This post shows how to transfer large files from a Remote Desktop to a local machine or vice versa in Windows 11/10. We discuss how to copy large files over 2 GB in a Remote Desktop Session on a Windows server or client machine.
What is the maximum file size transfer for Remote Desktop?
The maximum file size for transferring via Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) is capped at 2GB. To move larger files during an RDP session, consider activating Drive Redirection or using alternative file transfer methods.
How to copy large files in a Remote Desktop Session
Remote Desktop Services (known as Terminal Services in Windows Server) is one of the components of Windows that supports Microsoft’s remote desktop protocol (RDP). RDP allows a user to initiate and control an interactive session on a remote computer or virtual machine over a network connection. RDP is not a remote solution in itself but is used to enable communication between remote clients and servers.
In this case, when you try to copy and paste (Clipboard redirection) a file larger than 2GB over a Remote Desktop Services or a Terminal Services session by using an RDP client, the file isn’t copied, and the copy/paste operation fails.
To resolve this issue, you can use one of the following methods:
- Copy the files in batches of less than 2GB in size
- Use command-line
- Transfer the files using Drive Redirection
Let’s see a quick description of these methods.
1] Copy the files in batches of less than 2GB in size
You can use the Copy and Paste feature between the remote session and the local computer. Create small files and then transfer them.
Read: Error 0x800700AA, The requested resource is in use when copying file or folder
2] Use command-line
You can use the command line to copy files larger than 2 GB over a Remote Desktop Services or Terminal Services session. For example, use the following command:
xcopy \\tsclient\c\abcfiles\largefile e:\temp
Read: Error 0x80070032, The request is not supported when copying files
3] Transfer the files using Drive Redirection
To facilitate file transfers between the local host and the remote computer, the disks on the local computer might be redirected throughout the session. The following drives are among the ones you can utilize in this way:
- local hard disks
- mapped network drives
- floppy disk drives
On the Local Resources tab of Remote Desktop Connection, users can specify which kinds of devices and resources that they want to redirect to the remote computer.
Read: Fix Error Copying File or Folder, Catastrophic failure in Windows.
How can I send large files remotely?
To send large files remotely, use cloud services like OneDrive, Google Drive or Dropbox. You can create a shared link for your file and distribute it through chat, text, or email.
