# Where's the "move to" option on Vista? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 18, 2009, 6:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wheres-the-move-to-option-on-vista/486377 "2009-02-18T06:20:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![King\_Friday](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/43a26b/32.png) [@King\_Friday](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/King_Friday)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2009, 6:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wheres-the-move-to-option-on-vista/486377/1 "2009-02-18T06:20:25Z")
Am I missing something? When attempting to move a file from one folder to another, in the past I would just highlight the file, select “move to” and go on from there. Does this not exist on Vista, or am I just not seeing it? ---
**Author:** ![Dog80](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/6bbea6/32.png) [@Dog80](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dog80)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2009, 9:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wheres-the-move-to-option-on-vista/486377/2 "2009-02-18T09:04:19Z")
The move to… option wasn’t on by default on XP. You had to do some registry tweaking to enable it. This is how to enable it on Vista: [http://blogs.techrepublic.com.com/window-on-windows/?p=556](http://blogs.techrepublic.com.com/window-on-windows/?p=556) ---
**Author:** ![Cliffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cliffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cliffy)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2009, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wheres-the-move-to-option-on-vista/486377/3 "2009-02-18T14:32:16Z")
You can accomplish the same thing without venturing into the registry by right-clicking on what you want to move, selecting Cut, and then pasting into the new location. It will delete the file from the original location, but only once the operation is complete, so if you’re interrupted or you change your mind, it won’t cut the file prematurely. –Cliffy ---
**Author:** ![King\_Friday](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/43a26b/32.png) [@King\_Friday](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/King_Friday)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2009, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wheres-the-move-to-option-on-vista/486377/4 "2009-02-19T03:44:07Z")
> [@Dog80](#): > > The move to… option wasn’t on by default on XP. You had to do some registry tweaking to enable it. > > This is how to enable it on Vista: [.xyz - Wikipedia](http://blogs.techrepublic.com.com/window-on-windows/?p=556) I must have enabled that on XP at some point with knowing it. I find that extremely bazaar that it’s “hidden”. I use that feature quite often when organizing music folders. Thanks for the tip! ---
**Author:** ![Keeve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f07891/32.png) [@Keeve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keeve)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2009, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wheres-the-move-to-option-on-vista/486377/5 "2009-02-19T15:05:48Z")
> [@King\_Friday](#): > > I find that extremely bazaar that it’s “hidden”. I have long since ceased to consider any of Microsoft’s decisions bizarre, even when they remove a perfectly functional option. I’m still angry that they removed the seconds display from the clock. They did this in the move from Win 3.1 to Win 95, and there isn’t even any Registry tweak which will turn it back on. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2009, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wheres-the-move-to-option-on-vista/486377/6 "2009-02-19T15:21:46Z")
One of the only thing I like about Vista is that you don’t need to go up to the file menu and pick “move to” to move things. It doesn’t sound like you’ve set up Vista that way, though, King Friday. Open up “My documents.” Over on the left, do you see the word “Folders” with an ^ or an inverted icon of the same next to it? Click on it. Now all the folders will expand and you can drag whatever you want into them without having to switch screens to copy and paste or even bother with the file menu. Clicking on those small folder icons allows you to expand nested folders too, **without** moving away from what you’re trying to move. The thing I like about it is that I can keep the location that “move to” directs to as my F drive (since that’s where the large items I back up need to go) while still moving anything else with ease. ---
**Author:** ![flex727](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/258eb7/32.png) [@flex727](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flex727)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2009, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wheres-the-move-to-option-on-vista/486377/7 "2009-02-19T21:24:03Z")
Why not use Windows Explorer and right click/drag the file where you want it/select “Move” from the right click options? Actually, if you are dragging within the same drive, “move” is the default.