OS X: Move Files Instead of Copying
Contributed by David Kirk 
Tagged: Apple Mac You do not have to copy and then delete when moving files on your apple box. Here is how to do it all with one command. This tutorial describes how to drag and drop to move a file from one location to another.
When copying files from one location to another, I have always found it an annoying process to drag the files to one location and then go back and delete them from the original location.
The default drag and drop process in OS X is to COPY files.
We want to be able to MOVE files.
To MOVE a file is to actually copy files to a new location and to delete them from the original location.
OS X will move the file if you hold the CMD key while you drag and drop.
One caveat:
Something that confuses people is what happens if duplicate files are found during the move drag and drop. If you release the CMD key to answer the dialog box that appears, the file will be copied but not moved. If you continue to hold the CMD key as you click the Replace button, the move action will be completed.
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Boo said on November 12, 2008
I have a MacBook Pro laptop – there aint NO CMD key!
It’s so damned frustrating using a MAC!
davak said on November 12, 2008
The CMD key is the Apple key.
this key: ⌘
or this key:
B0B said on January 1, 2009
This doesnt work!!! I press CMD then click on the file I want to move then put it over the folder I want it in and all it does is make a shortcut for the file, when I want to move the file.
Timmy said on January 14, 2009
it does work ! it moves the files very quicky
loppan said on February 9, 2009
works fine for me. thanks for the info.
allison said on March 9, 2009
click with the mouse first..then hit the CMD key..
Pete said on April 16, 2009
Doesn’t work for me. Has anyone else been able to get this to work when copying from an external HD to the internal mac drive? What about from an NTFS partitioned drive? This is sad, I’ve been a computer programmer for 10 years and now i’m online trying to learn how to cut and paste files :)
Jim said on May 19, 2009
Frustrating indeed.
Using Leopard, this method seems to work with NOT the “list” view, but only (and perfectly) with the multi-pane “column” view.
Thanks for the “recipe” and the comments. This should reduce my AI (Aggravation Index) for today. But there’s always tomorrow. : )
Corporatelab
Markus said on August 6, 2009
Another frustrating thing is: if you want to move several files at once and those files contain (write)protected files. In this case you won’t be able to move the files at all.
That may also be the case, if you want to move files from a NTFS Volume/Partition…depending on whether there is working write-support for the NTFS file system or not. Afaik you can’t write on NTFS Volumes with the tools of OSX alone but there are commercial software packages which can help you with this (http://www.paragon-software.com/home/ntfs-mac/)
Mani said on September 12, 2009
It was very useful for a new Mac user migrating from Win, Thanx.
Reuben said on January 29, 2010
Thanks – works beautifully on MBP 2006 OS X 10.5.8
Ben said on July 31, 2010
It wouldn’t move folders for me this way just files so I wrote a applescript. Paste this it script editor.
on run
tell application “Finder”
set theSource to choose folder with prompt “Source”
set theDestination to choose folder with prompt “Destination”
move items of theSource to theDestination
end tell
end run
CJ said on September 4, 2010
Haha. This made me laugh. When I tried to connect my wireless keyboard, it said type in the code and press enter. I kept waiting for the dialog box with the little white blank we’re all used to. But NO. They meant it literally. Type. In. The. Code. And. Press. Enter. I’ve been a programmer for 20 years and I had to go to the Mac store to learn this. Embarrassing, really.
Jbf said on October 3, 2010
I use Mac and Windows for years and still have trouble with all the multiple naming and symbols for the Command, Alt and Option keys on a Mac. Especially when they use the symbols. Got to be a better more logical way? But Mr “no two button mouse” Jobs probably wouldn’ t allow it. I would bet 10-20% of some potential Mac adopters get frustrated with this issue alone and might be a contributory factor to their not migrating.
Oont said on January 29, 2011
I was so happy to buy a mac. But it makes easy things difficult. Why do I have to necessarily drag and drop. Why can’t it simply cut copy paste like windows. Fine windows might have thought of that first. But why can’t apple copy whats good in windows. See windows so easily copied drag and drop and multi touch touchpad. I am resenting my decision to buy a macbook.
