Add Copy To / Move To on Windows Vista Right-Click Menu
Here at geek central, we're in the business of making things as easy as possible. There's a registry hack for Windows that will let you add a Copy To Folder or Move To Folder to the right-click menu, which can be very useful when you want to move a file but don't have the other folder open already.
Right-click on a file:
And up pops a nice dialog that you can use to easily drop a file into the right directory.
Install
Just download, unzip, and double-click on the registry files. You can choose to use the copy to, move to, or both.
Download Copy To / Move To Registry Tweak
Note: We've written about the manual way to do this before. This tip has been around for many years and also works on Windows XP.
The Geek is the founder of How-To Geek and a geek enthusiast. When he's not coming up with great how-to articles, he's probably writing at his personal blog. This article was written on 07/23/07 and tagged with: Windows Vista, Desktop Customization
This is exactly what I expected to find out after reading the title. Thanks for informative article
THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!! I can't believe they left this out of Vista. I used this all of the time in XP. THANK YOU again!!!!!!!!!!
Really a wonderful tool which minimizes our lot of work.
Thanks for this tool.
thank you, thank you, thank you
so simple, so helpful
Why would Msoft leave this out of Vista? Insane. Thanks for your reg. files.
Send To and Move To are so important in my work that, just by themselves, they would be reason to dump the new Vista which Bill forced us to buy. In fact, I was in the very act of doing just that on this brand new laptop when I saw your article here.
Thank you very much. If Microsoft decides we plebians need no longer breathe, then people like you might re-instate our oxygen supply. BUT, the little registry fixes don't seem to have the stamina they need. After a week or so, the problem has returned. I'm trying the registry fixes again.
Vista is definitely the Bimbo Operating System. It looks pretty, but it flounders over a hundred problems, some big and some small. If Bill is going to force it on a few million people because he needs the money, he could at least try for a bit of integrity.
Brilliant, how come Microsoft are too stupid too add this themselves?
Now all we need is a way to add this to the toolbar along with 'Delete'.
This is terrific. Thanks for the download as wel!!!!!
Thanks for this. It's just made life in Vista a whole lot easier.
I can only wonder why they left it out, must have been an oversight.
Cheers for the registry fix download, saves going in there and making problems for ourselves.
All the best.
Bill
It would have been useful to include undo files in case you wish to easily reverse it.
Great! Very useful.
Tahnk you!
One word… SUPERB!! Thanks a lot this is very helpful & useful.
Under XP and previous Windows versions I had a send to any folder which allowed a copy or move of a file(s). If the folder you chose did not exist then it was created and the move/copy performed. This move to and copy to can only move/copy to a pre-existing folder. How can uninstall the copy/move to option?
Does anyone know of a way to get the earlier 'send to' working in Vista? Originally it came out for Win 95, but worked on all versions up to XP.
I already use this right-click (Copy to Folder / Move to Folder) function, which allows you to create a new folder. Its a System Control Tweak in TuneUp Utilities 2007/2008.
If you need to get rid of 'any' right-click menu's, try Context Menu Editor v1.0 (Gets the job done, but I would like a better GUI)
P.S. If someone knows of a better App than Context Menu Editor (ie GUI, Function), please Post.
I sometimes use "Copy To" and "Move To" on my Windows Explorer toolbar, but sometimes I can also use "Copy To Folder" and "Move To Folder" when I right-click on a file or multiple files at the same time. Works on Windows XP, Server 2003 and Vista as well! Thanks, Geek!
I Think Microsoft Accidently left this out, not on purpose. It will probably a fix "Vista SP1″.
Thanks a million…I was struggling with the lack of this feature in Vista, as I use it all the time…Wonderful!
I pay for a site that does not have as good of information that is as clear and as right on as this info was. Thanks and keep up the free work since it seems to be cheaper and works better.
Please. what is the actual registry edit for this?
@Lighthouse
There's a link at the bottom of the article for the other article about the registry hack method. Otherwise, you could also just open up the downloadable registry file in notepad and check it out there.
You're the best, Geek.
Thankyou for this. This not being able to move file was so annoying. I've only been using Vista for a few days now and I use that function quite often and I need to keep files after burning them for backups.
This is a great fix!! Thanks!