-line interface (CLI) that mirrors every option available in the GUI. This makes it ideal for automated backup scripts, scheduled tasks, and batch operations.

Basic command syntax:

fastcopy.exe /cmd=diff /verify /auto_close "C:\Source" /to="D:\Destination"

Essential command-line flags:

• /cmd=diff – Copy mode. Options: diff (differential), sync (sync with delete), move, delete, noexist_only (copy only new files)
• /verify – Enable SHA-256 hash verification after copy
• /auto_close – Automatically close the FastCopy window when the job finishes
• /log – Write a detailed transfer log to a file
• /logfile="path" – Specify a custom log file path
• /include="*.docx;*.xlsx" – Only copy files matching these patterns
• /exclude="*.tmp;Thumbs.db" – Skip files matching these patterns
• /speed=full – Run at full speed (options: full, autoslow, 9–1 for throttling)
• /acl – Preserve NTFS security ACLs
• /stream – Preserve NTFS alternate data streams

Example: Nightly backup script

fastcopy.exe /cmd=sync /verify /auto_close /acl /log /logfile="D:\Logs\backup_%date%.log" "C:\Users\YourName\Documents" /to="E:\Backup\Documents"

Scheduling with Windows Task Scheduler: Open Task Scheduler, create a new basic task, set the trigger (daily at 2:00 AM, for example), choose “Start a Program” as the action, enter the FastCopy executable path, and paste your command-line arguments into the “Add arguments” field. The backup will run unattended on schedule.

Yes, FastCopy 5.11.2 fully supports Windows 11, including the latest 24H2 update. Both the 64-bit and 32-bit editions are compatible, though 64-bit is recommended since all Windows 11 installations run 64-bit.

Windows 11 specific details:

• Shell extension: The right-click context menu integration works with both the legacy context menu and the new Windows 11 compact menu. On the new menu, you may need to click “Show more options” to see the full set of FastCopy entries (Copy, Move, Delete).
• OneDrive fix: Version 5.11.2 specifically resolved a bug where the shell extension could accidentally trigger OneDrive downloads on cloud-only placeholder files when you right-clicked them. This is no longer an issue in the current release.
• Dark mode: FastCopy’s interface respects the Windows system theme. If you have Windows 11 dark mode enabled, the FastCopy window adjusts accordingly.
• ARM64: As of version 5.11.2, FastCopy does not have a native ARM64 build. It runs on Windows on ARM (Snapdragon X, etc.) through x64 emulation, which works but may not achieve peak performance on ARM hardware.

If you are upgrading from an older version, just download and install the new version over the existing installation. Your settings (FastCopy.ini) and job configurations are preserved.

FastCopy can integrate directly into the Windows right-click (context) menu, allowing you to copy, move, or delete files without opening the FastCopy window first.

If you used the installer: Shell integration is set up automatically during installation. Right-click any file or folder in Windows Explorer and you will see FastCopy options (Copy, Move, Delete, and more) in the context menu.

If you used the portable version:

1. Open FastCopy.exe
2. Go to Help > Shell Extension Install
3. Click Install
4. You may need to restart Windows Explorer or log out/in for the changes to take effect

Customizing shell extension options: Go to Edit > Settings > Shell Extension tab. Here you can configure which operations appear in the context menu (Copy, Move, Paste, Delete), enable drag-and-drop menu integration, choose whether to show icons in the menu, and set the default copy mode for right-click operations.

To remove: Open FastCopy, go to Help > Shell Extension Uninstall, and click Uninstall. This cleanly removes all context menu entries.

FastCopy does not have a built-in pause/resume button like TeraCopy. However, you can effectively resume interrupted transfers using the Diff (size/date) copy mode, which is often more reliable than a traditional pause/resume approach.

