By Anand Khanse

What Really Happens When You Drag and Drop

Have you noticed that sometimes, when you drag and drop files or folders from one location to another, on your Windows computer, they get copied – and sometimes they get moved.

Although this has been the default behavior of Windows since 1989, this can be pretty confusing for many. One could keep wondering – will the drag-and-drop action result in a ‘Copy” or ‘Move’!?

In this post I will explain how the drag-and-drop operation works in Windows 7 and give you a few tips on how to modify its default behavior.

When will a drag-and-drop operation Copy the file

If you are moving the file from a location on one drive to ANOTHER DRIVE, then the operation will result in a COPY.

If you drag and drop file from one partition to a network drive, the operation will result in a COPY.

Dragging a file from or to a DVD or CD will always result in a COPY.

When will a drag-and-drop operation Move the file

If you are moving the file from one location to another on the SAME DRIVE, then the operation will result in a MOVE.

Read more here

This excerpt is shared with permission from The Windows Club.

About The Windows Club

TheWindowsClub, is conceptualized, created & owned by Anand Khanse, a Microsoft MVP, and an end-user Windows enthusiast. The site, is primarily targeted at the Windows 7 & Windows Vista user and will address and cover issues in relation to Microsoft and Windows OS.

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