How do I move not copy?

I want to move folders around from my desktop to my documents folder. However, I don't want to copy it to a new location, just move it. Is there a way to do this?
Thanks

While holding down the command key, hilite the folder/file to be moved and drag and drop.

works for me.

Hmmm...for me, drag and drop moves it, while drag and drop with the Option/Alt key held down copies it.

MightyGem said:

Hmmm...for me, drag and drop moves it, while drag and drop with the Option/Alt key held down copies it.

Click to expand...

Same here, since we're talking about folders on the same volume.

If you want to copy to another volume, just drag. To move instead, hold down the Command key and drag.

I thought that's what I said. Perhaps I was to descriptive.

No, the OP asked about moving folders around on the same volume.

I suppose things may have changed in Lion, but AFAIK dragging from the Desktop to a location on the same volume should not require holding down any key for the item to just be moved, but would require a modifier to copy.

toMACsh said:

No, the OP asked about moving folders around on the same volume.

I suppose things may have changed in Lion, but AFAIK dragging from the Desktop to a location on the same volume should not require holding down any key for the item to just be moved, but would require a modifier to copy.

Click to expand...

It hasn't, at least not in my experience.

My mistake. I thought the OP was talking about moving elsewhere. I should have payed a bit more attention there. Apologies.

As far as moving files and folders from the desktop to the documents folder, a simple drag and drop works for me using Lion.

MacLover2011 said:

I want to move folders around from my desktop to my documents folder. However, I don't want to copy it to a new location, just move it. Is there a way to do this?
Thanks

Click to expand...

Ok, if the OP ever comes back...

That seems to at least imply that a simple drag and drop is copying things. If that's the case, I'd say two different volumes are involved.

Well I'm new to the Mac world so my problem is this:

I downloaded few things from Safari. Those downloads (or "setup" files in Windows talk) went straight to my desktop. Now in the Windows world, I can create a folder and name it "Misc", drag/drop it and itll get cleared from my desktop to that folder. I did that on my MacBook and it just copy/pasted it to that folder. How can I "move" these?

Since the programs were installed can I just trash these without any future issues?

With you saying 'setup files' are we talking about the contents of a disc image here?

Because a file or folder dragged from one place to another on the same volume WILL move. Not copy.

However, if you're dragging something from a mounted disk image (which is read-only by definition) then the file will be copied.

Can you give us a named example of one of these downloaded files?

One is Firefox another is AdbeRdr1012en_US another is Perian 1.2.3

Those are all disk images and as such, read-only.

To install most software on Mac:
Download the dmg (disk image)
Mount the image ( this may happen automatically and you'll see it appear on your desktop and in the left sidebar in finder)
Install the software (this is normally just a case of dragging the app to the folder shown or directly to the applications folder, but some come withan installer. Either way the onscreen instructions will tell you what to do when you open the image on your desktop or in finder)
Once installed the image can be ejected (by dragging it to thrash to eject of hitting the eject icon in the sidebar in finder)
The mounted image will now disappear from the desktop but the original downloaded Dmg file will be in your downloads folder, you can move, copy or delete this at will

More info here:
http://guides.macrumors.com/Installing_Applications_in_Mac_OS_X

Just for info, preview (built into OSX) does a great job of view and manipulating PDF files. Chances are you don't near Adobe Reader anyway

Great thanks!

Ylwf3vr said:

Since the programs were installed can I just trash these without any future issues?

Click to expand...

Maybe. Yes, you can delete them and the installed apps will not be affected by that action. But, if you need to reinstall, you'll obviously have to download again, whereas if you keep them, you won't.