Topic: Copy To/Move To

[Javora]

Something I came across on the web today that others might find usefull.  The following Registry edits will allow you to copy/move files and folders to another location by simply right-clicking the item you wish to copy or move and selecting "Copy To" or "Move To".  I have already tried this on my WinXP system and it works fine, I haven't tried it on Win2000 yet so I can't recommend to for that OS.  I wouldn't suggest trying this unless you know what you are doing.  If you want to give this a try here are the instructions below:


Click:  Start | Run.

In the Run dialog box type Regedit.

Go to HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\AllFilesystemObjects\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers.

Right-click ContextMenuHandlers and select New | Key.

Name the Key Copy To.

Make sure the Copy To key is highlighted and Double click the Default value on the right hand side of the screen.

In the dialog box that comes up enter the following in the Value Data field:  {C2FBB630-2971-11D1-A18C-00C04FD75D13}

Then click Ok.




Right-click ContextMenuHandlers and select New | Key.

Name the Key Move To.

Make sure the Move To key is highlighted and Double click the Default value on the right hand side of the screen.

In the dialog box that comes up enter the following in the Value Data field:  {C2FBB631-2971-11D1-A18C-00C04FD75D13}

Then click Ok.

Close Regedit.

[SkyFlyer]

Isn't this the same as just copy/cut?

[Pestalence_XC]

Yep.. and mine has the Move To, send To options by default.. no need for a registry edit to get them.. copy paste works just as well, or cut and paste is better so no duplicate files are on the system.

[Javora]

Yep.. and mine has the Move To, send To options by default.. no need for a registry edit to get them.. copy paste works just as well, or cut and paste is better so no duplicate files are on the system.

Interesting, I have WinXP Pro SP2 with all the latest updates and I had to edit the registry to see these options.  What OS are you using?  If you are using the Move To option then there would be no duplicate files on the system, at least there were no duplicate files when I use the option.  Are you by chance using the Copy To command instead of the Move To command?  Also if Copy To and Move To are the same as copy and paste as you claim Pestalence, then why did your OS have these options turned on by default?  Why would Microsoft even have these added options if Move To/Copy To and Cut/Copy/Paste were the same?  Does Microsoft OS's need redundancy when it come to coping or moving files that I don't know about?

To give people a real explation of what this does, when you select the Copy To/Move To options.  A small dialog box opens up not unlike the Save As option in Microsoft Word.  This allows you to find the target folder location on the hard drive and save to that location without having to open up another Explorer window and navigate to the location you want to save to.  I have found this option to be just as reliable and a little faster than the standard Copy/Cut and Paste.  So to answer your question Skyflyer, Copy/Move To is similar to Cut and Paste but not the same.  Hope this helps.

[Pestalence_XC]

Win XP Pro Media Center Edition 2005 with XPSP 2 full install plus all updates from Microsoft Updates, plus all the free power tools located at the XP website.

Microsoft has about 3 to 4 redundancies to make things either easier for users, or more confusing.. in the Explorer, which is different in operation than Internet Explorer, you can move items using the left hand UI (default, and also does the same job in function as Copy to, Move to described above), right click file and use copy to/move to (same as above), right click file and use Copy/Cut and paste (requires multiple explorers open), or using the Menu bar and doing the CUT/COPY - Paste options under Edit (requires multiple explorers open). (I won't even get into paging the clipboard where the files copy to for Copy/Cut functions to operate at).

4 ways to cut and paste files just in the menu's.. however Drag and Drop also works (same as Cut and Paste).. which makes 5 ways to move files in Windows. Just open the 2 folders.. one containing the file you want to move, the other being the directory you want it moved to.. then just drag from one window to the other..  (or you can just drag a file onto a folder in a list of folders and it will cut and paste into that folder)... You can do it for multiple files as well.. [given that single click to open option is not turned on in your mouse properties]  ... click the first file 1 time, press and hold the shift key and select the last file to move (if files listed consecutively, if viewing in List mode [easiest for me to use] and you used the right click menu and did the "Arrange Icons By" option for "File Type") or press and hold the control key and select each file with 1 click you want to move.. release the key and then click and hold the left mouse button while pointing to one of the highlighted files.. then drag and then drop by releasing the mouse button... simple and easy to do.

So in windows, at least my version, there are 5 ways to cut and paste files, 4 ways to copy and paste files that are built in by default... these would be the Copy to Move to options that you refer to.. Send to does specific functions.. such as Desktop shortcut, PDA, Memory Stick, or propriatry software like Macromedia.


as I was saying.. there are at least 3 to 5 ways to do anything in Windows because of their redundancies.. as such, for most people it makes it more user friendly and accessable and easier to multi-task.. for others, it is a hindrance because they get confused with so many ways to do the same thing.

another example is Alt-Tab to change windows or programs.. and using the Menu Bar at the bottom of the screen and clicking on the appropriate program / window button.. or doing Cntrl Alt Delete and going into Task Manager (Task Manager is default cntrl-alt-del function if welcome screen on windows start-up is enabled) and clicking application/filoe name and clicking Switch To button.. or clicking on the window you want to work in... these are all ways to change between programs.. 4 ways to do the same thing..

also the Start Menu has 2 ways to open it.. click Start, or press the windows key. redundancy... however many use both these functions..

to run a program, enter the desktop shortcut name or program exe name or specific path/file name into the Path/Address bar of either Explorer/Internet Explorer, click Start then click Run and enter EXE name of program.. open task manager from either Control Panel or Cntrl-Alt-Del and click new task and enter program exe name, or click start button and go into program listings and launch the shortcut, or double click shortcut on desktop, or navagate to the directory of the program and double click the program exe file directly, or click the quick start icon.. several redundancies there..

use DXDIAG as an example.. no shortcut on Start Menu / Programs.. no quick launch shortcut.. no desktop shortcut... however click start then click run.. type in DXDIAG and Direct X Diagnostic tool launches.. enter DXDIAG into an explorer / Internet Explorer window's address/path bar, the diagnostic tool launches, using task manager, in the applications tab, click the button "new task" and type in DXDIAG, Diagnostic tool opens.. or go into c:\Windows\System32 and double click DXDIAG.exe.. 4 ways to do the same thing.. the Explorer window is what I commonly use.. but when i post for someone to use it, I give the Start menu/Run launching of it in the event they have spyware or a hijacker on their system which may prevent the application from launching.

these things may confuse people because they only understand 1 way of doing things.. for others, it is second nature to use all available options given different circumstances (like me).. But just proves that there are 4 to 5 ways to do the exact same thing...

Anyhow.. hope that this helps.


 

[Javora]

I have the power tools loaded as well but saw no need to mention them.  So this is a Windows Media Center thing then, a friend of mine has that OS I'll ask him about it the next time I get the chance.  Why MCE would have those options turn on by default and not for WinXP Home/Pro users is a little strange to say the least.

As for the rest of Pestalence's post anyone who spent 5 minutes with Windows would know that.  Let me rephrase the question so everyone can understand.  Why would Microsoft put Copy/Cut/Paste and Copy/Move To on the exact same context menu if they are exactly the same functions as you alluded to in your first post on this thread?

[Pestalence_XC]

People must have liked the Copy to/Move to method of file organization enough for MS to incorporate it along with Copy/Cut-Paste method...

Don't ask me.. it was Gates fault.