So when I want to move a folder for example, I right click select copy, then move it to where i want to put it and then right click and select paste, I understand this and works fine. However, it make a copy of the same folder. So if I was to copy lets say a file in videos and then went into my music folder and pasted it, I now have two of the same folder one in music and still the one in video folder. Hope you all understand my question a mac newbie and very proud because I at least have a mac. Scott P.S. So how do I copy the file into another folder with out leaving a copy in the original folder windows you could copy and paste makes two of the same folders or cut and paste. I want to transfer the file to another folder without leavening an original behind
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Copying and Pasting
- Thread starter burchill
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I guess I don't understand your question. Are you trying to get rid of the other copy so that you just have one copy? Or are you just making sure that this is how it works when you copy and paste?
hey
I want to be able to copy and paste a file into a new folder without leavening the original behind. When I copy and past and place the new file in a folder theres still is a copy of the original file in the original folder I want to copy paste file in a new folder and not leave anything behind similar to cut and paste I don't want to have to go back to original folder and original file and right click and move to trash, want to as stated move the file to a new folder and have nothing left in original file not sure if I am explaining right Ill try to explain better tonight lol
That would be CUT and paste, not COPY and paste. COPY, by definition , is a COPY !
Well duh its COPY what did you expect? You'd be annoyed if you copied a file and it deleted the original ! How wouldyou ever copy?
In fact, what you want is not similar to cut and paste, its in fact exactly the same, it IS cut and paste.
Well it makes sense now, why didn't you just say "how do you do cut and paste with files on OSX" in the first place ? You cant
Unfortunately the only way on Mac, unless there is a finder or desktop replacement that does it is by copy, paste ,delete original, or drag and drop on the GUI (if its on the same volume, between volumes copies it in any case).Diehard fanbois here will say this behavior is better than Win, I say its worse and it stinks, but it is what it is. Why they couldn't implement a basic feature like this is beyond me its been in Win since maybe Windows 3.1 ??? .
You can't do this with the standard Finder. You can pay for Pathfinder if you want this functionality, otherwise it's not worth wringing your hands over.
To the OP: Cut and Paste is essentially the same as moving a file or folder. If the source folder and the destination folder are on the same drive, just dragging the object from one to the other moves it and does not make a copy.* There's no need to use cut and paste (even if you could). I know that Windows is different somehow, but I don't understand how it works in such a way that cut and paste is considered a simpler process to moving.
*...if on different drives, it makes a copy, and leaves the original behind.
*...if on different drives, it makes a copy, and leaves the original behind.
The issue with drag and drop is when you accidentally drop some files into the middle of a finder window before you get to your target folder, into one of several possible folders. And that it works inconsistently depending where the source/destination are.
Windows does do it better in this respect. Cut/paste is usually quicker and much less error prone.
Exactly. You get used to doing this as a Mac user. When you do want to do that. Just open up two Finder windows and drag and drop.
Yeah, I think this should have been the first post. Oh wait I see you edited the first post. Just drag and drop the folder like many people here have said.
Well yes, as we have no alternative, we have to
Unless the folders are on different drives of course, Then, drag, drop and then drag original to trash.
That Pathfinder finder replacement looks nice. A little pricey at $40 though.
Mac -
open new folder window and place near original to avoid accidentally dropping files onto desktop
navigate down to destination folder opening up as a single window so as to avoid accidentally dropping in the wrong place.
go back to original folder
drag file to target folder
if target is on another drive, drag original to trash.
Win-
right click on original file, select cut
navigate to target folder in the same window, (no need to open up new finder window or open as a single window )
right click on destination, select paste.
And works the same wherever the target is.