Drag and Drop Not Working in Windows 10 [Quick Fix 2024]

Have you ever tried to organize your drive files by drag and drop the most relevant items in the same folder? This feature is exciting and helps to move files faster.

However, this awesome feature brings a new problem for Windows 10 users where they cannot drag and drop files or folders.

I’ve encountered this issue before and have found several effective strategies to fix it. Keep reading until the very end if you’re having the same problem in order to find a solution.

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How to Fix Drag and Drop Not Working in Windows 10

Sometimes, the drag and drop feature can freeze for various reasons. To resolve this issue, launch File Explorer, click on any file and hold the left mouse button. While holding the left mouse button, press the Esc key on your keyboard, then try to drag and drop a file again.

Besides, you can try some other resolution to eliminate the drag and drop not working issue. Go through the following methods to fix drag and drop issues.

Here are the methods to fix the drag and drop issues in Windows 10:

1. Use the Esc Key

If the drag and drop stops working suddenly, there is a great chance that your computer is still processing the last drag and drop action. In that case, you should cancel the last drag and drop process.

To cancel the last drag and drop process, click on a file or folder and hold down the left button on your mouse. Press the Esc key while holding the left mouse button. It will cancel the last drag and drop process, and you should be able to drag and drop files again.

2. Restart the Application

In case you are facing the drag and drop not working issue in a particular program or application, you must restart the application because the application may freeze.

Resetting the application from the Task Manager will ensure that the application is not running in the background.

After restarting, relaunch the application, and that should resolve your issue. If the problem persists, move on to the next method.

3. Restart File Explorer

File Explorer often encounters several services like drag and drop not working issues. Restarting the File Explorer service can resolve the issue.

However, restarting the File Explorer service is not as easy as other programs because the service is always running in the background. Consider the following instructions to restart File Explorer.

Here are the steps to restart the File Explorer service:

Press Windows + X keys and choose Task Manager.
Switch to the Details tab and locate explorer.exe.
Select explorer.exe and click End task in the bottom left corner.
Navigate to File > Run new task.
Type explorer.exe in the text field and click OK.

The above procedure will restart your File Explorer service, and that should solve the drag and drop not working issue.

4. Check Drag and Drop Sensitivity

Tweaking the DragHeight and DragWidth values in the Registry Editor can resolve the drag and drop not working issue. Go through the subsequent process to adjust drag and drop sensitivity.

Here is the procedure to adjust drag and drop sensitivity:

Press Windows + R keys to open the Run dialog.
Type regedit in the text box and hit Enter.
Go to the following path in the Registry Editor window:
- Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop
Locate DragHeight and double-click to open it.
Enter a higher value in the Value data field and click OK. By default, the value is set to 4.
Locate DragWidth and double-click on it.
Enter the same value you put earlier for DragHeight and click OK.

Try to find the most suitable value for DragHeight and DragWidth for your machine. Once you find the perfect value that works for you, save the changes, and that should fix the drag and drop not working issue.

5. Update Mouse Driver

An outdated mouse driver can sometimes lead to numerous problems, such as the middle mouse button not working or the mouse left click not working.

Updating your mouse driver can also resolve the drag and drop not working issue. Check the following procedure to update the mouse driver.

Here’s how to update the mouse driver:

Press Windows + X keys and choose Device Manager.
Expand the Mice and other pointing devices.
Right-click on the mouse driver and choose Update driver.
Select Search automatically for drivers.

Windows will automatically search for the best driver for your mouse and install it. And it will resolve the drag and drop issue.

6. Run SFC in Command Prompt

By running the SFC /Scannow command, you can quickly find any issue and fix them instantly. Consider the instructions below to run SFC /Scannow.

Here is the process of running the SFC /Scannow command:

Click on the Start menu and search for CMD.
Select Run as administrator.
Type the following code and hit Enter:
- sfc /scannow
Allow some time to complete the system scan.

After the scan is finished, restart your device and check whether this solves the drag and drop not working issue.

7. Run DISM in Windows PowerShell

DISM scan is used to find and remove any corrupted system file. And a corrupted file can restrict you from using the drag and drop feature. Check the subsequent instructions to run the DISM scan.

Here’s the instruction to run the DISM scan in Windows PowerShell:

Press Windows + X keys and choose Windows PowerShell (admin).
Type the following command and hit Enter:
- DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth
Wait a little time to finish the process.

Restart your machine to apply the changes when the procedure is finished, which should resolve your drag and drop issue. If you are facing an error in DISM, check our separate post to solve the source files could not be found error.

8. Run Troubleshooter

Hardware & Devices troubleshooter is another tool that you can use to eliminate unwanted problems like drag and drop not functioning issues. You must use the Command Prompt to launch the tool. Check the following procedure for more clear instructions.

Here is the procedure to run Hardware & Devices troubleshooter:

Click on the Start button and search CMD.
Select Run as administrator.
Type the following command and hit Enter:
- msdt.exe -id DeviceDiagnostic
Click on Advance when promoted.
Tick the Apply repairs automatically checkbox and click Next.

The above steps will automatically find hardware and device-related issues and fix them instantly.

9. Modify Windows Registry

Windows Registry contains software and Windows settings, driver info and passwords. Any unexpected changes in the registry can lead to several issues. So keep a backup before modifying the registry values.

You can resolve drag and drop issues by changing the EnableLUA value in Windows Registry. Go through the subsequent procedure to modify Windows Registry.

Here is the way to edit the Windows Registry:

Open the Run dialog box by pressing Windows + R keys.
Type regedit and hit Enter.
Navigate to the following path:
- Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System
Locate EnableLUA and double-click to open it.
Set Base to Hexadecimal and Value data to 0.
Click OK to save the changes.

After changing the Value data, you must restart your machine. Now check if the problem is resolved. Otherwise, go to the next method.

10. Update Windows

An outdated version of Windows can cause different problems, such as only half of the ram being usable or the computer stuttering in Windows 10.

The drag and drop is not working issue can also occur for outdated Windows. Go through the instructions below to update Windows.

Here’s the procedure to update Windows to the latest version:

Press Windows + I to open Settings.
Navigate to Update & Security > Windows Update.
Click Check for updates.

Windows will look for updates and install them on your machine, which should resolve the drag and drop issues.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is dragging and dropping not working?

Several reasons can stop from using the drag and drop feature in Windows, such as corrupt system files, outdated drivers, and outdated Windows.

How do I drag and drop files in Windows 10?

Left-click on the file, hold the left mouse button and move your mouse cursor to another folder on the same drive. Now release the mouse button to move the file to the new location.

How do I enable dragging in Windows?

Drop and drag is a default feature of Windows. While dragging a file or folder, hold the Ctrl key to copy the file or folder. Hold the Alt + Ctrl keys to create a shortcut to the selected file.