Checkboxes Makes File Moving Using Windows 10 File Explorer Easier

Have you ever been in a situation where you need to move multiple files in one folder to another, but the files are not together?

If you have, how did you go about the move? Were you stressed out because you have to move the files one-by-one since the files are not together and so you cannot use the click and drag selecting option? If yes, then this new checkbox feature in Windows 10 File Explorer will be a life saver.

The Checkboxes Feature

In the File Explorer, when you activate the Checkboxes feature, small square box will appear beside each file icon, thumbnail or name, so that you can select multiple file without using the click and drag selecting option.

How to Activate the Checkboxes Feature.

There are basically two ways to activate the Checkboxes feature, but the easiest of them is using the View tab in the File Explorer window. So I will be starting with this one.

Activate Using View Tab

• Open File Explorer. You do this by either
  • Press Window key+E in you your keyboard
    
    
  • Click on the File Explorer icon the taskbar of your computer.
• In the tab section of File Explorer, click on the View Tab.
  
  
  
• Finally, in the Show/hide section of the View Tab Ribbon, click to check the empty square box of the Item check boxes option.
  
  
  
  To deactivate the feature, uncheck the square box.

Activate Using File Explorer Option

• Click on the Search icon in the taskbar, and type in File Explorer option in the search box.
• Click on the File Explorer option Control Panel item in the result.
  
  
  
• Switch to the View tab
• Scroll down the list until you see Use Check Boxes To Select Items.
  
  
  
  Check it to activate, uncheck it to deactivate.

How to Use the Checkboxes Feature

To use the Checkboxes feature after you have updated it, do the following:

• Open the folder where the files you want to move is.
• Hover your mouse on the file icon, name, or thumbnail.
• Click to check the square box to select the file. Repeat step 2 and 3 if you want to select multiple files.
• Use Ctrl+C, Ctrl+X and Ctrl+V keys in your keyboard to copy, cut, and paste to the folder of your choice respectively.

File Explorer Color

The color of the screenshot of my File Explorer above are dark because my Windows 10 in Dark mode.

If yours is not, then your File Explorer color will be different from mine above. So do not be overly amazed.