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Move files, not copy

S

snapdragonx

macrumors regular
Original poster
Oct 31, 2012
141
1
Does anyone know how to move files instead of copying them (within the same drive) in Mavericks?

Dragging the files copies them. Holding command doesn't seem to work either.

Any ideas?

TIA
 
snapdragonx said:
Does anyone know how to move files instead of copying them (within the same drive) in Mavericks?

Dragging the files copies them. Holding command doesn't seem to work either.

Any ideas?

TIA
Click to expand...
By "within the same drive," do you mean "between different partitions on the same drive"? Otherwise, dastinger is correct. Drag is a move operation. It was ever thus. Within a single partition, [option]-drag is a copy operation.
 
Bear in mind that you must also have write permission to the enclosing folder/directory of a file in order to move it from that location. If the directory is read-only to you, you can only copy from it.
 
snapdragonx said:
Does anyone know how to move files instead of copying them (within the same drive) in Mavericks?

Dragging the files copies them. Holding command doesn't seem to work either.

Any ideas?

TIA
Click to expand...

Copy/paste is ⌘-C, ⌘-V.

Cut/paste is ⌘-C, ⌘-⌥-V.

EDIT: For files.
 
Last edited:
Sital said:
⌘X is standard for cut and has been previous to Mavericks.
Click to expand...
Correct.

With files there is no Cut and paste, instead one must use copy and move which has the same effect, but without the risk of data loss.
 
cut and copy are the same

when you paste if you want it to move press: command option v
when you paste if you want it to copy press: command v
 
Xe89 said:
Correct.

With files there is no Cut and paste, instead one must use copy and move which has the same effect, but without the risk of data loss.
Click to expand...

Right, which is what I meant. I know you can cut/paste text with ⌘-X, ⌘-V.
 
Anyone know how to change/reverse the default drag and drop mouse function from the default of copy to move without using command or any other modifier keys (truly one handed)?

I'm thinking that since I can count to 20 without taking off my shoe, I should be able move a file without touching my keyboard.
 
There's no way for you to alter the way OSX moves/copies files. Same volume it moves the file, different volume it copies the files.

This is how windows works as well and you need to hold a key down in windows to alter the copy/move action as well.
 
MisterMe said:
By "within the same drive," do you mean "between different partitions on the same drive"? Otherwise, dastinger is correct. Drag is a move operation. It was ever thus. Within a single partition, [option]-drag is a copy operation.
Click to expand...

I'm sorry, but you guys are just flat-out wrong. Even in the SAME partition I'm getting this stupid "copy" behavior and I can't do anything about it.

I'm logged in as admin, with read/write priviliges on the ENTIRE directory of one of the user folders. I'm trying to move files from WITHIN that user's folder (from HER desktop folder to HER documents folder), and all it wants to do is copy them. I shouldn't have to wait around for 80GBs worth of files to copy/paste when they should just be moved immediately.

I swear, it's always 1 step forward 2 steps back with Apple. They have to break something in every damn release.
 
life036 said:
I'm sorry, but you guys are just flat-out wrong. Even in the SAME partition I'm getting this stupid "copy" behavior and I can't do anything about it.

I'm logged in as admin, with read/write priviliges on the ENTIRE directory of one of the user folders. I'm trying to move files from WITHIN that user's folder (from HER desktop folder to HER documents folder), and all it wants to do is copy them. I shouldn't have to wait around for 80GBs worth of files to copy/paste when they should just be moved immediately.

I swear, it's always 1 step forward 2 steps back with Apple. They have to break something in every damn release.
Click to expand...

move IS the default, and...something is up with what you're doing. so, not an apple issue... it's not broken in mavericks, but in YOUR experience. are you logged into HER account?
 
It's not the default when you're working in another user's folder, as I explained above (even though I have full admin read/write permissions on that user folder).

It's not a different partition, and I can duplicate this behavior on any other 10.9 machine. Yes, it is an Apple issue.
 
life036 said:
It's not the default when you're working in another user's folder, as I explained above (even though I have full admin read/write permissions on that user folder).

It's not a different partition, and I can duplicate this behavior on any other 10.9 machine. Yes, it is an Apple issue.
Click to expand...

Strictly speaking, it is about filesystems not partitions. And it works the way everyone has described it, and has for as long as I can remember.

The reason it does not work for you is that you do not have all the permissions you think you do. I suggest that there is an ACL on the user's directory that denies delete, which means you cannot 'move' files, only copy them.

You may not like the behavior, but it is (as they used to say 'working as designed'. :)

A.
 
Last edited:
No, I have delete capability in this user's folder. It's just bad design by Apple.
 
life036 said:
No, I have delete capability in this user's folder. It's just bad design by Apple.
Click to expand...

So you can take any arbitrary file in this user's folder, drag it to the trash and delete it without authentication?

A.
 
Last edited:
Of course not. You can't even delete a file from your own desktop without getting prompted for a password in this ridiculous operating system.
 
life036 said:
Of course not. You can't even delete a file from your own desktop without getting prompted for a password in this ridiculous operating system.
Click to expand...

it's all of us, not you, of course... :cool:

----------
life036 said:
Of course not. You can't even delete a file from your own desktop without getting prompted for a password in this ridiculous operating system.
Click to expand...

again, something's wrong with your experience, this is NOT the default...
 
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