How to resume an interrupted transfer:

1. After the interruption (power outage, network drop, manual cancel, or system crash), simply re-open FastCopy
2. Set the same source and destination paths as the original job
3. Select “Diff (size/date)” from the copy mode dropdown
4. Click Execute

FastCopy will scan both the source and destination, compare each file by size and last-modified date, skip all files that already match, and only copy the files that are missing or incomplete. This takes a few seconds for the comparison scan and then resumes exactly where the transfer left off.

Why this works well: A partially copied file will have a different size than the source, so FastCopy will re-copy it from scratch. Fully copied files will match and get skipped. The result is the same as a pause/resume, just done through a re-scan rather than a persistent state file.

Pro tip: For very large transfers over unreliable connections (such as network drives over WiFi), always use Diff mode from the start. This way, if anything goes wrong, you can just re-run the same command and it picks up automatically.

Yes, FastCopy fully supports network drives, NAS devices, and any storage accessible through Windows file sharing (SMB/CIFS protocol). You can use both mapped drive letters and UNC paths.

How to use network paths:

• Mapped drives: If your NAS is mapped as Z:\, just use Z:\SharedFolder as the source or destination
• UNC paths: Use the full network path directly, such as \\NAS01\SharedFolder\Backups or \\192.168.1.50\Data

Performance considerations:

• Network transfer speed is limited by your network connection, not by FastCopy itself. A 1 Gbps Ethernet link maxes out at approximately 125 MB/s. FastCopy on a 10 Gbps link has been benchmarked at close to 10 Gbps throughput.
• Use “Diff (size/date)” mode for NAS backups. This avoids re-copying unchanged files over the network, saving significant time on subsequent backup runs.
• If your NAS supports SMB3 multichannel, FastCopy’s multi-threaded I/O can take advantage of multiple network paths automatically.
• For WiFi connections, consider using the /speed=autoslow flag to prevent FastCopy from saturating your wireless bandwidth and causing other devices to lag.

Common NAS brands tested: FastCopy works reliably with Synology, QNAP, TrueNAS, Western Digital My Cloud, and Windows-based file servers. Any device that supports standard SMB/CIFS file sharing will work.

Robocopy (Robust File Copy) ships with Windows and is a powerful command-line file replication tool. FastCopy provides both a GUI and CLI. Here is how they compare:

Where FastCopy wins:

• Speed on local transfers: FastCopy’s multi-threaded overlapped I/O is faster for disk-to-disk copies, especially with many small files
• Visual interface: FastCopy has a GUI. Robocopy is command-line only (unless you use a third-party wrapper).
• Hash verification: FastCopy has built-in SHA-256/xxHash verification. Robocopy has no native verify option.
• Simpler syntax: FastCopy’s CLI flags are more intuitive for common operations

Where Robocopy wins:

• Built into Windows: No download or installation needed. Available on every Windows machine since Vista.
• Per-file retry logic: Robocopy’s /R:3 /W:5 flags automatically retry failed files with configurable wait times. Essential for flaky network connections.
• Bandwidth throttling: The /IPG (inter-packet gap) flag lets you throttle network bandwidth precisely.
• Multi-threaded network copies: Robocopy’s /MT:16 flag creates multiple copy threads specifically optimized for network replication.
• Mirror mode: Robocopy’s /MIR creates exact mirror copies including deleting files at the destination that no longer exist at the source, with extensive logging.
• Active Directory integration: Better handling of domain-level NTFS permissions and security descriptors in enterprise environments.

Recommendation: Use FastCopy for local disk-to-disk transfers, personal backups, and any job where you want a visual interface or hash verification. Use Robocopy for server-to-server network replication, domain migrations, and scenarios where retry logic and bandwidth throttling are important. Many IT professionals use both tools depending on the situation.

FastCopy offers several copy modes that make it an effective backup tool. Understanding the differences between them helps you choose the right approach for your backup strategy.

