If your computer’s drag and drop feature has stopped working, there are a few things you may do to get it operating again.
You may simply relocate files or folders to a new location using the drag and drop tool. When you wish to attach a file to an email, you can always use Ctrl + X and Ctrl + V or search through folders, but the drag and drop feature is simply easier.
That’s why it’s so aggravating when this useful feature on your computer stops working. Don’t worry if this happens to you; here are eight ideas to help you fix it.
Method 1. Restart the Program You’re Using
There’s a probability the software froze if you can’t drag & drop into a specific program. Save your work and restart the program to rapidly fix the problem. After that, try dragging and dropping once more.
Method 2. Make Windows Forget the Last Drag and Drop
Sometimes your computer is still processing the last drag and drop action, preventing you from starting a new one. Fortunately, you don’t need to restart your computer or change your system settings to solve it.
Click and hold the left mouse button on any file or folder in File Explorer. Then, on the keyboard, press the Esc key. Try dragging and dropping once more.
Method 3. Restart File Explorer
Drag and drop can cause problems with File Explorer at times. Fortunately, restarting the service will resolve the problem. However, because the service is always running in the background, it isn’t as simple as closing all your open File Explorer windows.
To relaunch File Explorer, follow these steps:
1. Select Task Manager from the context menu when you right-click the Start button.
2. Look for explorer.exe in the Details tab.
3. Right-click it and select End task. Don’t worry if your desktop disappears; it’s all part of the process!
4. Select File > New Task from the File menu.
5. To restart the process, type explorer.exe and click OK.
Method 4. Check Windows Version
If you’re using an older version of Windows 10, there’s a chance you won’t be able to drag and drop on your computer. As a result, do the procedures below to see if your Windows is up to date.
1. Open the Settings menu.
2. Select Update & Security from the drop-down menu.
3. Select Windows Update from the left pane.
4. Check for updates by clicking Check for updates.
Windows will look for and install any updates that are available. When it’s finished, try dragging and dropping to see whether it fixed the problem.
Method 5. Check Mouse Drivers
If you can’t drag and drop with your mouse, your mouse’s drivers may need to be updated. This is especially true if you’re using a laptop with a trackpad that allows you to drag and drop.
1. Select Device Manager from the context menu when you right-click the Start button.
2. Expand the menu for Mice and other pointing devices.
3. Select Update driver from the context menu when you right-click your mouse driver.
4. Select Search automatically for drivers, and Windows will locate and install any driver updates that are available.
Furthermore, if you use a third-party program to alter your mouse control settings, it may interfere with how it works normally. Examine the app’s settings to check if there’s anything preventing your mouse from working properly.
If it’s a game app, disable it from starting up automatically. Open Task Manager, go to Startup, find the app you want to disable, and click Disable.
Method 6. Run the SFC and DISM Scans
SFC will scan your entire system for any damaged or corrupted files. It will automatically replace such files if it detects them. The System File Checker will also offer you with full information about the scan in its log file, which you may access.
To run an SFC scan, follow these steps:
1. In the Start menu search bar, type command prompt and choose Run as administrator.
2. Type sfc /scannow and press Enter.
3. Close the Command Prompt window only when the scan is finished. The length of the scan is determined by the overall system resources available.
The Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files and successfully repaired them notification will appear if the System File Checker discovers any corrupted or damaged system files. If it doesn’t identify any corrupted files, you’ll get a notification saying Windows Resource Protection did not find any integrity violations.
If the SFC scan does not resolve the issue, you should run a DISM scan. As before, open Command Prompt with admin access and type the following commands:
Dism/Online/Cleanup-Image0/ScanHealth
Dism/Online/Cleanup-Image/RestoreHealth
Check to see if you can drag and drop when your system has completed the scans.
Method 7. Run Hardware & Devices Troubleshooter
The Hardware & Devices troubleshooter is another option for resolving your issue. This tool was previously found in Control Panel in earlier versions of Windows 10. To start it, you’ll need to utilize Command Prompt. Here’s how to go about it:
1. Go to Command Prompt with administrative rights as shown above.
2. Type msdt.exe -id DeviceDiagnostic.
3. Tap Enter.
4. Tap on Advanced > Apply repairs automatically.
5. Press on Next.
Method 8. Edit Windows Registry
Because it includes Windows and software settings, driver information, and user passwords, the Windows Registry is one of the most important components of your system. So, if you’re having problems with your computer, it’s worth your time to delve into the Windows Registry.
Create a backup of the registry database before making any changes in Windows Registry. If an editing error causes your machine to malfunction, you can restore the original settings from the backup.
Here’s how to safely alter the Windows Registry to restore drag and drop functionality:
1. In the Start menu search bar, type registry editor and choose Run as administrator.
2. Go to Computer > HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE > SOFTWARE > Microsoft > Windows > CurrentVersion > Policies > System.
3. Open EnableLUA on the right side of the window.
4. Hexadecimal is the default base.
5. Value data should be set to 0 and clicked OK.
Restart your computer and check if you can drag and drop.
Edit the Drag Height and Width
The drag height and width options are also found in the Registry Editor. If the last option failed to resolve your problem, try this one.
1. As indicated above, open Registry Editor with administrator access.
2. Go to Computer > HKEY_CURRENT_USER > Control Panel > Desktop.
3. DragHeight may be found in the right pane.
4. In the Value data field, type a new value and click OK.
5. DragWidth is now open.
6. Enter a new value within the Value field and click OK.
Note: DragWidth and DragHeight are both set to 4 by default. If you change it, don’t set it to a very high number like 2000, as this could cause additional issues.
Check this video for more help:
Hopefully, one of the options suggested above fixed your computer’s drag and drop feature. There’s a chance your mouse is broken if none of the solutions worked. In this scenario, you can go out and purchase a new one.
