Copying, Cutting, Pasting, and Deleting files

This article explains the basics of file functions within Windows Explorer. The topics covered will be Copy & Paste, Cut & Paste, and Deleting files. This article is geared toward doing things to a single item (file or folder) at a time, but it is exactly the same process for a multi-file selection. Please read the articles on selecting files to understand a multiple selection scenario.

All of the file functions on this page will work on anything that one can select in the selecting process. It is assumed that when one selects a folder, that all the things within it (sub-folders and files) are selected as well.

Copying:

When one "copies" a file, one makes a "copy" -the original is untouched and remains where it was. the "copy" of the original can then be placed elsewhere. This is called "pasting".

One would use a copy process to create a backup of an original, or perhaps when using the original as a template for a new file.

To illustrate, the images below copy a folder named "folder1" into another folder named "folder5":

Cutting:

When one "cuts" a file, the file is taken from where it is and is placed elsewhere. Just like when using the "copy" process, the cut file is then "pasted" into the desired destination.

One would use a "cutting" process to move an item (or multiple items) to a new place.

To illustrate, the images below cut a file called "Document3.doc" and move (paste) it into a folder called "folder2":

Deleting:

When one deletes a file it is erased from where it is.

It is not truly "deleted" though. While the file is effectively erased from it's original place, the file is moved to the Recycle Bin until the bin is emptied or until bin size limits cause it to be erased by attrition. This behavior is implemented to allow the user to restore a file if it has been deleted by mistake.

The images below deletes "Folder4" from our workplace folder:

The Recycle Bin:

The folder has been deleted... But look where it winds up: