Solved Is there a way to disable the default "copy" when you highlight items?

[bd74]

Is there a way to disable the default "copy" when you highlight items?

If I highlight several items in a folder, windows automatically creates a copy of those items. Is there a way to disable this?

 

[mjf]

Are you talking about highlighting and dragging?
If so right click drag to destination location then release. Select one of the options - copy, move,...cancel. Even though it says "copy" when dragging you get the options.

 

[gini]

If you select these files using the Control key and accidentally move your mouse as you do so, Windows assumes you've dragged the files and want to copy them.

 

[bd74]

If you select these files using the Control key and accidentally move your mouse as you do so, Windows assumes you've dragged the files and want to copy them.

I suppose that's the case -- that I accidentally moved the mouse. But is there a way to disable it altogether, or no?

 

[mjf]

Don't keep the mouse button pressed.

 

[fjawodfc]

You can also hold Shift to explicitly move instead of copy. And there's a registry setting HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop\DragWidth that specifies how many pixels (default is 4) you need to drag something for it to copy while holding Ctrl, but I don't know if the poster is comfortable editing the registry.

It's still not clear what's going on here though. bd74, exactly what combination of key presses and mouse movements/clicks are we talking about?

 

[lehnerus2000]

Keyboard + Mouse Combos

Most of these actions were mentioned above.
I've collated them here.

Keyboard + Mouse (2 Buttons + Wheel) Combos

Copy

Ctrl + drag (left mouse button)
​

Move

Shift + drag (left mouse button)
​

Create Link/Shortcut

Alt + drag (left mouse button)
​

Zoom (in & out)

Ctrl + Scroll Wheel ​

Scroll (left & right)

Alt + Scroll Wheel
OR
Shift + Scroll Wheel
This action depends on the program you are using (e.g. IIRC, Photoshop uses Alt and GIMP uses Shift).
​

Auto-Scroll (up & down, left & right)

Scroll Wheel Button
Some programs allow auto-scrolling (e.g. Word, IE, Firefox).
This places a marker on the page.
The distance and location that you move the mouse pointer (relative to the marker) controls the speed and scroll direction.
​

You can also use drag (right mouse button), which will give you a menu of options (when you release it) including "Cancel".


This only applies to Windows (in Linux, the GUI uses the mouse differently).

 

[Britton30]

Hello bd74, there is no way to disable this in Windows.

While selecting be careful not to accidently drag it/them or it will make copies.

 

[rraod]

The best way to copy multiple files in a folder without accidental copying is as follows.

1. Select the files using the keyboard.

For continuous files, move the file selection to the first file using arrow keys. Press and hold Shift key and move the arrow key to select subsequent files.

For non continuous files, press CTRL key and select the required files by clicking on the required files by mouse.

2. Copy / Move procedure
Once the selection is complete, press CTRL+C to copy the files. To move the files instead of copying Press CTRL+X.

Open another explorer window, navigate to the target window and press CTRL+V.

Once got used to this procedure, it is really fast to copy / move the files.

 

[ParrotSlave]

I have the same issue. When selecting multiple files using CTRL, I move the mouse wrong and Windows thinks I want to copy them. I already know how to copy. I don't WANT to copy them or move them. I don't need to know other ways to copy, or other keyboard shortcuts, same as the gentleman who first posted. I may be selecting files to do something to the id tags, if they're music files, or there are a number of other things I might want to do that have no relationship to copying. I merely want to select them. I'm talking about folders that have hundreds of files in them, in which the files I want to select cannot be arranged any way to make the files I want contiguous. If I were looking for all of one file type, or all files created on one particular day, it would be easy to order them to select them without using CTRL. As it is, I usually compromise when manipulating large numbers of files by doing them in small batches, in the hope that I can select a reasonable number before I mess up moving the mouse, and have to undo the copies and then reselect the files. Isn't there some way to disable the default copy? We already have perfectly satisfactory ways to copy things. I had a similar issue one time with accidentally selecting "create shortcut"--which I use maybe once a year--instead of delete from the context menu, not a lot, but often enough that it was an annoyance, and someone came up with a registry fix to remove it. There's got to be a registry key somewhere that you can edit to keep Windows from copying.

 

[lehnerus2000]

Options

I merely want to select them.

Have you tried "Use check boxes to select items"?

​

I may be selecting files to do something to the id tags, if they're music files, or there are a number of other things I might want to do that have no relationship to copying. I merely want to select them. I'm talking about folders that have hundreds of files in them, in which the files I want to select cannot be arranged any way to make the files I want contiguous. If I were looking for all of one file type, or all files created on one particular day, it would be easy to order them to select them without using CTRL.

Do you use "Details" view?
You can "Sort" and "Group" based on the "Details" you have chosen.

Click on thumbnail for animation
​

 

[ParrotSlave]

Yes, I do use details view, but most of the time I'm selecting files based on nothing that is sortable by Windows. I had never noticed the "use check boxes to select items" before. I just switched to that option, and it appears to be exactly what I want. Now I can take my time and not have to worry about whether or not the CTRL key is pressed and what the mouse is doing. Thanks.

After using the check box method just now, I see that it has its own similar nightmare, though: you do not dare click outside the box, or everything gets unchecked, like selecting messages in Hotmail. And if, before you begin, you decide to click inside the window you are working on, which, after many years, you would probably be in the habit of doing, to activate the window, you may accidentally check a file before you begin without realizing it.

 

[lehnerus2000]

Windows Explorer Elements

... you do not dare click outside the box, or everything gets unchecked, ...

It's not perfect.
MS didn't really think that option through properly.

If you don't click inside of the main window, the check boxes stay ticked.


You can swap between the various Windows Explorer elements using "F6" (or "Shift + F6" to reverse direction):

• "Address Bar"
• "Command Bar"
• "Navigation Pane"
• "File & Folder window"
• "Column Headers" (in "Details" view)
• Editable fields in the "Details pane" (if you select a file and the file has editable details and isn't set to "Read only").

It can be difficult to see which element is active.

 

[FliGi7]

This is why I always select with the left mouse button but drag with the right mouse button so it always asks for confirmation of which action you'd like to perform (move or copy) before it performs it in the destination area.