File Explorer problem with moving files

Travelinman

New Member
Messages
7
My wife asked me to look at her system because of a problem she was having in file explorer. She has a rather large music collection, and she was trying to consolidate some of the folders. As an example one folder is named AC/DC, and another is named AC-DC. She wants to take albums or songs from the AC-DC folder and move them to the AC/DC folder.

The system has three partitions on the HDD, C, D, and E. All of the music files are located on the E drive. The main parent folder is called My Music, and the folders below that are usually the band name. She opens the folder and selects the files she wants to move, then clicks on "Move to". When the move items box opens so she can select the folder she wants to move the files to, instead of showing let's say 50 different folders it only shows two folders. I tried rebooting the system, but had the same problem. I looked through her installed updates but did not see any that could cause this problem.

If I search on the other partitions (C and D) after clicking on Move to I see every folder on those partitions. I have checked the permissions, and do not see anything that would cause this issue.

Any idea what could be causing this problem?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    8.1
    Computer type
    Laptop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Toshiba
    CPU
    i5
    Memory
    8gb
selects the files she wants to move, then clicks on "Move to". When the move items box opens so she can select the folder she wants to move the files

What/!? that's not how windows file explorer works? Or more likely I don't understand the way you described it..

do you mean when you click the files and drag them over another folder to move them it opens up automatically for you to select where you want to move them??! see what i mean?..

Also you probably need to use something like TeraCopy as it will make sure everything copied correctly and its better to "copy" not "move"... you can always delete the originals once the "copy" completes.. but you can have errors with "move" and lose originals..

so just copy and then delete.. Teracopy makes this easier..

http://s3.amazonaws.com/codesector-us/teracopy.exe


-----------------------------------------------------------------


are you using a mouse and selecting the folder/file you want to move and right-click dragging to get this???


moving.JPG




or


copy.JPG
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    windows 8.1
    Computer type
    Laptop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo g750
    CPU
    i5
    Motherboard
    Some Chinese Crap..
    Memory
    8
    Graphics Card(s)
    Nvidia 755
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
In Windows 8.1, when in file explorer if you select one or a few files there are two buttons in the ribbon bar. One says copy to the other move to. She finds it easier to select the files then click the button, and select the destination folder.

I don't have a problem copying and pasting, or dragging and dropping, but isn't the purpose of the OS for individuals to choose what works best for them.

I am not able to determine why all sub-folders do not appear in the move or copy items box.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    8.1
    Computer type
    Laptop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Toshiba
    CPU
    i5
    Memory
    8gb
There is a "choose location"..

so..? I'm still not understanding clearly ? You want custom folders to show up there?

movemenue.JPG
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    windows 8.1
    Computer type
    Laptop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo g750
    CPU
    i5
    Motherboard
    Some Chinese Crap..
    Memory
    8
    Graphics Card(s)
    Nvidia 755
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
On the E drive the top parent folder is My Music, then there is at least 50 folders below that. When she selects the files she wants to move and clicks on copy to / move to, and the box pops up so you can choose the location....there is only one folder shown instead of 50. I will post some screen capture shots tonight when I get home if you still are confused.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    8.1
    Computer type
    Laptop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Toshiba
    CPU
    i5
    Memory
    8gb
I don't think i'm confused anymore but you do need to show me the screen captures..

by the way, you do it by first opening up the "snipping tool" app.. and have it just sit there in the background (you may have to cancel out of the first picture if it tries to take a picture when you actually press to open the snipping tool..

then you put your windows in the place you want and press the "move to" on the Ribbon bar... (then your windows should show up drop box of the missing folders right?)

and while that hopefully now shows this missing folders you speak of, you then press either "Ctrl + PrtSc" and then select the picture by dragging around whatever you want the picture to be..

or try pressing "Windows(button) + PrtSc"
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    windows 8.1
    Computer type
    Laptop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo g750
    CPU
    i5
    Motherboard
    Some Chinese Crap..
    Memory
    8
    Graphics Card(s)
    Nvidia 755
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
This first image will show you the folder structure of drive E.
66949-file-explorer-problem-moving-files-folders.png


The next image will show what you see after selecting files and click either copy or move to.

