<page xmlns="http://projectmallard.org/1.0/" xmlns:ui="http://projectmallard.org/ui/1.0/" type="topic" style="task" version="1.0 ui/1.0" id="files-copy" xml:lang="hi">

  <info>

    <link type="guide" xref="files#common-file-tasks"/>

    <revision pkgversion="3.5.92" version="0.2" date="2012-09-15" status="review"/>

    <revision pkgversion="3.13.92" date="2014-09-20" status="review"/>

    <revision pkgversion="3.18" date="2015-09-28" status="review"/>

    <credit type="author">

      <name>Cristopher Thomas</name>

      <email>crisnoh@gmail.com</email>

    </credit>

    <credit type="author">

      <name>टैफ्फिनी अंटोपोलस्की</name>

      <email>tiffany.antopolski@gmail.com</email>

    </credit>

    <credit type="editor">

      <name>Michael Hill</name>

      <email>mdhillca@gmail.com</email>

    </credit>

    <include xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2001/XInclude" href="legal.xml"/>

    <desc>Copy or move items to a new folder.</desc>

  </info>

<title>Copy or move files and folders</title>

 
A file or folder can be copied or moved to a new location by dragging and

 dropping with the mouse, using the copy and paste commands, or by using

 keyboard shortcuts.

 
For example, you might want to copy a presentation onto a memory stick so

 you can take it to work with you. Or, you could make a back-up copy of a

 document before you make changes to it (and then use the old copy if you don’t

 like your changes).

 
These instructions apply to both files and folders. You copy and move files

 and folders in exactly the same way.

<steps ui:expanded="false">

<title>Copy and paste files</title>

<item>
Select the file you want to copy by clicking on it once.
</item>

<item>
Right-click and pick <gui>Copy</gui>, or press

 <keyseq><key>Ctrl</key><key>C</key></keyseq>.
</item>

<item>
Navigate to another folder, where you want to put the copy of the

 file.
</item>

<item>
Click the menu button and pick <gui>Paste</gui> to finish copying the

 file, or press <keyseq><key>Ctrl</key><key>V</key></keyseq>. There

 will now be a copy of the file in the original folder and the other

 folder.
</item>

</steps>

<steps ui:expanded="false">

<title>Cut and paste files to move them</title>

<item>
Select the file you want to move by clicking on it once.
</item>

<item>
Right-click and pick <gui>Cut</gui>, or press

 <keyseq><key>Ctrl</key><key>X</key></keyseq>.
</item>

<item>
Navigate to another folder, where you want to move the file.
</item>

<item>
Click the menu button in the toolbar and pick <gui>Paste</gui> to

 finish moving the file, or press <keyseq><key>Ctrl</key><key>V</key></keyseq>.

 The file will be taken out of its original folder and moved to the other

 folder.
</item>

</steps>

<steps ui:expanded="false">

<title>Drag files to copy or move</title>

<item>
Open the file manager and go to the folder which contains the file you

 want to copy.
</item>

<item>
Click <gui>Files</gui> in the top bar, select <gui>New Window</gui> (or

 press <keyseq><key>Ctrl</key><key>N</key></keyseq>) to open a second window. In

 the new window, navigate to the folder where you want to move or copy the file.

 
</item>

<item>

 
Click and drag the file from one window to another. This will

 move it if the destination is on the same device, or

 copy it if the destination is on a different device.

 
For example, if you drag a file from a USB memory stick to your Home folder,

 it will be copied, because you’re dragging from one device to another.

 
You can force the file to be copied by holding down the <key>Ctrl</key> key

 while dragging, or force it to be moved by holding down the <key>Shift</key>

 key while dragging.

 </item>

</steps>

<note>

  
You cannot copy or move a file into a folder that is read-only.

  Some folders are read-only to prevent you from making changes to their

  contents. You can change things from being read-only by

  <link xref="nautilus-file-properties-permissions">changing file permissions

  </link>.

</note>

</page>