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

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

0 comments No comments
Answer accepted by question author
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/

Was this answer helpful?

400+ people found this answer helpful.
0 comments No comments
Answer accepted by question author
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!

Was this answer helpful?

100+ people found this answer helpful.
0 comments No comments

187 additional answers

Sort by: Newest
  1. Anonymous
    2012-10-26T14:45:13+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/

    That somehow actually worked. Thank you.... Seems so ridiculous but it worked instantly.

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments No comments
  2. 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!

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments No comments
  3. 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 !

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments No comments