66950-file-explorer-problem-moving-files-move-.png
 

Attachments

  • Folders.PNG
    Folders.PNG
    40.1 KB · Views: 71
  • Move to.PNG
    Move to.PNG
    37.1 KB · Views: 70

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    8.1
    Computer type
    Laptop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Toshiba
    CPU
    i5
    Memory
    8gb
On that one folder "dalhart imperials \ ..." That does actually show up as an option - (in the middle 2nd picture)



Can you right click and look at the properties of that folder compared to any other folder that doesn't appear in that move Dropbox..

Make sense?

I mean look at the properties of the folders actually on the e:\ drive


I wonder if changing a letter in the name of the parent file on e:\my music will help force those directories will show..

Do you need all those folders to be in E:\mymusic?

Can you temporary solve this by changing the folder name from E:\mymusic to something like E:\songsmove ... Etc...

Then try the move to in the ribbon again and see if they show up?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    windows 8.1
    Computer type
    Laptop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo g750
    CPU
    i5
    Motherboard
    Some Chinese Crap..
    Memory
    8
    Graphics Card(s)
    Nvidia 755
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
I understand what you are saying. I will try that tonight and let you know.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    8.1
    Computer type
    Laptop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Toshiba
    CPU
    i5
    Memory
    8gb
Okay, so I started by checking the permissions on all folders from the parent folder through all of the child folders. All permissions were the same. Next I changed the name of the parent folder from My Music to My_Music and that solved the problem. Now this may seem like a stupid question, WHY ?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    8.1
    Computer type
    Laptop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Toshiba
    CPU
    i5
    Memory
    8gb
Windows sometimes uses special properties for "special" folders like "My Documents", "My Pictures" and oddly enough.. "my Music"

I'm guessing the ribbon method of moving files for god knows reason why doesn't want to show that my music folder subfolders because it's probably thinks it a special folder.. whatever that means..

the point is, it doesn't like to show things that are meant for links to go to your "documents" or "mymusic"

I'm totally just throwing this out my butt here.. but it is one example of a possibility of "why" since you asked..

but the fact that it showed up after you changed names means it was either that folder permissions/cache/god knows what settings were incorrect or maybe just a "special" folder that windows has special properties for..

another example of this is how some of your folders that have lets say movies in them, they show the picture on the folder of the first movie in the folder correct? have you seen that?

that is a special permissions or "magic" type of folder...

anyway, "My Music" is something used by windows apparently in a special way..

if you want to try to disprove this THEORY, then rename that folder with music to "Pictures" or "My Documents"

truth is, I'm just blabbering.. but maybe it was just a corrupted folder that reset its properties when you renamed it..


but you did ask "why?" ha..
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    windows 8.1
    Computer type
    Laptop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo g750
    CPU
    i5
    Motherboard
    Some Chinese Crap..
    Memory
    8
    Graphics Card(s)
    Nvidia 755
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
Thanks for the response. Honestly does not make sense to me since my wife has been using this system for over two years, and this issue just came up a few weeks ago. Not that it matters, it is fixed and my life can go back to normal now that the wife is happy.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    8.1
    Computer type
    Laptop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Toshiba
    CPU
    i5
    Memory
    8gb
I was hoping the more technically inclined we're going to jump in and help but apparently they are all on vacation..

Where are the rest of this forum's members??

I'm seriously guessing that when you renamed the folder that that may have jumped it into gear because computer do get finicky with so many files always changing and it looks like you had millions of songs there and I'm sure windows couldnt handle any more of it after 2 years hehe..

It probably just forced proper permissions and or cache icon (and all that hogwash computer terms) to be reset because of renaming it had to re link all the files with a folder etc..

Glad it's finished..

I guess you really give "happy wife, happy life" a run for its money
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    windows 8.1
    Computer type
    Laptop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo g750
    CPU
    i5
    Motherboard
    Some Chinese Crap..
    Memory
    8
    Graphics Card(s)
    Nvidia 755
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
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