# Windows XP -  wasteful and disorganised.

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-xp-wasteful-and-disorganised/228292>\
**Category:** The BBQ Pit\
**Created:** [February 9, 2004, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-xp-wasteful-and-disorganised/228292 "2004-02-09T17:00:28Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![owlofcreamcheese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/97f17d/32.png) [@owlofcreamcheese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/owlofcreamcheese)\
**Post date:** [February 11, 2004, 7:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-xp-wasteful-and-disorganised/228292/21 "2004-02-11T07:11:57Z")

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> [@Lobsang](#):
>
> I hate to keep saying no to people as you are trying to help me and I appreciate that. But I don’t have multiple HDs. The way I transfer files is by first making a new subdirectory where I usually put my pictures (now ‘camera photos’) then I go to the smartmedia card (shows up as a drive), I select the pics, right click and click ‘copy’. Then I go to the newly created dir, right click and click paste.

thats a joke right?

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**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\
**Post date:** [February 11, 2004, 8:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-xp-wasteful-and-disorganised/228292/22 "2004-02-11T08:18:37Z")

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> [@owlofcreamcheese](#):
>
> thats a joke right?

No.

What’s your point?

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**Author:** ![El\_Zagna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d2c977/32.png) [@El\_Zagna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Zagna)\
**Post date:** [February 11, 2004, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-xp-wasteful-and-disorganised/228292/23 "2004-02-11T14:23:41Z")

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You’re probably viewing your pictures in Filmstrip or Thumbnail mode, right? If so, I think I know what’s happening.

My guess is that you are selecting several files by holding down the Ctrl key and left clicking. When doing this, if you click and **drag** even the slightest bit, Explorer will think you are trying to make copies of the files within the current directory. If any of those files happens to be a directory, you will get copies of the directory and all the files inside it.

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**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\
**Post date:** [February 11, 2004, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-xp-wasteful-and-disorganised/228292/24 "2004-02-11T23:42:19Z")

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> [@bnorton](#):
>
> You’re probably viewing your pictures in Filmstrip or Thumbnail mode, right? If so, I think I know what’s happening.
> 
> My guess is that you are selecting several files by holding down the Ctrl key and left clicking. When doing this, if you click and **drag** even the slightest bit, Explorer will think you are trying to make copies of the files within the current directory. If any of those files happens to be a directory, you will get copies of the directory and all the files inside it.

I go to the menu and click ‘select all’.

I’d still like to know what **owlofcreamcheese**'s point was.

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