Cut and paste files on a Mac to move them

Why it happens

Finder doesn't cut files the way Windows does. Instead, you copy first and decide when you paste: a normal paste makes a copy, and holding Option turns it into a move. Nothing leaves the old folder until you paste, so files can't get lost halfway.

How to fix it

1. Select the files or folders you want to move and press Command-C. Hold Command and click to pick several at once.

2. Open the folder where they should end up. You can do this in the same window or a new one.

3. Press Option-Command-V. Or open the Edit menu and hold Option: Paste Item turns into Move Item Here. Click it.

   Finder›Edit›Move Item Here

4. Check the old folder. The files are gone from there and now live in the new place. If you pressed Command-V by mistake, you'll have a copy in both places, and you can drag the old ones to the Trash.

Still not fixed?

1. Command-X does nothing on files in Finder, and Cut is greyed out. That's normal. It works for text, not for files.

2. Dragging works too. Drag files into another folder on the same disk to move them. Dragging onto a different disk copies them, so hold Command while you drag to move instead.

3. If Move Item Here won't work and you see a permission message, your Mac can't remove the files from where they are. Disks formatted for Windows (NTFS) are read-only on a Mac, so you can only copy from them.

4. If moves fail with errors on one disk, open Disk Utility, select the disk and run First Aid.

   Disk Utility›First Aid

5. If First Aid reports errors it can't repair, back up what you can and take the disk to a repair shop or contact Apple Support. The disk itself may be failing.