1

In OSX, when I click on a file while holding down the command button, I can move it to another drive.

The problem is trying to do this with multiple files. If I press command-A to select all the files in the directory, and then try to do the same thing, all the files get deselected and only one file gets moved.

This is what I do.

  1. Click somewhere in the directory.
  2. Press cmd-A to select all files.
  3. Press and hold cmd
  4. Click somewhere in the selection and hold the mouse button.
  5. Drag the files to the destination.
6
  • It should work the very same way. It sounds like you click a single file again after selecting all of them, which is unnecessary; you can immediately begin the dragging motion and start pressing Cmd. Please detail exactly what keys and mouse buttons you press and release in what order.
    – Daniel Beck
    Dec 6, 2010 at 14:10
  • You press Cmd-A in steps 2 and 4?
    – Daniel Beck
    Dec 6, 2010 at 14:20
  • 1
    This is the answer, sort of. You have to press the mouse button down before pressing cmd. I was pressing cmd first before pressing the mouse button. This intuitively seems to be the right way to do it, and it works when moving single files, but not with multiple files. If I first click the selection and then press the cmd button, then it works right.
    – tony_sid
    Dec 6, 2010 at 14:21
  • You deselect the file you click on by doing that. Just the same in Windows with Ctrl.
    – Daniel Beck
    Dec 6, 2010 at 14:22
  • Yes, it will deselect the file if you don't drag it to somewhere else. If you drag it to somewhere else, it will actually move that file.
    – tony_sid
    Dec 6, 2010 at 14:23

4 Answers 4

5

Don't press Command when you're initiating the drag.

When you hold the Command key and click the mouse, you're telling Mac OS X that you are trying to add or remove items from your selection.

Instead, press the Command key after you've already initiated the drag. If you press and release the key while you have the mouse over the destination, you'll see the green plus appear and disappear to show that you're toggling between copy and move.

Note that if you're dragging within the same volume, the default operation is already 'move', so pressing Command will do nothing. In that case, you would use Option to toggle between copy and move. If you're not sure which operation is going to happen, you can always initiate the drag then Command-drop to make sure files are moved or Option-drop to make sure files are copied.

2
  • The Option key on drag toggles between move and copy.
    – speedofmac
    Dec 6, 2010 at 15:38
  • If you're dragging to another volume (as the question asker is), the default operation is copy and you need to hold Command to force a move instead. Updated my answer to emphasize this, thanks! Dec 6, 2010 at 15:56
1

I know what you mean. Once your files are selected, initiate the drag by clicking on the icon of one of the files, rather than the file name.

1
  • Doesn't work. Try it.
    – tony_sid
    Dec 6, 2010 at 14:16
1

Selecting multiple files

  • Press Cmd-A
  • Alternatively, press and hold Cmd while clicking (button down and up again) on all the files you want to select

Moving them

  1. Click and hold the mouse button down on one of the files in your selection.
  2. Move the mouse pointer to its destination, while starting to press down and hold Cmd.
  3. Release the mouse button over its destination.
  4. Release the Cmd key.
0

After cmd-A then click on the file list but do not release the click then drag whilst keeping the mouse button pressed.

2
  • That doesn't work either.
    – tony_sid
    Dec 6, 2010 at 14:17
  • t does for me. Note this is your set of steps except I don't do step 3.
    – mmmmmm
    Dec 6, 2010 at 22:06

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