Windows 7: Slow speeds copying files locally on a network drive

I set up a network folder on one of my computers and I use another computer on the network to manage the files on it. It all works fine until I try to copy a file or folder from one location on the network drive to another location on the same network drive. Instead of copying the file locally, the network computer sends the file to my remote computer, which sends it back to the same network computer. This means it takes ages to copy large files because they go over the network completely unnecessarily. Is there a way to fix this issue? Can I tell Windows not to transfer files across the network when it's unnecessary? Thanks for any help!

Need a ton more info

Are you using "homegroup"

How is the folder set up? is it a simple share. or more advanced

Do you have a win 7dvd to do a repair install?

Ken

No, but I doubt it makes a difference.

Right-click > Properties > Sharing > Share

Yes, but this isn't a problem with my installation; it's a problem with the default behavior of network folders. I've seen this issue on multiple computers on a couple different networks; it's not specific to my computer.

What you are describing is the normal behavior. Windows will copy the file to the networked computer and then back to the "server", because you aren't running a real server. If you were running something like WHS, the file pointer is changed and the file isn't actually moved to the client computer.

To get around this, use RDP to remote into the "server" and do the file maintenance that way.

It's normal behavior, but it's not at all the desired behavior.

Unfortunately psexec and remote desktop seem to be the only workarounds.
Copying files locally on a network folder - Server Fault