Add "copy To" And Move To"

[Chappy]

Hi everyone!

Here's how you can add these 2 very handy commands into the right click (context) menu. With these you can simply right click an item and select "Copy to" which will open a browse window where you can select the location to copy the item into.

It's really a time saver over the default way of having to copy the item and then go to the location to paste it into. I love it and use it all the time, I'm sure you will too!

To add Copy to... and Move to... context menu options

start > run > regedit and then create the following registry keys

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers\Copy To

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers\Move To

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers\Copy To

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers\Move To

For the Copy To's set the default value to {C2FBB630-2971-11d1-A18C-00C04FD75D13} and for the Move To's set the default value to {C2FBB631-2971-11d1-A18C-00C04FD75D13}

Now when you right click on a file or folder, above the send to option are two new options: Copy to Folder and Move to Folder

You can copy or move files or directories to other folders with this.

Hope you like it and for those of you that do not know how to edit the registry, watch for my Tutorial on "How to edit the Windows Registry" to be in the Windows Tutorials very soon.

[handplane]

Dave,

Thanks.

Will be looking for the tutorial.

[Flatiron]

Dave,

Thanks.

Will be looking for the tutorial.

Me too!

[tg1911]

I'll be waiting, too.

Sounds like a right handy feature.

[Chappy]

It's up folks, go to the BestTechie Knowledge Base and have a look.

I also put in a post showing how to add the above keys into the registry.

Hope you like it!!

[Vile_DR]

Wow that little shortcut right there helps me out alot, especially when I am moving and copying files that need backing up or are backed up..thanks Chappy

[Chappy]

Wow that little shortcut right there helps me out alot, especially when I am moving and copying files that need backing up or are backed up..thanks Chappy

You're very welcome Vile_DR!

Like I said, I love it too and it's one of the first tweaks I make after I reinstall an OS, it's that important to me.

[Vile_DR]

here's a question for you. I read your Windows Registry Tutorial and understand it and followed the steps to add this, but how did you find the information and where to place the keys and what type of "character numbers" to use to represent this new addition? I definitely want to learn more about "editing" the registry, but it sometimes leads to dead ends with google and yahoo searches

[tg1911]

Thanks, Chappy.

This is going to come in handy!

[Chappy]

here's a question for you. I read your Windows Registry Tutorial and understand it and followed the steps to add this, but how did you find the information and where to place the keys and what type of "character numbers" to use to represent this new addition? I definitely want to learn more about "editing" the registry, but it sometimes leads to dead ends with google and yahoo searches

Hi Vile_DR

I can't remember exactly where I found this gem but I believe I heard about it on a TTV show a couple years back.

I also ran a test on my test install to see how this may have been brought about. I ran a search of the registry for the CLSID that is entered for the Copy To key value and found it to be the CLSID for a service called "Microsoft Copy To Service".

Same for the Move to key's CLSID and it corresponds to a service aptly called MIcrosoft Move To service....what a concept eh.

Well, it seems to me that for popup windows and anything else for that matter, there is a service or applet or something that drives it. Therefore, you should be able to add anything into any area you wish if you know what key to alter or add in what area. and what value to set.

I know that the right click menus are controlled by the ContextMenuHandlers and the shellex, but I would have had no idea about adding the key to that * area.

A more in-depth knowledge of the registry would be required to know that and I'm not quite up to that speed yet.

I'm running a test on my other install today to see if I can get something else added to this menu that would be of interest, I'll let you know how it turns out.

As for learning enough to be able to figure these things out, I guess it just takes time and allot of study on whatever resources you can find about the registry.

This probably doesn't make a whole lotta sense does it, I can't think of any other way to explain it right now, I didn't sleep well last nite. I'll try to fix it later so that it's more understandable...even to me.

[Vile_DR]

Thanks again Chappy, I'll make sure to check back and as well as post anything i have pickedup along my studies

[Flatiron]

It's up folks, go to the BestTechie Knowledge Base and have a look.

I also put in a post showing how to add the above keys into the registry.

Hope you like it!!

Thanks Chappy!

A+ on the instructions!

Used it once already. That's gonna be mighty handy and save some time.

[lamuskrat]

Thanks Chappy,

Will enjoy this tweak, and your tutorial was very easy to follow. Sure hope you post some more reg tweaks.

[Chappy]

You're all very welcome!

I knew you'ld all like this one, it's one of my favorites and I add this immediately to my system if I reinstall the OS.

I'm glad you all find the instructions easy to follow too, it's pretty important to get those just right so everyone can follow along no matter what skill level they may be.

I'll add any more good tweaks as I find them. I was going thru the CLSID's yesterday looking for something to give me an inspiration and I think I may have found one. I'll be testing it out after I finish my System Restore tutorial today so I'll let you know if it works.

[murtu52]

very good tip, but its not working for me. I navigated to the place you said, right clicked the folder, and clicked new: key. I did this for all 4 places, then i entered the values. I even double checked the values to make sure they were correct, but when i right click something, move to and copy to don't show up.

Any ideas?

[Chappy]

very good tip, but its not working for me. I navigated to the place you said, right clicked the folder, and clicked new: key. I did this for all 4 places, then i entered the values. I even double checked the values to make sure they were correct, but when i right click something, move to and copy to don't show up.

Any ideas?

Hi murtu52

Thats strange, it's never failed to work for me or anyone else I know thats tried it.

What version of Windows are you running?

Can you post some screenshots of your edits on ImageShack or PhotoBucket so I can see what you did please.

[robroy]

thanks for the good tip

[murtu52]

alright, i'll get it to you tomorrow morning; its too late now, i'm going to sleep soon.

FYI, i'm using windows XP.

[shanenin]

very good tip, but its not working for me. I navigated to the place you said, right clicked the folder, and clicked new: key. I did this for all 4 places, then i entered the values. I even double checked the values to make sure they were correct, but when i right click something, move to and copy to don't show up.

Any ideas?

it did not work for me either. I will watching this thread and see if it was user error on my part, that would be most likely :-)

[murtu52]

Actually, i figured out my problem. It turns out i actually copied and pasted the values without the brackets, so it wasn't working....now it works, good tip, chappy.

[shanenin]

Actually, i figured out my problem. It turns out i actually copied and pasted the values without the brackets, so it wasn't working....now it works, good tip, chappy.

yup same error I made, works well now :-) I am not used to hacking the registry, more of an" /etc" kind of guy

[Chappy]

Actually, i figured out my problem. It turns out i actually copied and pasted the values without the brackets, so it wasn't working....now it works, good tip, chappy.

LOL....good work you two!!

Glad you got it figured out without too much trouble. As I said, it's worked great everytime I ever used it or did it for someone else.

It's always the little things that trip us up...

[Digidave]

Yes sir Chappy, I found this to be quite easy. Thanks, I'm not real good with inner workings of a computer but I love some tweaks I find. This one is top notch in my book. Very easy to understand tutorial. Good Job!!!

[bearskin]

tried this but it seems WIN ME won't let me do it.

[Chappy]

Hi bearskin

Try this, search the registry hive HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT for these:

MIcrosoft CopyTo Service

Microsoft MoveTo Service

(make sure that CopyTo and MoveTo are one word or search will fail)

and replace the CLSID's with the values you find, if they are different from the ones I posted. The CLSID is the {C2FBB630-2971-11d1-A18C-00C04FD75D13} thing.

I don't know if this works with ME or not, I don't have a copy to test it on.

Good Luck!