Available backup modes:

• Diff (No Overwrite): Copies only files that do not exist at the destination. Never overwrites existing files, even if the source is newer. Good for accumulating files without risk of overwriting.
• Diff (Size/Date): Compares each file by size and last-modified timestamp. Copies only files that are new or have changed. This is the most common mode for incremental backups.
• Diff (Newer): Only copies files where the source has a newer timestamp than the destination. Ignores size differences.
• Sync (Size/Date): Same as Diff, but also deletes files at the destination that no longer exist at the source. This creates an exact mirror. Use with caution.
• Copy (Overwrite All): Copies everything regardless of whether files already exist. Full backup every time. Slowest but simplest.

Recommended backup setup:

1. Set copy mode to “Diff (Size/Date)”
2. Enable Verify to hash-check every copied file
3. Set your source folder (e.g., C:\Users\YourName\Documents)
4. Set your destination folder (e.g., E:\Backup\Documents)
5. Click Execute for the first full backup
6. On subsequent runs with the same settings, only changed files are copied

Automation tip: Save this as a Job in FastCopy (File > Job Register) and then schedule it with Windows Task Scheduler using the /cmd=diff /verify /auto_close flags. This gives you hands-free daily incremental backups with hash verification.

If FastCopy crashes on launch, freezes during transfers, or fails to start at all, work through these troubleshooting steps in order:

Step 1: Update to the latest version

Download version 5.11.2 from our download section. Older versions may have bugs that have been fixed in newer releases. Install over the existing version; your settings will be preserved.

Step 2: Fix shell extension crashes

If Windows Explorer crashes or freezes when you right-click files, the FastCopy shell extension may be the cause. Open FastCopy, go to Help > Shell Extension Uninstall, restart Explorer (or log out and back in), and then re-install the extension via Help > Shell Extension Install.

Step 3: Run as administrator

If FastCopy shows “Access Denied” errors when copying to system folders (C:\Program Files, C:\Windows), right-click FastCopy.exe and select “Run as administrator.” This grants the permissions needed for protected directories.

Step 4: Reduce the buffer size

Go to Edit > Settings > I/O Settings and reduce the Buffer Size. The default is often 256 MB, which can cause memory pressure on systems with 4 GB or less total RAM. Try 64 MB or 128 MB and see if stability improves.

Step 5: Reset settings to defaults

Close FastCopy. Navigate to the installation directory (typically C:\Program Files\FastCopy) and delete the FastCopy.ini file. Relaunch FastCopy and it will start with factory defaults. This fixes issues caused by corrupted or incompatible settings from older versions.

Step 6: Try the portable version

Download the portable ZIP from our download section, extract it to a new folder, and run it. If the portable version works but the installed version does not, the problem is likely a corrupted shell extension registration or a conflict with another application.

FastCopy has a nuanced licensing history. In earlier versions (roughly pre-2017), the software was distributed under a permissive BSD-style open-source license, and the full source code was freely available for modification and redistribution.

More recent versions are distributed as freeware with source code available. The developer, Shirouzu Hiroaki, continues to publish the source code on the official website for transparency and community review. However, the license terms have changed: commercial redistribution without permission is no longer allowed, and the Pro version’s additional features are proprietary.

What this means in practice:

• You can download and use FastCopy for free with all features
• The source code is available for inspection and learning
• You cannot fork the code and redistribute a modified version commercially
• Technically it is “source-available freeware” rather than open source in the OSI-approved sense

For users who care about transparency and trust, the source availability means you (or a security researcher) can inspect exactly what FastCopy does. This is more than most freeware offers.

Combining FastCopy’s command-line interface with Windows Task Scheduler creates a reliable automated backup system that runs without any manual intervention. Here is the complete setup process:

Step 1: Build your FastCopy command

Test the command manually first to make sure it works:

"C:\Program Files\FastCopy\FastCopy.exe" /cmd=sync /verify /auto_close /log /logfile="D:\Logs\backup_%date:~-4%-%date:~4,2%-%date:~7,2%.log" "C:\Users\YourName\Documents" /to="E:\Backup\Documents"

Step 2: Open Task Scheduler

Press Win+S, search for “Task Scheduler,” and open it. Click “Create Basic Task” in the right-side panel.

