[Fixes] Can't Move folders Around on Mac Screen & Copy and Paste Disabled

Question

[Fixes] Can't Move folders Around on Mac Screen & Copy and Paste Disabled

I cannot drag my folder around on the Mac screen. They are locked in place. Copy works but the Paste option is gone in the Edit menu. Progams open fine. I used Disk Utility to do disk repairs. All is OK there. I have been a Mac user for 20 years and have never seen this problem.

Best Answered by

Sherry Song

Answered on Wednesday, November 26, 2025

Hello, it is a small case, you can try these:

( 1 ) Restart your Mac.

( 2 ) Disable stacks. Finder > View > Turn off Use Stacks then click Sort By > None.

( 3 ) Use some effective tool to move like iBoysoft MagicMenu.

Download

iBoysoft MagicMenu

Rating:4.8

Download, install, and open it.
Right-click the folder or file you want to move, and choose Move To. (The default folder path is the common ones: Downloads, Documents, Movies, Pictures…You can add other folder paths in it)

( 4 ) Change the file's permission.

( 5 ) Create a new use account.

Also read: Copy and Paste Not Working on Mac.

What to Do If You Can't Move Items on Mac Desktop