How to Drag and Drop Files: Beginner's Guide

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Copy and move files on your computer

Written by Rain Kengly

Last Updated: July 3, 2026 Fact Checked

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• How to Drag and Drop
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• Drag and Drop Meaning
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• Video
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• Q&A
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• Tips

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The "drag and drop" function is a quick way to move selected files to another location, such as a folder. Most devices, programs, and websites support this feature. Here's how to drag and drop files on your Windows or Mac computer.

Drag and Drop Files: Quick Steps

1. Open the file location folder and the destination folder side-by-side.
2. Click a file to select it, or hold CTRL/CMD and click to select multiple files.
3. Click and hold the file selection.
4. Drag the cursor to the new location.
5. Release the click to drop the files into the new location.

Steps

Section 1 of 2:

How to Drag and Drop

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1. 
   1
   Decide which files you want to drag-and-drop. The drag-and-drop method can be used to move files around on your computer, transfer files to a connected USB or an external hard drive, send email attachments, and more.
2. 
   2
   Open the file(s) location and the destination. For example, if you want to drag files from a folder to another folder, open both file folders side-by-side.

   • If you want to drag files from a folder to your desktop, open the file folder while leaving part of your desktop visible.
   • If you can't see both locations, resize the windows. You can do this by dragging any corner of the window towards its center.
   • If you're trying to drag and drop into a website, make sure the website and the file location is visible on your screen at the same time. You can resize the windows if needed.
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3. 
   3
   Select the files you want to drag-and-drop. If you only want to move one file, click the file once to highlight it.

   • To select all files in a folder, click the inside of the folder to make sure it's active. Then, use the keyboard shortcut CTRL + A (Windows) or CMD + A (Mac).
   • To select multiple individual files, hold down CTRL (Windows) or CMD (Mac) and click each file.
4. 
   4
   Left-click and hold the file selection. Don't release the left-click just yet.
5. 
   5
   Drag the cursor into the new location. You may see a transparent version of the icons following your cursor.
6. 
   6
   Release the left-click. The files will be dropped into the new location.

   • If you're dropping a lot of files, this may take a few moments.
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Section 2 of 2:

What is Drag and Drop?

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1. 
   Drag and drop is an action that takes an object and moves it somewhere else. For example, if you need to move a file from one folder to another, you can drag the file from the first location and drop it into the new location. This can also be done for certain websites, such as a convertor, social media, or file editing website. If a website has this feature, you should see "drag and drop" or similar and a designated field for you to "drop" off your files.

Community Q&A

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• Question

  When I drag and drop an icon, the label disappears. How do I fix?

  

  Community Answer

  Try pressing F2 while the icon is selected. This will allow you to rename the file anything you want.

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• Question

  How do I drag and drop the file and folder in computer?

  

  Community Answer

  By using the right mouse button. You can navigate your file, document or a folder and hold the right mouse button, then drag the mouse to a specific location, then release the right mouse button. With this method make sure that you've opened your destination folder.

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  Thank you for your feedback.
  If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow

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Tips

• Many social media and photo programs use drag and drop to save users time. When you want to upload files, look for a box that says “drag and drop.” Minimize the browser so that you can access your files in a window. Then, select, drag and drop them into the upload box on the website.
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• Drag and drop is the preferred method for transferring songs and other information quickly on iTunes.
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