Recently I was making a few attempts to copy&paste a big (1.2 GB) file to remote computer over RDP. The remote computer is virtual testing machine with MS Windows Server 2008 Datacenter.

First I tried to copy&paste before midnight when the transfer speed was limited by client computer ISP to 100 kB/s. So, it required a few hours and I was forced to cancel transfer since remote desktop became too unresponsive and sluggish (slow). So, I re-started it over midnight when my local transfer speed is over 4 GB/s 4MB/s (sorry for typo).

So, my impression is that independently on speed (broadband) of copy&paste transfer the remote computer becomes sluggish while copying over RDP. At the same time downloading from internet doesn't make remote host sluggish.

AFAIU, it is because clipboard of remote computer and so its memory becomes overloaded by transfer.
How can I control (restrict) the usage of clipboard for specific process (pasting of file)?

What are the possible way to control it?

Update:
After reading that slow speed of transfer is caused by encryption used for copy&pasting over RDP and since I believe I am more interested in overall efficiency: both the time, or rapidness, of getting file as well as possibility to work without waiting, I changed the question title from:

• How to control the usage of remote desktop clipboard usage for pasting a big file?

to

• How to better copy&paste big files over RDP?

For example, is it better to copy&paste one huge (zip) archive or unzip it and copy paste a folder with unzipped files?

And more exactly I wanted to ask:

• What are possible ways to improve overall experience:

  • the speed of transfer (i.e. availability of needed file)
  • responsiveness of remote host (making remote coputer available for work before completion of copy&pasting)?