How to add ‘Move to’ and ‘Copy to’ context menu options on Windows 10

Windows 10 lets users move or copy files with simple drag and drop gestures. When you have to move files and folders, using keyboard shortcuts or using drag & drop are both quick ways to do it.

If you’re moving items on your system and they all need to go to different locations, drag & drop, and Ctrl+X, Ctrl+C, and Ctrl+V may not be the quickest method to use. You can also move or copy files from the context menu if you add the respective options to it. Here’s how.

Add ‘Move to’ to context menu

In order to add the ‘Move to’ option to the context menu, you have to edit the registry, and for that, you must have admin rights.

1. Tap the Win+R keyboard shortcut to open the Run box.
2. In the Run box, enter ‘regedit’, and tap Enter.
3. Go to the following key.

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\AllFilesystemObjects\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers

4. Right-click ContextMenuHandlers and select New>Key.
5. Name the key “Move to”.
6. Inside the newly created Move To key, there will be a value called Default.
7. Double-click the default value and enter the following.

{C2FBB631-2971-11D1-A18C-00C04FD75D13}

8. Click Ok.

Add ‘Copy  to’ to context menu

Follow these steps to add a Copy To option to the context menu.

1. Tap the Win+R keyboard shortcut.
2. In the Run box that opens, enter ‘regedit’ and tap the Enter key.
3. Go to the following Key in the registry editor.

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\AllFilesystemObjects\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers

4. Right-click the ContextMenuHandlers key, and select New>Key from the context menu.
5. Name the key ‘Copy to’.
6. Select the ‘Copy to’ key, and you will see a Default value inside.
7. Double-click the Default value and enter the following in the value data box.

{C2FBB630-2971-11D1-A18C-00C04FD75D13}

8. Click Ok, and close the registry editor.

Using Move To and Copy To

To use the new options that you’ve added to the context menu, follow these steps;

1. Right-click a single file/folder, or select multiple files/folders and right-click any one of them.
2. From the context menu, select either the Move to folder option, or the Copy to folder option.
3. In the window that opens, select the folder you want to move the selected items to, and click OK.
4. The items will be moved or copied, depending on the option you selected.

Removing Move to and Copy to

If you no longer need the Move To and Copy to options in the context menu, you can remove them by following these steps.

1. Tap Win+R to open the Run box.
2. Enter ‘regedit’, and tap Enter.
3. Go to the following key.

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\AllFilesystemObjects\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers

4. Delete the Move To key to remove the Move to folder option.
5. Delete the Copy to key to remove the Copy to folder option.

Conclusion

These context menu options may be easier to use since they open a folder selection box when you use them. You do not have to open File Explorer and navigate to the folder you want to move and copy items too.

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Fatima Wahab

Fatima has been writing for AddictiveTips for six years. She began as a junior writer and has been working as the Editor in Chief since 2014. Fatima gets an adrenaline rush from figuring out how technology works, and how to manipulate it. A well-designed app, something that solves a common everyday problem and looks

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