Anonymous said on March 17, 2011
Actually there are pros and cons of using a Mac compared to the PC we are used to.
At first the Mac will draw upon you it’s sleek and refine design and perhaps even the user friendliness.
But if you are more of a hardcore user, you will find that Mac can be a pain because we are all used to the PC shortcuts or hotkeys.
Mac has these but then sometimes you need to hold down up to 3 keys to execute a command and yes .. it gets frustrating.
However the PC also has it’s own issues, it is just that we have been so used to it tha even the famous blue screen has become something of a norm to some people.
I just got on to a Mac and though there are things that I wished that it had from the PC, I too wished that the PC has the Mac functionalities.
My favourite?
Perhaps the Power supply, it is just a simple snap-on and I wished that PCs manufacturers can somehow copy this design.
The Mac battery is also much more superior than the PC I guess but batteries have lifespan so it does degrade after some time of use.
Regardless, I am happy to be able to get onto a Mac and learn something new and perhaps try a little more hardcore usage like the Terminal, much like the Cmd function in PCs, just that you have to be somehow comfortable with Unix like command.
Sunil said on May 16, 2011
If we are use scripts, aren’t we better off using Linux?
Bob Crouch said on May 28, 2011
I wanted to highlight twenty or so different songs and move them to a different folder – MAC seems to make a copy but a MOVE ( like PC does) is not easy when dealing with more than one file. By now there should be a MAC equivalent to tagging several files in a folder and then MOVE them to another folder on the drive.
Kommon sense said on June 28, 2011
Simply holding down the CMD key will allow you to select multiple files.
Kommon sense said on June 28, 2011
Select file, press copy (CMD+C). Navigate to destination, paste (CMD+V). Copy and paste are also available from the ‘Edit’ menu of the Finder.
Kommon sense said on June 28, 2011
Macs have been shipping with multi-button mice and track pads for quite some years now. Is it really so difficult to remember two buttons?
Kommon sense said on June 28, 2011
It works fine in any view.
Dan said on July 23, 2011
If it makes you feel any better, I’ve been a Sr. Programmer Analyst for 20 years, and I’m just like you, learning like a baby.
Dan said on July 23, 2011
If it makes you feel any better, I’ve been a Sr. Programmer Analyst for 20 years, and I’m just like you, learning like a baby.
Anonymous said on July 25, 2011
We are all learning stuff every single day. That’s what makes it fun and challenging. If you wanna earn a little extra money, considering writing some articles and teach us what YOU know.
ptrlkrs@gmail.com said on August 1, 2011
Why does something like “cmd x” work fine in office-for-mac, but doesn’t work for files? What it really is, is simply copy-paste with auto-delete of the source file once the copy operation is completed. Shouldn’t be so hard to code?!
My only concern with having switched to mac is that most, if not all, expert users have this tendency to disregard shortcomings of mac and answer by explaining how to do something in a different, more cumbersome way, regardless of what the user wants or was asking for. It’s obvious what the question is here, and the answer should be either:
- Yes it can be done. You have to press….
- No it can’t be done and the reason is…
- No it can’t be done, we don’t know why.
Moving files using cmd and carrying the file with the pointer is very inefficient and not at all the same thing as ctrl X/ctrl V on Windows. End of story.
You can only move one file, you have to have source and location open before you start, unless you want to spend minutes pointing on different folder along the way, while keeping trackpad pressed so you don’t drop the file. If you slip for some reason while moving, the file will drop into a folder somewhere where you happened to have your pointer, which means going through a number of them to find the file again. And so on…
Please, honestly, is there a ctrlX/ctrlV type functionality for files on Mac, and if so, what is it? If not, just say so. It won’t detract from my overall positive opinion about Mac and OSX.
Professor MacShortcuts said on August 8, 2011
Ctrl X = Command X, Ctrl V = Command V, Ctrl C = Command C.
Brian Aslin said on August 21, 2011
I have heard that it is possible to enable the cut command in Finder. But it works differently to Windows in when it marks the file as deleted. On mac the file is marked before the file finishes copying which is fine unless something disrupts the copy eg power failure.