How To Fix Windows 11 Drag And Drop Not Working (8 Methods)
Windows users may be familiar with the drag and drop functionality. It is a very intuitive method of moving items around the operating system.
Windows drag-and-drop functionality lets you interact with files and folders; this allows you to move items faster.
Although the drag and drop feature is not new, many Windows 11 users are experiencing issues with it. Few Windows users reported that Windows 11 drag and drop not working.
In Windows 11, you can easily move files using keyboard shortcuts – CTRL+X and CTRL+V. But what if you are not comfortable with the shortcuts?
8 Methods to Fix Windows 11 Drag and Drop Not Working
The drag-and-drop functionality of Windows 11 can stop working for a variety of reasons, but you can easily fix it. Below we have shared some of the best ways Fix Windows 11 drag and drop not working problem.
1. Relaunch the problematic app
If the drag and drop feature doesn’t work only on a selected app, you need to restart that app on your Windows 11 computer and you can use the task manager app for that. Here’s what to do.
1. Click on Find Windows and type Task Manager. Then open the Task management app from the list.
2. When the Task Manager opens, right-click on the problematic issue and select ‘End task‘
3. This will immediately close all processes related to the application. Once closed, reopen the app on your Windows 11.
That is it! This is how you can restart an app to fix Windows 11 drag and drop problem.
2. Restart Windows Explorer
Several Windows 11 users have claimed to fix the problem drag and drop doesn’t work problem just by restarting Windows file explorer. That’s why you can do it. Here’s what to do.
1. Click on Windows Search and type in Task management. Then open the Task Manager app from the list of available results.
2. When the Task Manager opens, right-click on Windows Explorer and select ‘Restarting‘.
That is it! This will immediately restart Windows Explorer and fix Windows 11 drag and drop not working.
3. Check your mouse for problems
The drag and drop functionality of Windows is completely dependent on your mouse. There may be a chance that your mouse has issues, so the drag and drop won’t work.
If you are using a mouse with a cord, remove it and plug it back into the port. This could solve the problem. So before trying the following methods, make sure you have a fully functional mouse.
4. Update the mouse drivers
If the drag and drop feature of Windows 11 is still not working, you can check your mouse drivers. If Windows 11 does not recognize your mouse, you cannot use it. Here’s how to verify the mouse drivers.
1. Click Search and type Windows 11 Device administrator. Then open the Device Manager app from the list.
2. Expand it Mice and other pointing devices section when Device Manager opens.
3. Right click on your connected mouse and select ‘Update driver‘.
That is it! Now follow the on-screen instructions to complete the update process for your mouse drivers.
5. Forget the last drag and drop
Windows 11 has a bug that sometimes crashes on the last drag and drop action. If that was the problem, you must forget the last drag-and-drop action you performed.
Open File Explorer (This PC) on Windows 11, click on a file/folder, hold the left mouse buttonand press the ESC key.
6. Run the SFC and DISM command
System file corruption could be another reason why Windows 11 doesn’t work with drag and drop. So if all else failed, you can try running the SFC and DISM commands on your Windows 11.
These two commands will scan and repair all damaged Windows 11 system files. Here’s what to do.
1. Click Find Windows and type CMD. Right click on the CMD and select ‘Run as AdministratorR’
2. When the command prompt opens, run the SFC command:
SFC /scannow
3. If the SFC /scannow command returns an error, try running this command:
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
That is it! These two commands will most likely repair all corrupted system files and fix the drag and drop problem in Windows 11.
7. Update your Windows 11
Updating the operating system is an evergreen way to deal with various bugs, glitches, and errors. It is recommended to always update the operating system as an up-to-date system brings new features and better security options.
1. Click on Find Windows 11 and select ‘Institutions‘.
2. In Settings, switch to the Windows updates tab on the left.
3. Now click on ‘Check for updates‘
That is it! Now Windows 11 will automatically search for all available updates. If it finds an update, it will download and install it automatically.
8. Reset your Windows 11 PC
If nothing worked for you to fix the Windows 11 drag and drop problem, the last option left is to reset the Windows 11 PC.
The reset deletes all user-made settings and third-party apps. So it is essential to backup all your most important files and folders before performing a system reset.
Once the backup part is done, follow our guide – How to Reset Windows 11 to reset your device to factory settings.
Drag and drop is a useful feature that saves a lot of time when moving files between folders. And if the drag and drop functionality doesn’t work on Windows, you should follow all the methods we shared. We are confident that these methods will solve the problem. If you find this guide helpful, please share it with your friends who are facing the same problem.