Step 3: Configure the task

• Name: “FastCopy Nightly Backup” (or whatever describes your job)
• Trigger: Daily at 2:00 AM (or your preferred time when the computer is on but not heavily used)
• Action: Start a Program
• Program: "C:\Program Files\FastCopy\FastCopy.exe"
• Arguments: /cmd=sync /verify /auto_close /log "C:\Users\YourName\Documents" /to="E:\Backup\Documents"

Step 4: Advanced settings (optional)

In the task properties, go to the “Settings” tab and enable “Run task as soon as possible after a scheduled start is missed.” This ensures the backup runs even if the computer was asleep at the scheduled time. Also consider checking “Stop the task if it runs longer than 4 hours” as a safety timeout.

Pro tip: Use FastCopy’s Job Register feature (File > Job Register) to save your backup configuration with a name. Then use /job="JobName" in the command line instead of typing all the paths and flags. This keeps the Task Scheduler entry clean and makes it easy to modify the backup scope later.

The official download source for FastCopy is the developer’s own website at fastcopy.jp, maintained directly by Shirouzu Hiroaki. This is the only source guaranteed to have the latest, unmodified version of the software.

You can also download FastCopy from our download section above, which links directly to the official release files hosted on the developer’s server.

Trusted mirror sites:

• Softpedia – Verified clean, carries the “100% Free” award badge
• MajorGeeks – Long-standing trusted download site, mirrors the official installer
• AlternativeTo – Links to the official download page

Sites to avoid: Be cautious of random download aggregator sites that may repackage FastCopy with bundled adware, toolbars, or modified installers. If the download file is significantly larger than ~5 MB, or if the installer asks you to install additional software, you are likely not using the official package. Stick to the sources listed above.

How to verify your download: The official FastCopy website publishes SHA-256 checksums for each release. After downloading, you can verify the file integrity by running certutil -hashfile FastCopy5112_installer.exe SHA256 in Command Prompt and comparing the output to the published hash.

FastCopy is one of the cleanest Windows applications to uninstall because it leaves virtually no traces behind. The process depends on whether you used the installer or portable version.

Uninstalling the installed version:

1. Remove the shell extension first: Open FastCopy, go to Help > Shell Extension Uninstall, and click Uninstall. This removes the right-click context menu entries and the associated DLL registration.
2. Uninstall via Windows: Go to Settings > Apps > Installed Apps (Windows 11) or Control Panel > Programs and Features (Windows 10). Find FastCopy in the list and click Uninstall.
3. Verify removal: The installation directory (typically C:\Program Files\FastCopy) should be removed automatically. If any files remain, you can safely delete the folder manually.

Removing the portable version:

1. If you installed the shell extension from portable mode, open FastCopy first and uninstall it via Help > Shell Extension Uninstall
2. Close FastCopy
3. Delete the entire portable folder. That is it.

The portable version stores all settings in a FastCopy.ini file in the same directory as the executable. It makes no changes to the Windows registry and leaves no files elsewhere on the system. Deleting the folder removes everything completely.

Yes, FastCopy works entirely offline. It makes zero network connections and does not require internet access for any of its features, including downloading, installing, running, and updating.

What works offline:

• All copy, move, sync, and delete operations
• Hash verification (SHA-256, xxHash)
• Command-line automation
• Shell extension (right-click menu)
• Job management and scheduling
• All settings and configuration

FastCopy does not have an auto-update feature. To update to a new version, you need to manually download the installer from the official site. This is by design; the developer prioritizes minimal footprint and no background processes.

This offline-first approach makes FastCopy especially useful in air-gapped environments (computers intentionally disconnected from the internet for security), data centers with restricted network access, and field work where internet is unavailable.