re copy move files in file manager in article c tsf ye murdoch acc virginia edu rsc e orion lib virginia edu scott crittenden writes my understanding is that to copy files from one directory to another on the same drive in file manager using a mouse you hold down the ctrl key while dragging the file from one directory s window to the other this works for me about of the time the other the file gets moved rather than copied anybody else encountered this i tried to respond by email but all attempts bounced the condition of the ctrl key before you press the mouse button makes no difference whatsoever you have to be holding the ctrl key when you release the mouse button if you want to force a copy operation here s a simple experiment select a file and begin to drag it no ctrl key notice that the file s icon disappears from the listing window now watch what happens to that icon as you press and release the ctrl key keeping the mouse button pressed all the while in addition the icon that you are dragging will show a while you are holding the ctrl key indicating that the file is being copied rather than moved bob nichols at t bell laboratories rnichols ihlpm ih att com
