Intuitively, when you drag a file from one place to another, it would seem reasonable that the file will be moved, not copied. That is, when you see an object disappear from a location, it shouldn't still be there next time you look. One of the worst inconsistencies in Windows is what actually happens to files when they're dragged.

Intended For
Windows XP
Windows 2000
Windows Me
Windows 98
Windows 95

• To copy a file under any situation, hold the Ctrl key while dragging.


• To move a file under any situation, hold the Shift key while dragging.


• To choose what happens to dragged files, drag them with the right mouse-button, and a menu will appear when the files are dropped.

Note: Notice that the mouse cursor changes depending on the action being taken. A small plus (+) appears when copying, and a curved arrow appears when creating a shortcut.

Note: There is no way to set the default action when dragging files - a glaring omission.

Note: A handy and well-designed utility, WinZIP, utilizes the right-drag menu to ZIP and unZIP files (version 6.0 and later).