Drag and Drop Not Working in Windows 7

Anonymous
2011-03-18T18:18:13+00:00

I have a new problem that has cropped up just in the last week or two. I can no longer drag and drop my files and folders in Windows Explorer. I have Windows 7 on a HP Notebook. It came installed on the computer last December when I bought it (09). I've never had an issue with it since then, and I'm not sure how to find the settings to enable drag and drop or re-enable it. I know I've done it before on this machine, many times- and just noticed it first in  Thunderbird, (my email desktop application) then in explorer. I did recently install the SP1 (spelling??) a few weeks ago, and have installed a few other odds and ends programs, but I'm pretty sure drag and drop was working okay until a few days ago.

Any help would be appreciated. As a genealogy writer, that's a must have feature.

Thanks.

Windows for home | Previous Windows versions | Windows update

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Anonymous
2011-07-20T06:47:39+00:00

This happened to me yesterday.

In Windows Explorer, click a file with the left mouse button and keep the button held down. Then press the Escape key. Drag and drop is miraculously re-enabled.

I think just pressing the escape will work too but I'm no longer in a position to test that. I got this from http://it.thelibrarie.com/weblog/2010/06/drag-and-drop-stops-working/

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Anonymous
2014-05-15T11:56:09+00:00

This happened to me yesterday.

In Windows Explorer, click a file with the left mouse button and keep the button held down. Then press the Escape key. Drag and drop is miraculously re-enabled.

I think just pressing the escape will work too but I'm no longer in a position to test that. I got this from http://it.thelibrarie.com/weblog/2010/06/drag-and-drop-stops-working/

I don't feel like reading through everything to see if this has been mentioned.  The escape fix worked for me with Win 7.  The only thing I have that is unique from coworkers is a wireless keyboard and mouse.  I expect that has something to do with my issue.

Thanks Nige!

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  1. Anonymous
    2012-10-26T08:33:53+00:00

    This worked for me

    i have a HP workstation and had windows 7 on it and this error used to happen and i upgraded to windows 8 (I’m MSDN) and this issue happened again, pressing a file and keeping holding the left curser down while then pressing escape worked a treat.

    Saves me restarting the machine!

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  2. Anonymous
    2012-10-24T19:22:04+00:00

    I've had this problem for months on and off, tried all the fixes recommended and consider myself pretty clued up with this kind of thing.....unlike my husband. So when he said this afternoon he had fixed it after yet another frustrating couple of days after it happened again, I thought no way!

    It turns out that our Samsung Laptop with integrated mouse etc has a dodgy left hand click. If I tried to copy and paste or drag and drop with the left hand mouse depressed on the far left it did not work, but moving slightly right and to the middle of the button it works fine!

    Feel a bit silly I hadn;t considered that before, rebooting, restoring and trying fixes and escape keys !

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  3. Anonymous
    2012-10-18T03:05:00+00:00

    Solved that problem,although,it was slightly different for me.I could Drag/Drop in the rest of Windows Explorer; but not pin,or alter previously pinned programmed {shortcuts} up/down windows explorer or control panel ,which I had earlier pinned to Start Menu or to the Taskbar,as well.

    I,actively remembering that I was the cause, but shamed to say ,while it would normally be rather easy to find; navigate back to, so as to fix.I could not recall for the life of me.Even after extensive research all around,I found this forum and while I didn't find solution here,thought I could at least share my problem/solution JIC anyone else out there runs in to this.

    So, while I know this is a bit of a variation, I'll write what I did to unscrew my CPU, jic anyone out is as much of a numb-skull as me.

    Go to Start Button,Right-Click and hit properties.Taskbar and Start Menu Properties window will open.On the right is the Customize button.Click it to go to Customize Start Menu.Just a fuzz down;just below 'Downloads', is the box labeled 'Enable context menus and dragging and dropping.Make sure box IS CHECKED and hit OK.Apply /OK and see if you notice and changes.

    Good Luck!

    • °o.O •-_®¯¯®_-• O.o° •

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