Why Can’t drag and drop files or folders happens? In case you don’t know, there is a feature in Windows 10 called drag and drop that can help you move or copy files or even folders from one location to another. This feature is useful and can help you move or copy folders and files easier and quicker. However, if you encounter some problem while using this feature, worry not for this post will guide you on what you can do to resolve the problem.
There are several suggestions you can check out to fix the problem. You can try to simply tap the Esc key or you could also troubleshoot the problem in a Clean Boot State. Aside from that, changing the drag height and width or disabling the User Account Control via Registry Editor might also help. For more details, refer to the instructions laid out below.
Option 1 – Try to tap the Esc key
According to some users who experienced the same dilemma, by simply tapping the Esc key, they were able to resolve the problem. All they did was tap the Esc key before they drag and drop the folder or files. Thus, you can try doing the same thing as it might also work for you. After you tap the Esc key, you have to check all the background applications and if you see some that could be related to the hotkeys or keyboard, you might have to disable or remove them. Once done, check if the problem is fixed or not.
Option 2 – Try troubleshooting the problem in a Clean Boot State
There are some instances that some conflicting programs installed in your computer might be the reason why you’re having trouble using the drag and drop feature in Windows 10. To identify which program is causing the problem, you need to put your computer in a Clean Boot State. To do so, follow the steps below.
- Log onto your PC as an administrator.
- Type in MSConfig in the Start Search to open the System Configuration utility.
- From there, go to the General tab and click “Selective startup”.
- Clear the “Load Startup items” checkbox and make sure that the “Load System Services” and “Use Original boot configuration” options are checked.
- Next, click the Services tab and select the “Hide All Microsoft Services” check box.
- Click Disable all.
- Click on Apply/OK and restart your PC. (This will put your PC into a Clean Boot State. And to configure Windows to use the usual startup, just simply undo the changes.)
- From there, start to isolate the problem by checking which one of the programs you installed recently is the root cause of the problem.
Option 3 – Try changing the drag height and width
The next thing you can do to resolve the issue is to try changing drag height and width by following these steps:
- Tap the Win + R keys to launch the Run utility and type “Regedit” in the field and then tap Enter to open the Registry Editor.
- Next, navigate to this registry key: HKEY_CURRENT_USERControl PanelDesktop
- From there, choose to modify both the “DragHeight” and “DragWidth” located on the right pane.
- After that, change the value to a very high number. Note that these values are nothing but pixel size to drag and drop folders or files.
Option 4 – Try disabling the User Account Control or UAC via Registry Editor
- Tap the Win + R keys to launch the Run utility and type “Regedit” in the field and then tap Enter to open the Registry Editor.
- After that, navigate to this registry key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionPoliciesSystem
- From this path, modify the value of “EnableLUA” from 1 to 0. This should disable the UAC in your Windows 10 computer.