Cutting files?

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Hi,

I have just purchased an IMAC to replace my PC. I have just finished backing up allm y important files, music etc onto my external hard drive to trnasfer to my IMAC. I noticed that I was unable to "cut" files from the external drive and could only copy them across. Also I don't seem to be able to "cut" files from folders on my IMAC.

Can anyone tell me why this is? Is it a permissions thing and do I have to change something?

Cheers.
 
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Look into the "springloaded folders" function of the finder. Cutting files is not support. Why, I do not know.
 
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I've tried to "move" files from the drive to my IMAC and it only copys them, and when I try and move fies to another location on the external drive, it says the folder I'm trying to move them in cannot be modified. I'm trying to move them by holding down command and dragging.
 
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That's one of those paradigm shifts you'll need to get used to on your Mac.

I missed it a lot at first, but after a while it becomes 2nd nature not to cut & paste files/folders.

I'm fairly sure there's a 3rd party extension to enable this somehow though...
 
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Well, ok if it's not possible to actually cut and paste files an a MAC, thats fair enough (why is the option in the menu but greyed out?).

However, I still can't "move" files from one folder to another on my external hard drive, or move them off it without leaving a copy. I'm assuming thats possible on the MAC? Is it just because my drive is windows formatted?
 
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From that same thread ;p

http://www.mac-forums.com/forums/showpost.php?p=392934&postcount=2

You'll find a link there to a (free) solution.

mac_finder_cut_paste_1.png


mac_finder_cut_paste_2.png



HOWEVER, know that even without this solution,
you can "force move" by holding down the Command (Apple) key while dragging the file.

Command = move
Option = copy
Command Option = make alias
 
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Well, Mac OS X is the less "path dependent" OS of the two,
so if OS X's Copy Paste is path dependent,
then Windows most likely is as well.

Actually, I believe the old MacOS was truly not path dependent.
As for Mac OS X, it all depends on the app.
Usually, Cocoa apps are path dependent, while Carbon apps "stick" to the file or folder even if it's been renamed.

You can easily try this out:
Save a file in TextEdit (Cocoa app), change the name in the Finder, then save again in TextEdit.
It would make a new file with the old file name.

Repeat these steps in Word (Carbon app). You'll see that it won't create a new file; it will change the name of the file in Word to the new name.It is sort of strange that the Finder's Copy Paste is path dependent, because the Finder is a Carbon app.


Oh yeah, for the Windows thing, if I use my Windows machine anytime soon, I'll try it out and post the result here.
 
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Oh yeah, for the Windows thing, if I use my Windows machine anytime soon, I'll try it out and post the result here.
Thanks. The Windows machines at a former jobsite would cut and and paste huge files. Some of the boxes had only 512 megabytes of RAM, so I think they duplicate rather than copy to the clipboard, too.
 
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That reminds me to ask whether anyone knows if Windows has the Mac's vulnerability of pasting a different file than was cut if the file changes in the meantime. Windows might use the same method.
(...) if I use my Windows machine anytime soon, I'll try it out and post the result here.

Yeah, it has the same issue; whichever file has the file name at the moment you paste will be moved instead of the original file.


...and so much for "anytime soon." ;p
 
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wifler - If your External Hard Drive is formatted in NTFS you will not be able to cut. You cannot modify the contents of an NTFS drive, but you can copy/read them.
 
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You may also wish to try FileCutter. This excellent little bit of software adds the usual Cut, Copy, Paste and a few other items as well to the context menu of each file/folder. Simply right click the item, select cut, then go where you need to, right click and select paste. Just like in Windows... and Linux... and unix... :) Get FileCutter at:

http://homepage.mac.com/gweston/download.html

I use it daily and love it.
 

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