Cut & Paste in Finder

the file goes below that folder and all of its contents. If I double-click on the folder to open it in another window, then the file goes into that folder like I wanted.

What you got is exactly as Barney-15E explained. The open folder is the one where the paste goes. It would be nice if the OS were smart enough to realize if you highlight a folder within an open folder, that's where you want the paste to go, but that's not the way Apple's engineers have it set up.

You can request an OS change or enhancement by providing feedback. No guarantee anything will happen, but at least they'll know.

This is a bug.

I have the same system as you (5K Retina iMac with Sierra) and sometimes all Finder menu commands (including cut/paste) are greyed out - they are greyed out in the Menu bar and when you right-click. Other times all Finder commands are available and work as they are supposed to. (CMD C should copy a file, CMD V pastes a copy, ALT CMD V moves the file). I also find that when this happens the Finder window close and zoom buttons stop working too, so I can't even close a Finder window.

The quickest workaround for me is to open Force Quit from the main Apple menu, select Finder in the list and click the Relaunch button. The Finder relaunches and works OK again.

I've never run into this particular problem before, only since using Sierra (Sierra has many bugs). I haven't found the root cause of the bug yet, still looking. You should give Apple feedback on this bug and they'll hopefully correct it in the next update.

Hope that helps

I have the same problem with macOS Sierra 10.12.3 since upgrading from Snow Leopard on my Early 2011 MacBook Pro 15. In my case both Copy and Paste and drag and drop stop working in Finder at some moment. Logging out and in makes it working again but it is very annoying. The same problem occurs with Terminal and Safari. So it seems to be a system-wide bug.

I wonder why only this page mentions this issue.

There is no Alt key for iMac. When I copy and paste, there is no option to "move" the file to the new folder so you have to go back and delete the original. I can't believe Apple doesn't have an easy precise way to move files like Windows does. Dragging results in too many accidental drops to who knows where!

The Option key is the same thing. Apple has never been very consistent with that. Sometimes the key is labeled Option. On other models it's marked Alt. And yet still on others it's marked Option in large letters, with Alt in small text in the upper corner of the key.

Thanks Kurt - alt was in small letters. I clicked on a file, command-c, clicked on a folder where I wanted to move it to, command-alt-v, and the file disappeared. I couldn't find it anywhere so I did Edit, Undo to get it back. How to I get it to move to the selected folder?

hank3333 wrote:

Thanks Kurt - alt was in small letters. I clicked on a file, command-c, clicked on a folder where I wanted to move it to, command-alt-v, and the file disappeared.

What view are you using in Finder? If List View, the "selected" folder is not actually the selected folder, or target.

If you expand the disclosure arrows and dig down deep into a folder hierarchy, the focus is still on the topmost folder whose name appears in the Title bar. If you are in List View, you have to open the folder in its own tab or window to make it the focus. None of the other views work that way.

Your method was correct. Select the items to move, press Command+C, click on the target folder, press Command+Option+V.

While it's not how I normally move files, I have tested it quite a few times, and it does work. I can't explain getting nothing in the target folder.

I appreciate your help.I found that when I click once on the folder and command-alt-v, the file goes below that folder and all of its contents. If I double-click on the folder to open it in another window, then the file goes into that folder like I wanted. Don't know why the extra steps are necessary.

Cutting files and folders is disabled in the Finder to prevent accidental data loss. Press the Option key when pasting to move them.

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I Use Drag and drop method.....macOS Sierra: Drag and drop items

It exists for cutting text, not files and folders. The method of pressing Option is done when pasting, not when copying or trying to cut.

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