10.6.6 - Finder: edit -> cut disabled

the short answer is that it is not disabled because it doesn't exist.

now, let's get some things straight. firstly let me just say that i have been a mac user for years, and i have never even owned a computer that ran windows 7.

having said that, with all due respect, it seems as though some of you folks have never even used windows before.

_*1. if you cut A and then cut B, it will NOT lead to data loss, you will NOT lose A.*_

what happens when you Cut:
i. file/folder is copied to the clipboard.
original item is NOT deleted.

what happens when you Paste after Cut:
i. item is copied to the destination.
ii. original item is deleted.

this means that if you perform 2 successive cuts, there will not be any 'unnecessary data loss'. in such a case, the first item will be restored its original position.

the ONLY exception to this is when you are cutting text from a text field. however, every discussion i have come across, including this one, is with regards to Finder, in which case it is not an issue. +*ironically, Cut is possible in mac when editing text fields.*+

again, i am not trying to offend anyone when i say that anyone who has a decent understanding of how windows works would know this.

_*2. You cannot move files between disks.*_

that is right, you cannot move files between disks. all you can do is copy them. rather than upgrade the hard disk on my macbook i for one connect it to a total of 3TB of external storage, which makes sense because that capacity does not even exist for laptop hard disk drives.

anyway, in the event that you try to drag and drop (i am not a fan of the whole keyboard dance thing, read below) files between HDDs, the file is only copied, not moved. this is in contrast to when the origin and destination are on the same disk, and the file is moved.

clearly, for someone like myself who transfers large amounts of data between disks, it becomes a hassle. if i dont move data out of my macbook HD it would get filled and i would have a problem.

on a side note, i am not a fan of the whole keyboard fingerdance simply because it is not intuitive. it is something that needs to be trained. to perform a shortcut you actually need to first recall what the shortcut is. you do not need to remember what a click is. even if it isn't a single step, all i need to perform are a succession of clicks, each prompting the next.

obviously, you can't stop someone like me; i use Path Finder.

why is 'cut' disabled under edit?

Because you don't have a text field selected.

how do I move files from one location to another?

Drag them, opening windows or creating shortcuts as needed.

(57486)

"Cutting" and "pasting" of files has never been part of the Mac OS as long as I have used it. You can drag the file icons, or if you want to do it the hard way use the Terminal mv command.

To suggest changes in the OS to Apple use the [feedback page|http://www.apple.com/feedback/macosx.html].

Best of luck.

there is a "cut" option under edit menu, it's just grayed out.. why did they include it if it doesn't work at all???????

For cutting text, not files. Cutting files isn't available because it could lead to inadvertent data loss.

(57490)

WHAT??? there is a "cut" option under edit menu, it's just grayed out.. why did they include it if it doesn't work at all???????

It does work just fine, just not for what you want to do with it. Cutting files is dangerous if done wrong and inconsistent with all other cutting if done safely. That wouldn't bother a company that doesn't give a crap about their OS's interface, but that company ain't Apple.

sorry, this is ********...

Watch yourself there, pal... that is not a word that anyone with half a brain uses as an insult. Your choice of words makes you sound like an ignorant and self-absorbed teenager.

Lets not also forget

Kill: Ctrl-K
Yank: Ctrl-Y

With text selected, Ctrl-K works as a secondary “cut” command by removing the highlighted text without replacing what is currently residing in your clipboard. To bring the text back, hit Ctrl-Y.

“Kill” has a special use beyond that of the “cut” command. If you place your cursor at a given point in a paragraph and hit Ctrl-K, all of the text from that point forward will be cut. This is a great way to quickly grab and move an entire paragraph of text.


Ctrl-K only seems to work on editable text (like in TextEdit and Mail). For instance, you can’t “kill” text on a web page.

As far as I can tell, these are a carry-over from Linux.

_*1. if you cut A and then cut B, it will NOT lead to data loss, you will NOT lose A.*_

That is the way it works on Windows, yes. It is also inconsistent with how cut works in _all other cases_. It can either be dangerous or inconsistent, not both. Of course, it's Apple's choice not to implement this, and if you really want it, use the [Apple feedback page|http://www.apple.com/feedback>. I wouldn't expect things to change, though... neither option seems like it would be appealing to Apple.

_*2. You cannot move files between disks.*_

You've never tried holding down the command key while dragging files from disk A to disk B, I take it?