This browser is no longer supported.
Upgrade to Microsoft Edge to take advantage of the latest features, security updates, and technical support.
![](data:image/svg+xml, %3Csvg xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' height='64' class='font-weight-bold' style='font: 600 30.11764705882353px "SegoeUI", Arial' width='64'%3E%3Ccircle fill='hsl(128, 8%, 22%)' cx='32' cy='32' r='32' /%3E%3Ctext x='50%25' y='55%25' dominant-baseline='middle' text-anchor='middle' fill='%23FFF' %3EA%3C/text%3E%3C/svg%3E)
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.
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.
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/
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!
I am using Windows 7. I need to drag and drop widgets to sidebars in Wordpress. After I bought a new laptop with Windows 7 installed on it, I found it impossible to perform the drag and drop function (by now a familiar complaint by many Windows 7 users).
This never happened with Windows XP. I have tried all the solutions offered by other users on this forum, but to no avail. I am actually very disappointed that Windows presents a new product which seems unable to adapt to a basic function such as drag and drop. Even more disturbing is that the support service seems to be at sea in trying to assist so many customers with the same problem.
Hope you will be able to assist.
Britto
Bizarre, but it worked.
i had this problem too - not sure how or why it happened, but the solution was simple.
GOTO control panel>>mouse>>in the settings -- 'tick the ''TURN ON LEFT CLICK'' box >>APPLY>>OK.
then repeat same but this time untick the box ''turn on left click''. seems to have reset the mouse.
that fixed it for me. drag and drop now working as normal.
