Windows Drag and Drop Not Working – A Few Easy Fixes

Do you have an issue with Windows that makes it impossible to drag and drop files or folders? You can right-click and select files and folders, but you can no longer drag and drop them. Unfortunately, most Windows users have encountered this issue at least once. But there are many methods to fix this issue.

Keep reading to find out how to solve the drag and drop not working problem on your Windows 11,10, or 7 PC.

Windows 11 Drag and Drop Not Working

In Windows 11, the drag and drop feature makes it easy for users to move any files or folders between locations. The tool may not always work, however, making it tough to move files or directories by hand. The good news is that you can quickly fix the problem with Windows 11’s drag and drop functionality.

Before trying one of the approaches outlined below, you should check a couple of things first. Ensure the USB cables, ports, or the hub are operating correctly, check whether the wireless device can be reset, and ensure the mouse (external device) isn’t broken.

Use the Esc Key and Left Click

1. Locate the file or folder you wish to move by left-clicking on it on your desktop.
   
2. Hit the “Escape” key on your keyboard once.
   
3. Release the left-click on your mouse.
4. Drag and drop functionality should now work as normal.

Use Command Prompt

1. To launch the “Run” command window, press the “Win + X” shortcut on your keyboard.
   
2. Type in “cmd” and press “Ctrl + Shift + Enter” shortcut key combination on your keyboard to start the “Command Prompt” in elevated mode.
   
   
3. Enter the following command and press Enter: sfc / scannow
   
4. Patiently await the completion of the procedure. During the scan, the command prompt will look for any flaws and resolve them immediately.
   
5. Your drag and drop problem should be resolved if you restart your computer.

Use Windows PowerShell

1. Right-click on “Windows Powershell” in the Start Menu.
   
2. Run the following command in the Windows PowerShell (admin) window:
   DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth
   
3. Wait until the procedure is complete. A scan will be performed, and it will remove any faulty system files simultaneously.
   
4. Exit PowerShell and restart your PC after you’re done. Drag and drop should be functioning correctly.

Modify User Account Settings

1. To open “Run”, press “Windows key + R” at the same time.
   
2. Type “useraccountcontrolsettings” into the search area in the “Run” command window and press “Enter.” The “User Account Control Settings” window will be shown.
   
3. Set the bar in “User Account Control” to the setting option “Notify me only when applications try to make changes to my computer (default).”
   
4. To save and leave the application, press “OK.”
   
5. When the UAC prompt appears, press “Yes” to accept the modifications.
   
6. Now, go back and see whether the drag and drop function is working as it should be again.

Windows 10 Drag And Drop Not Working

There are a lot of approaches you can try on your Windows 10 to fix the drag and drop feature. Below you can find four methods that are both easy and effective.

Run the ESC Key

The drag and drop not functioning on Windows 10 may be caused by a previous drag and drop activity that’s trapped in the Windows memory. This may be the result of an interface with another piece of software or service. First, you should try deactivating the interface. You may do so by pressing the “Esc” key on your keyboard after you’ve selected the file or folder you wish to move.

Clean Boot

The second solution to the problem is to perform a Clean Boot.

1. Launch the Run dialog by pressing the “Windows” key and “R” key simultaneously.
   
2. Simply put “msconfig” into the box and click “OK” to continue.
   
3. In the System Configuration box, select the “Service” tab.
   
4. Choose “Hide all Microsoft services” and pick “Disable all.”
   
5. Select the Startup tab and then click “Open Task Manager.”
   
6. Choose the item and click “Disable” in the “Task Manager” window’s “Startup” tab.
   
7. Close the “Task Manager.”
   
8. Click “Apply” and “OK” in the “System Configuration” window to proceed.
   
9. Then, restart your computer and see whether the problem with Windows 10’s drag and drop is fixed.
   

Turn Off UAC

1. Press the “Windows” key and “R” key simultaneously to launch the “Run” dialog.
   
2. Enter “regedit,” and click “OK” to proceed.
   
3. Navigate to the following folder in the “Registry Editor” window.
   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System
   
4. Double-click the “EnableLUA” option.
   
5. Convert the value data to zero
   
6. To take effect, quit the “Registry Editor” and restart your computer. Then check to see whether the problem with Windows 10’s drag and drop is fixed.
   

Modify Drag Width and Height

1. Open the Registry Editor once again.
   
2. Go to the following folder after navigating to the registry window.
   HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop
   
3. Open the desktop folder.
   
4. Set the drag height and width values to a high number in the right pane by double-clicking them.
   
5. Click “OK.”
   
6. To see if the problem with drag and drop on Windows 10 has been resolved, you can reboot your computer at this point.
   

Windows Forms Drag and Drop not Working

The first step in every drag and drop procedure is dragging. The DoDragDrop method let you capture data as soon as the dragging begins.

A drag operation is started by using the MouseDown event since it is the most intuitive. Don’t forget that any event can activate a drag and drop operation. Drag-specific events are available for several controllers.

To start a drag operation, follow these steps:

1. Utilize the DoDragDrop method in order to configure the data. This will allow you to drag the data. In other words, the effect of dragging will be permitted in the MouseDown event and the dragging will begin. Drag operations are demonstrated in the example below. The string shows the Button control’s text properties and represents the data being dragged, and the only actions permitted are moving or copying.
   private void button1_MouseDown(object sender,
System.Windows.Forms.MouseEventArgs e)
{
 button1.DoDragDrop(button1.Text, DragDropEffects.Copy |
 DragDropEffects.Move);
}
2. It’s possible to handle the QueryContinueDrag event during the drag operation. This requests permission from your system to keep moving things around. At this stage, you may execute methods that affect the drag process, such as extending a TreeNode when the cursor lingers over it in a TreeView control.

Now you have to enable the drop function.

1. AllowDrop should be set to true.
2. When a user drags and drops a control, you should check if the data it contains is of the appropriate kind. Afterward, it assigns a value from the DragDropEffects enumeration to the effect that it will take place as soon as the drop happens.
3. You may access the data being dragged by using the GetData method in a DragDrop event to control the drop’s placement. See Data for further details.

Windows 7 Drag and Drop Not Working

Use Control Panel

1. Navigate to the Control Panel.
   
2. Click “View” and select “small icons” in the top right corner.
   
3. Go to “Programs and Features”.
   
4. Find any Keyboard or Mouse drivers.
5. Select “Uninstall.”
6. Reboot your PC and let windows reinstall the drivers.

Another way to fix the issues is the following:

1. Select “Device Manager” in the Control Panel
2. Click on “Expand Keyboard.”
3. Choose “Uninstall”
4. Select “Expand Mice and Other Pointing Devices.”
5. Right-Click the mouse you’re using.
6. Select “Uninstall.”
7. Restart the PC and wait for the drivers to get reinstalled.

Drag and Drop Where You Want

The drag and drop issue is relatively straightforward to fix. Besides the approaches outlined above, there are more that you can try. However, if nothing seems to work, you should contact a professional. This way, you’ll ensure that there’s no bigger issue behind this simple problem.

Has your drag and drop feature ever stopped working? How did you fix it? Let us know in the comments section below.