Difference between Copy and Move Files

The most common operations that users perform on Windows Explorer are copying, moving, renaming, and deleting files and folders. Copying and moving files are done from ?

• Folder to folder
• Drive to drive

Both of them are easy tasks which can be done by anybody. In this article, we will discuss the difference between copy and move files.

What is Copy File?

When a file is copied from one location to the other, a copy remains at the original location. If a file is copied and pasted on the same location Windows adds "Copy" at the end of the file name. The original file is not affected due to the automatic renaming of the copied file. In order to copy a file from one location to another, users have to use Copy and Paste options. If they want to use a keyboard, then Ctrl + C is used to copy the file from the source and Ctrl + V is used to paste the file at the destination.

What is Move File?

A file can be moved from one location to another by using the Cut and Paste options. The file does not remain on the source but is moved to the destination.

Difference between Copy and Move Files

The difference between copying and moving files can be found in the table below ?

Copy Vs. Move Files Speed

The difference in the speed of copying and moving files is not very much in the case of modern computers. This depends on the source from where the file has to be copied or moved and the location where the file has to be taken.

Copying and Moving Files in the Same Drive

If the locations of the source and destination are available in the same drive, the operations are performed instantly. When a file is copied, then the original remains in the source location and it is copied bit by bit to the destination which takes time depending on the size of the file. When the file is moved, no copy remains at the source location so the speed is fast.

Copying and Moving Files from One Drive to Another

When a file has to be copied from a source in one partition to a source in the other partition, the processes work in a similar way as copying and moving files from one folder to another in the similar partition.

If the file is to be copied from a drive to a removable drive or pen drive, it takes time depending on the type of the destination drive, its data transfer speed, and the size of the file.

Steps of Copying and Moving Files

Here are the steps which users have to follow to copy or move files.

• Select the file or folder that is to be copied or moved
• Right-click the file or the folder.
• Select Copy to copy the file or folder or Cut to move the file or folder
• Go to the destination.
• Right-click an empty space on the file explorer.
• Select Paste and the file or folder will be copied or moved.
• If you are using a keyboard for the process, select the file or folder.
• Press Ctrl + C to Copy or Ctrl + X to move the file or the folder
• Move to the destination.
• Press Ctrl + V to paste the file or folder.

Conclusion

Copying and moving files from one location to another are common processes which users perform on their computers many times in a day. When a file is copied, the original file remains in the source and a copy is created at the destination. When a file is moved, it is removed from the source and copied to the destination. The speed of copying and moving files depends on the destination and the size of files or folders.

FAQs on Copy Vs. Move

1. What is the keyboard shortcut for copying or moving files?

In order to copy a file or a folder use Ctrl + C and Ctrl + V. In the case of moving a file or a folder, use Ctrl + X and Ctrl + V.

2. How can we copy files through drag-and-drop?

If you want to use drag n drop to copy a file, take the following steps ?

• Select the file.
• Press Ctrl
• Drag the file from the source to the destination
• The file will be copied

3. Can a file be copied or moved to a read-only folder?

No! You cannot move or copy a file to a read-only folder.

4. How can we copy a file from one drive to another through the command line?

If the file name is test.txt and is located in the C drive which you have to copy in the D drive, give the following command ?

copy c:\test.txt d:

The file will be copied to the D drive. If you want to copy the file in a folder called myfolder on the D drive, use the following command

copy c:\test.txt d:\myfolder

5: Which command is used on the command line to copy all the files?

The XCopy command is used to copy all the files and folders from the source to the destination. The following attributes of the XCopy command can be used while copying the files and folders ?

• /E ? This attribute copies all the subdirectories even if any of them is empty.
• /H ? This attribute is used to copy hidden files or files which consist of some system file attributes.
• /C ? This attribute continues copying even if any error occurs.
• /I: ? It assumes that the destination is a folder.