Do you want to transfer or copy files from your Windows 11 PC to a USB flash drive or an external drive? Would you like to know all the ways out there to copy files from a Windows 11 PC to a USB drive? Here are the ways to transfer files to a USB drive connected to your Windows 11 PC.
Method 1 of 3
Use the copy and paste method to transfer files from a Windows 11 PC to a USB drive
Step 1: Ensure that the USB drive is connected to your PC.
Step 2: Open File Explorer and navigate to the folder where the files you want to transfer are saved.
Step 3: Copy the file(s) and folder(s) you want to transfer to the USB drive.
Tip: Press down the Ctrl key and then click on files/folders to select multiple files and folders.
Step 4: Finally, navigate to the USB drive where you want to transfer the copied files/folders. Paste the copied files to transfer the selected files/folders.
Method 2
Use the ‘Send to’ feature to copy files or folders from your Windows 11 PC to a USB drive
In earlier versions of Windows, the Send to option appears when you right-click on a file or folder. However, in Windows 11, the Send to option doesn’t appear when you right-click a file/folder, but the feature is still available. Here is how to use it to transfer files.
Step 1: Navigate to the folder where the files/folders you want to transfer to the USB drive are present.
Step 2: Hold down the Shift key and then right-click the file/folder you want to transfer to see the classic file context menu, which has the ‘Send to’ option.
Step 3: Click the Send to option and then click your USB drive (or the name of the USB drive) entry to begin transferring selected files/folders to the USB drive.
If the size of the selected files/folders is huge, you will see a dialog with live status of the progress.
Method 3
Drag and drop to send files from a Windows 11 PC to a USB drive
Step 1: In File Explorer, navigate to the folder containing files that you wish to copy to the USB drive.
Step 2: Open another instance of File Explorer and navigate to the USB drive, and arrange these two File Explorer windows such that both appear on the screen next to each other.
Step 3: Select and then drag and drop the files/folders you want to copy to the USB drive from the original folder to the USB drive to begin the file transfer.
NOTE: Dragging and dropping files/folders from one location to another location on the same drive moves selected files/folders but you are dragging from an internal drive of your PC to an external USB drive which means files are copied.
Alternatively, after selecting files or folders you want to copy to the USB drive, simply drag and drop them to the USB drive icon on the left pane/side bar (also called the navigation pane) to quickly copy the selected files/folder to the USB drive.
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