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Can I queue up files and copy them one by one?

is there a way to copy a bunch of files at once but have them go one at a time so it doesn't slow down? If I copy one movie file it takes about a minute to transfer the data, but if two or three movies are selected and dragged to disk suddenly the time for each one goes up to like 20 minutes. Am I missing something?

Best Answered by

iBoysoft author Ciki Liu

Ciki Liu

Answered on Wednesday, November 22, 2023

 

Yes, you can queue up files when transferring instead of moving them simultaneously in two possible ways. One is to move the files you want to copy-paste to a new folder and move folder. The other is to use key combinations to select the files, then the macOS will copy-paste files by order.

Option 1. Move your files to a new folder.

This might sound tricky but it really works if you want to transfer files from the Mac to an external hard drive. You need to:

  1. Create a new folder that's used to save all the files you want to copy.
  2. Put all your files in the common folder.
  3. Select the folder and then copy-paste it to your destination location.

Option 2. Select the files using Shift/Command key.

If you don't want to create another folder or your files are scattered in multiple folders, you can select the files in two ways to queue them up.

  1. Click on one item you want to copy.
  2. Select a range of files while pressing the Shift button. The files must have to be in a continuous list.
  3. Release the Shift button after selecting all desired files.

Alternatively, you can use the Command key.

  1. Select one item.
  2. Keep pressing the Command key while clicking on other items.
  3. Let go of the Command key when you finish selecting files.

In this case, the files you choose will be copied one by one instead of simultaneously.

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