Windows explorer: How to drag, paste or right click in an already full folder

windowswindows 7windows-explorer

In my case I use Windows 7, and I would like to focus on that OS. However it is likely the same question could also apply to other Windows versions, if not all.

Quite often I try to drag a file from one folder to another. I have two explorer windows open, and I click and hold the file from one window and drag it onto the other window.

However, sometimes the destination is already filled with subfolders to a point where there is a scrollbar, and thus no blank space left. If I drag anything into the folder now, I will likely accidentally drag the file onto one of the subfolders, in which case it will paste to that folder instead.
For now I just try to drag in between the subfolders, or I go 'up in the directory hierarchy', and drag the file onto the destination folder while I am in the folder 'above'.
But what would be the proper way (read most efficient way) to drag files into a folder with no blank space?

The same type of issue occurs when I want to right click in a folder to display the dropdown menu. If the folder is filled with files or subfolders, there is no black space in which I can right click.

Is there some short key, or a method I haven't thought of, which I can easily use on any Windows 7 explorer to get to the right click menu within the current folder?

Best Answer

what would be the proper way (read most efficient way) to drag files into a folder with no blank space?

There is space available, lots of it, I think you just haven't realised that drag-drop operations don't necessarily need blank space. I have highlighted all the hot-spots I know of that allow you to correctly "drop" items into the current folder.

Windows 7 Explorer Drag-drop hot-spots

It doesn't matter whether your View is set to Icon, Thumbnail, Details, etc., the above hot-spots always work. My favorite hot-spot is the big one at the very bottom of the window.

As for right-clicking, use this blank space:

Windows 7 Explorer right-click hot-spot

Is there some short key... to get to the right click menu within the current folder?

There is a context-menu key on your keyboard which (usually) does the same thing as right-clicking the mouse. In your case it's no help because you'd still have to left-click the above empty space first, before pressing the key, to ensure the correct context menu comes up. So you may as well right-click the empty space. I suspect the context-menu key is intended more for folks who have a one-button mouse.

Context menu key

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