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Forum Discussion
Moving files out of Dropbox now defaults to the 'copy' function
Starting sometime this week, whenever I try to move a file out of my Dropbox to another location on the same drive, it will default to 'copy' and leave the original still in Dropbox. This duplication now requires that I manually delete the file from my Dropbox if I want to complete the action of relocating a file.
However, if I drag a file into my Dropbox from anywhere on the same drive, it will behave normally and 'move' the file without duplication. Moving files within folders in Dropbox also retains the default 'move' function.
What is causing this bizarre 'copy' behavior and how do I get rid of it? I want the default drag behavior, within the same drive, to be 'move'.
Hi Everybody,
Thanks for your patience while we looked into this. This change in behavior was the result of a change by Microsoft. Dragging a folder out of a root sync folder now defaults to the copy function on Windows 11. This change is not limited to Dropbox, but any root sync folder.
As a workaround, shift+click and drag will allow the expected cut + paste or "move folder" functionality.
Regards,
Ben
Hello, same issue and it has been happening recently. It makes a whole process really inconvenient. I open Dropbox folder (via app) on my laptop and drag files to the desktop folder - it makes copies and saves originals in Dropbox Camera Uploads. Windows 11 Home. THANK YOU!
https://www.elevenforum.com/t/change-default-drag-and-drop-action-in-windows-11.2924/
You'll need to reboot after the changes.
Careful with this "solution" as it changes the default behavior for everything on your computer.
Dropbox folder was treated as a local folder then something changed and it's now treated as a network folder. Default drag and drop for local folders is move and default drag and drop for network folders is copy. This registry fix changes the default behavior to whatever you want (move/copy/shortcut) but it does it for both Dropbox and Network folders, so therefore be careful with it.
